DIY Network

Little Girl's Storage Bed This platform bed stores treasures in style. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-204

The best way to keep kids' rooms tidy is to make it easy for them to put things away. But what do you do for storage in an already-tight space – especially when the child is ready to move from a crib to a bigger bed? Karl Champley rescues this wee one's room with a custom platform bed loaded with kid-friendly storage. In the first part of this project, Karl and homeowner Jana Spicka build the plywood bed frame.

Karl and Jana replace this outgrown crib...

With a platform bed loaded with storage.

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Materials: safety glasses nails brad nails screws wood glue paint paint rollers/brushes/trays lag bolts 3/4"plywood 1/2"plywood 1" pine lumber 1x2 pine lumber 1-1/2" x 1/4" pine strips lazy susan hardware

Tools: carpenter’s pencil straight edge square tape measure jigsaw chop saw nail gun screw gun router round-over bit

Paint Colors:
Benjamin Moore semi-gloss

Bed: white Romance 1333

Lazy Susan: Fiesta Orange 084 Viking Yellow 321 Santa’s Suit 1336

Building the Bed Frame

Build the bed platform to fit your space – but be careful to keep everything square and level.

• The key to this custom storage bed is tailoring it to the available space and the user's needs. Karl designed the project bed to measure 6 feet, 4 inches long by 38 inches wide. Measure the space and sketch out a bed design; graph paper makes it easy to visualize the measurements and keep everything consistent.

• Read through all parts of this project while designing and planning your own custom bed. Determine the best size and placement for the under-bed drawers and lazy susan.

• Measure and cut out the side and bottom panels for the bed platform from 3/4" plywood.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use caution when working with a power saw, power drill or similar tools. Keep kids and pets out of the work area.

• Measure and mark the openings in the plywood for the drawer (or drawers) and lazy susan. Drill a starter hole inside the lines for the openings, then use a jigsaw to cut out the openings.

• Build the box: Use wood glue and nails to assemble the sides and bottom. Let the glue dry according to the package instructions.

  Safety Alert: If using a nail gun to assemble the bed platform, wear safety glasses and use extreme caution. These powerful tools can cause serious injury if used carelessly.

• Measure and cut lengths of 1x2 lumber to match the inside dimensions of the box. Use wood glue and nails to attach these strips around the inside of the platform assembly. They will help support the mattress that will sit on top of the frame. Make sure to measure carefully and keep the strips even – otherwise, the bed won't be level.

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