Toddler Bed
After posting pictures of the items I’ve constructed for Saint Nick Industries, I had another request for kiddie construction: A Toddler Bed.
I’m still relatively new at this whole furniture construction subject, but I make it a point to learn from past projects, and use that knowledge to improve each additional item. Since the closet I had constructed earlier was still standing after a few kids got a hold of it, I figured I was on the right path, and decided to give this bed project a go.
I started it like any other project I knew little about: researching plans on the net. While I wasn’t intrigued by any of the plans I found, I did notice some recurring structural elements. Each set of plans had a Head-board, Foot-board, and Railings. The plans also specified a mattress of approximately 50-54″ X 26-30″. I got the measurements from my friend, and sure enough they fell in the same range. I would be building a 52 x 28 inch area for the mattress. I then found out that the toddler for which this bed would be built was exactly 33 3/4 inches tall, so I decided to match the toddlers height when constructing the head-board.
The most difficult part of the whole project was finding the right combination of boards to equal the desired 30″ wide for the head and foot board. I didn’t have the table saw moved to my greenhouse yet, so I couldn’t trim the pieces, but eventually, I stumbled upon the right combination. I’ve since fitted plywood between the railings, and I’ll be staining the whole project in the next few days.
Night Stand
After constructing the toddler bed, I decided to make something for myself. I started with the intention of building a simple night stand to place my cell phone and wallet while I slept. What happened to simple, I guess I may never know. I began wondering how I could make this piece unique, and decided to create a circular stand, with three legs. After many, many wasted pieces of wood, I got the angles right, and managed to fasten it together with enough strength that I can sit on the stand as if it were a bar stool.
Now…. What to build next ?
2/17/2011 – Follow Up: Here’s what the finished toddler bed looks like:
Toddler Bed After Oak Stain and Glossy Clear Coat
