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Motherhood Simplified.

DIY pallet toddler bed

February 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment

I’m so excited to share my weekend DIY project with you today! If you’ll remember, I put a DIY toddler bed on my Top 10 list of projects to finish in 2012, and this weekend I accomplished just that.

diy pallet toddler bed, pallet bed, diy toddler bed

I’m super proud of it because neither myself nor my husband have much experience in working with wood or building anything. Although I consider myself a crafty person, building things is something I am slightly intimidated by (but very interested in). But when I started seeing pallet beds all over Pinterest, I thought to myself, “Hey, I can do that!”

diy pallet toddler bed, pallet bed, diy toddler bed
diy pallet toddler bed, pallet bed, diy toddler bed

We had been looking for a cheap way to make or purchase a toddler bed for our oldest daughter since she was currently using the crib we will be needing for our upcoming arrival in May/June. I thought if we could get our hands on a pallet or two, we could easily throw something together; and I loved the industrial look of the beds I was seeing.

Although I wanted to use pre-made pallets, I decided against it for two reasons:

  1. I couldn’t get my hands on one (granted, I didn’t try very hard, but one didn’t end up on my doorstep, sooo…)
  2. I started researching DIY pallet beds and read about how the wood used for pallets is generally not the best quality (makes sense since they are used for just moving packaged materials), which means it would need to be heavily sanded to ensure that you removed all the splinters (a big concern since we were using it for a toddler). Also, some pallets are treated with certain chemicals to give them longer life in the sun and other weather conditions; a chemical that isn’t really healthy for a toddler to be exposed to. It’s possible that the chemical wears off after time, but I didn’t really feel comfortable using a pallet after reading that.

So for these reasons, we decided to build a faux pallet on our own (with an extension on the end). It was so simple! Here’s what we used (dimensions are for a toddler bed using a standard crib mattress):

 

DIY pallet toddler bed

Materials:

  • 12 – 1” x 4” boards cut to 30” in length (we used poplar wood because it was cheap and already nicely finished for less splinters)
  • 3 – 2”x4” boards cut to 64” in length (douglas fir studs, rougher looking than the poplar)
  • nails
  • 4 – 3” locking casters
  • bolts & nuts for the casters

Cost:

  • Wood: $73
  • Casters: $44 (way too much…) We had a last-minute problem with the original ones I bought, and ending up getting expensive ones at Home Depot just so we could finish the project… I would suggest checking Ebay or Amazon for cheaper ones – I saw some for only $5.75 a piece, which would have saved us half what we spent) Update: We originally bought 4 locking casters, but returned two and purchased casters without locks, which brought the cost down about $10
  • Nails: Already had
  • Nuts & bolts: Roughly $3

 

The finished size of the pallet was 30” x 64” (it would have been 52” without the extension on the end). As you can see from the photos, the 2×4’s were used on the two sides and down the middle. The 12 1×4’s were spaced out and nailed to the 2×4’s – 8 on the top and only 4 on the bottom. Then we attached the casters, gave it a final sanding and that’s it!

diy pallet toddler bed, pallet bed, diy toddler bed
diy pallet toddler bed, pallet bed, diy toddler bed

As you can see we added that extra extension on the end of the bed so our daughter could put her shoes there, or sit there to put her shoes on. It turns out it’s also a good spot for her to climb up on to get into bed (it’s a little lower than the mattress, which still sits a bit high for her).

I know we’ll have this bed for years to come. We plan to pass it down to each child, and let it be their first “big kid” bed. It gives my daughter just enough independence, and I don’t worry about her falling out of a huge twin sized bed. I’m also happy that it is something my husband and I created together!

Today I am going to make a wooden headboard from the leftover wood, and I’ll be sharing that project soon. I also have yet to make her a new quilt (also from my Top 10 list) and some pillows. As soon as I do, I will be ready to reveal her entire big girl room (I’ve already shared some DIY art and a DIY tent I made)! Hopefully that will be soon, because I really need to get working on the nursery…

Update 3/2012: Some of you were concerned with our long bolts and the danger they could cause to the toddler. After we built the bed and took these photos, we switched the bolts out with shorter ones and put them facing down so they were no longer a hazard.

Related posts:

  1. DIY bunk bed with stairs – free plans
  2. DIY indoor hanging tent
  3. Ikea Hack: DIY Mudroom Benches
  4. Our IKEA mudroom benches, 3 years later

Filed Under: crafting, home Tagged With: DIY furniture, for the kids, home

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HI! I'M AMY.

I'M A BLOGGER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, MOM, COFFEE ADDICT, DIYER, CHRONIC MULTITASKER AND STRESSCASE, A COOK AND A LOVER OF A GOOD GLASS OF WINE.
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I get it. It's a little weird. But the girls I've I get it. It's a little weird.
But the girls I've seen do it best, look adorable.

I think it looks best with an oversized tee or sweatshirt, tennies or slides, and a small crossbody bag.

You can't argue with comfort.

For the record, these are women's sleep shorts that I've had a couple of years from Old Navy. If you buy actual men's boxers, you might consider sewing up the pee pocket 😜

Don't spend a lot on this trend; these shorts are made from the thinnest of fabric and shouldn't cost much. Don't be fooled by a retailer that wants you to spend just because it's trendy.

But if you see some cute boxers and want to give it a go - then do! Bonus - if/when the trend ends, you'll have pajamas on the ready 👏

It's solid weekend wear, but I'm not going out to dinner in it...

#boxershortsforgirls #boxershort #ootd #womensfashion #styleinspiration
Another project down in my son's room! I knew I w Another project down in my son's room!

I knew I wanted some sort of built-in feature in this bedroom, but it was hard to figure out what, because we turned it into an active space where he could run and play and needed a lot of room.

So I settled on a built-in bookcase with the slatted design feature, which I'm in love with!

The best part about it is that if he ever decides to upgrade his bed, the space will also accommodate a full or queen size bed going in the opposite direction. It adds so much interest to this room and hopefully will be here for a long time!

One of the things I love most about DIY projects is figuring out how to make something - it's like a giant puzzle. I saw photos of these slotted wall room dividers on Pinterest and just figured it out as I went. All in all, I had very few hiccups and it only took me a few hours to put together. I think I only cursed once?!? And so I call that an extreme DIY win...

Now that the sports wall, the climbing wall, and the built-in feature are complete, the last thing to do in here is some additional painting. I'm thinking of using a contrasting blue color for the closet doors and back side of the built-in, and perhaps trimming out the window with it as well. Then I need to switch out the light for a fan and this.room.is done 🙌

Details: I used two IKEA billy bookshelves, screwed together and secured to the wall. Then wrapped them in white oak plywood. I ripped down 2x4s into 1.5x1.5" square dowels (heavily sanded!) and used pocket holes on the back side of each to secure to the bookshelf and the 1x4 in the ceiling. It's very sturdy!

Go back in my reels to see the other projects from this room! 

#diy #boysroom #roomrenovation #roomrefresh #kidsrooms #climbingwall #soccerbedroom #builtins #bedroomredo #girlswhobuild
This climbing wall took half a day and cost under This climbing wall took half a day and cost under $100!

We are lucky enough to have 13' ceilings in our bedrooms, so a climbing wall seemed to make sense in my son's room as we worked on the remodel.

He is a super active kid with #ADHD, so his room redo has involved lots of activity spaces! Go back in my reels to see past projects and follow to see me finish this up!

#diy #roomrenovation #roomrefresh #kidsrooms #climbingwall #soccerbedroom
Another to-do checked off my list for spring break Another to-do checked off my list for spring break room makeover!

I added very subtle striping to the wall to mimic a soccer field and keep things classy. ⚽

Stick around to see the next project - a climbing wall!

(And go back in my reels to see the sports wall)

#roommakeover #soccer #kidsroom

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