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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Toddler Bed

    Toddler Bed

    Published by Gail | Published October 6, 2010 | Updated April 9, 2019
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    How to make a toddler bed out of a repurposed door

     


    repurposed-door-toddler-bed-myrepurposedlife
    pin it!

    I showed you the toddler bed made from a door last week, but I didn’t explain any of the particulars. Today I will fill you in.

    Door into Toddler Bed This is the door I started with. I had already applied primer and paint to one side. The other side only had primer.

    *this post contains affiliate links,  read more here*

    How to cut straight with a saw

    That is why you’ll see a pink door below:

    how to cut straight with a saw I needed to cut the door into two sections. Generally I would do this type of task on my table saw. I was unable to do that with this door due to it’s size and weight. First,  I measured how large I wanted the headboard and foot board to be.

    clamp board to use as saw guide In order to get a straight line, I clamped a board to the door to serve as a “guide” for my saw.

     

    use jigsaw to cut door to make a toddler bed The only circular saw I have is battery operated and it wouldn’t make it across the width of this door. I used my jigsaw. Without this board as a guide, I would have never been able to cut a straight line.

     

    cutting a straight line with a jig saw This picture is to show you that you must make allowances for the width of the shoe plate. (in your measurements)

    Use crib spindles for feet of repurposed door toddler bed

    crib spindles as feet for toddler bed I didn’t want the door to set directly on the floor, so I had to figure out what I could use for feet. Fortunately I had some spare crib spindles. I used the parts in between the holes.

     

    finding the center of a dowel After I got them cut, I needed to drill a hole so that I could screw them onto the bottom of the door. I use a washer to help find the center of a circle.

    Coat long screws with bar soap

    bar soap aids in driving a long screw You can see in this picture how I clamped the foot to drill the hole. I also used Gorilla Wood Glue on the feet.

    TIP: Coating your screw with soap will help the screw go into the hard wood faster and smoother. Click to Tweet tip.

     

    Use original side rails for new toddler bed

    repurposed side rails I used regular side rails I had in my stash. I cut them down to fit a crib mattress.

     

    Add cleats to hold mattress

    gorilla wood glue for woodworking To help give the side rails extra strength, I made a cleat for both the headboard and the foot board. I glued them with Gorilla Wood Glue and then I screwed them into place.

     

    secure cleat with wood glue and screws Here you can see the cleat and the cute little feet.

    Paint toddler bed parts

    paint parts of repurposed door toddler bed I painted the side rails and the top rail of the headboard and the foot board.

     

    headboard repurposed door toddler bed

    red toddler bed made from a door This is the bed without the top rail attached to the headboard and the foot board.

    Attach top rail to headboard and foot board

    use gorilla glue to add header to headboardOf course I used my favorite gorilla wood glue again.

    toddler bed made from door uses crib mattress Here you can see the foot board’s top rail attached.

     

    Add wide slats for crib mattress

    slats for toddler bed crib mattress I cut some extra wide planks to help support the crib mattress since I wasn’t using the springs that a crib would have.

     

    Use deck brackets to attach side rails

    metal brackets to hold side rails onto door bed To attach the side rails to the headboard and foot board I used some brackets I got from the deck dept at Home Depot. I put all the screws in the side rail but only used two screws for the headboard/foot board. That way when someone buys this bed and takes it to their house, they can add the additional screws for strength, and they will be secure.

    repurposed door into toddler bed Voila! Here is the finished bed!

    Red Toddler Bed If you have any questions, just leave a comment below.

    Check out other door projects here

    Pin It

    gail
     
     Update:  I sold the Toddler Bed. check out this adorable Mr. B!
    Mr. B's momma is transitioning him from his crib. This is his first night in his new "big boy" bed!
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    1. Jill

      May 16, 2014 at 2:46 pm

      What did you use for the top rails. I plan to make this very soon.

      Reply
      • gail@myrepurposedlife.net

        May 16, 2014 at 3:27 pm

        Jill

        top rails? On the foot board? I used a 1x something. I may have ripped down a 1x6 or used a 1x4 I'm not sure, it was a long time ago. 🙂

        good luck, have fun with your project!

        gail

    2. Anonymous

      August 15, 2012 at 2:48 am

      My kids would brake that in two seconds.

      Reply
    3. Andrea

      July 29, 2011 at 12:35 am

      Clever, beautiful, creative, useful,genius, budget friendly, what else can I say??

      Love it!

      Reply
    4. Ngozi

      July 09, 2011 at 7:05 pm

      Pure genius! Two thumbs up! And any other cliches you can think of that mean "this is awesome".

      Reply
    5. Handbags*N*Pigtails

      June 08, 2011 at 1:03 pm

      Gail, you are amazing! This is the cutest toddler bed Ive ever seen. So proud of you!
      xo,
      Sarah

      Reply
    6. Brooke

      June 07, 2011 at 2:26 pm

      Very cute bed! I love that you painted it a fun, bright color

      Reply
    7. Deanna

      April 28, 2011 at 4:12 pm

      I love, love this! It really turned out amazing. I was looking through doors at our habitat for humanity store to maybe to a headboard for my bed. This really gave me some ideas, thanks!

      Reply
    8. dining room table

      February 05, 2011 at 12:39 am

      You really did a great job on the bed! Perfect. Very creative and so resourceful.

      Reply
    9. Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal

      October 19, 2010 at 3:17 am

      And congrats for making the Top 10! I'm thrilled to be up there with you. 🙂 You inspire so many.

      Reply
    10. Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal

      October 19, 2010 at 3:15 am

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Reply
    11. Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal

      October 19, 2010 at 3:15 am

      Your talents always amaze me Gail! The toddler bed is just so sweet. Makes me want a grandchild! I better not say that out loud though, not quite ready!

      Reply
    12. The DIY Show Off

      October 18, 2010 at 12:07 am

      It's awesome! You have the best DIY skills - so creative and such amazing quality! Great job! 😉

      Roeshel

      Reply
    13. Holly

      October 17, 2010 at 6:03 pm

      You constantly impress me...what a fabulous idea for a toddler bed. I want one for my kiddo!

      Reply
    14. ALVN of WhisperWood Cottage and Junkologie

      October 15, 2010 at 2:42 am

      Clever and colorful! I love to see repurposed items!! Thanks for linking up to the DIY Project Party monthly contest! 🙂

      Amy

      Reply
    15. Abigail Prescott

      October 11, 2010 at 4:37 am

      What a charming idea! I love it -- thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
    16. TruWhim

      October 07, 2010 at 3:39 pm

      Oh my gosh. I find my jaw on the ground often when I check out your posts. It is beautiful.

      Reply
    17. Pam

      October 07, 2010 at 2:03 am

      Lady...you are just the neatest person! I have no clue where those ideas come from but keep them coming....By the way, I have a new grandson, 3rd one....two weeks now. Big brother Caleb and middle brother DJ are doing great with Braden.

      Reply
    18. Kim -today's creative blog

      October 07, 2010 at 2:00 am

      Hey cutie, you are my featured blogger today! Email me krjdemmon@comcast.net

      Reply
    19. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper

      October 06, 2010 at 7:38 pm

      i think you are genius.

      Reply
    20. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper

      October 06, 2010 at 7:38 pm

      i think you are genius.

      Reply
    21. Infarrantly Creative

      October 06, 2010 at 6:07 pm

      Oh my gosh how sweet. I see vintage books and stuffed animals next to it. How perfect. Again your brilliant. When are you going to invite me down for the day to do a cool project or vlog? It could be fun.

      Reply
    22. Kimberly

      October 06, 2010 at 5:43 pm

      oh my gosh, that's the cutest thing EVER. Wow. Maybe I'll move my son BACK to a toddler bed. Now, to find an old door...

      Reply
    23. Debilou~Mississippi Mama

      October 06, 2010 at 4:44 pm

      Oh,, and thats a great tip for cutting a straight line.. All i use is my jig saw (i'm scared of skill saw) so I cant wait to try that out.

      Reply
    24. Debilou~Mississippi Mama

      October 06, 2010 at 4:36 pm

      well you just make it look so dang easy.. You are one talented lady.

      Reply
    25. Cousin B

      October 06, 2010 at 4:00 pm

      You are amazing! I kept reading thinking, "How is she gonna make THIS look like a toddler bed?" I had to show my DH! Thank you for sharing your ideas and talents with us! Maybe someday, I'll get enough ambition to tackle one myself! Ha!

      Reply
    26. Kate@TwentySixToLife

      October 06, 2010 at 3:55 pm

      What a great idea!

      Reply
    27. Suzanne

      October 06, 2010 at 3:51 pm

      Dang -- that is sooo cute! I'm bookmarking this one!

      Reply
    28. corinne

      October 06, 2010 at 3:30 pm

      this is so divine..I love finding thrown away treasures and creating something out of them..I have been a vintage clothier for years and love to reuse and recycle!
      this is a beautiful bed!
      Corinne

      Reply
    29. Tammy@ Not Just Paper and Glue

      October 06, 2010 at 3:20 pm

      That is really a cute idea. It is amazing how with just a little imagination, just about anything can be used to create something new - and useful!

      Reply
    30. Candace@craftysisters-nc

      October 06, 2010 at 3:04 pm

      Thanks for explaining the details! I have not tried using a clamped piece of wood yet with my jigsaw for a guide. That will be so helpful when you need a straight cut. And, I have never tried soaping my screws..how cool! The bed is awesome by the way!

      Reply
    31. Shea

      October 06, 2010 at 1:08 pm

      lovely! amazing! Keep up the awesome work.

      Reply
    32. Granny J

      October 06, 2010 at 1:04 pm

      That is really cute and what little one wouldn't love a bright red bed? Great reuse of that door.

      Reply
    33. Corinna

      October 06, 2010 at 12:42 pm

      This is spectacular! I didn't think you could top that gorgeous bookcase from the other day, but you have outdone yourself with this! 🙂

      Corinna

      Reply
    34. katskraps4kids

      October 06, 2010 at 11:37 am

      WOW! That is just SOOOOOOOOO cool, how you did that! I am without toddlers at this point but I see the vision. I have a file of "stuff to do for my grands" & this is going in it!!!

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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