Getting Started

• There are many toddler bed plans available for purchase at your local hardware store. You can choose to follow an outlined plan or have one custom designed to add extra safety features or unique designs. Any standard bed plan is going to require some basic tools and supplies. You will need wood filler, sand paper, polyurethane, stain and varnish. Your basic raw materials are: four 8-foot 2x4s, two 8-foot 2x8s, a single 4x4 sheet of plywood, 2 ½-inch deck or drywall screws, 20 3/8-inch wood plugs and one pound of No. 10 finish nails. You may want to make this an interactive project with your toddler, so have them help you pick out a paint color or decorations.
  
  

Building

• Cut your wood pieces first. Start by cutting the 2x8s into 55½-inch and 28-inch pieces, then sand. This will give you two long pieces of wood for the sides of the frame and two shorter pieces to connect at the foot and head of the frame. Next cut your 2x4s into four 28-inch pieces for mattress supports. To secure the slats, drill a hole for the 3/8-inch wood plugs, fasten with a deck screw and cover with a wood plug. Place plywood over the slats once the bed is finished. Complete the head and foot board by cutting two 27¾-inch wood pieces and two 20½-inch pieces out of the 2x4s. You will need to sand all of the wood pieces and attach them to each end corner of the bed. The shorter pieces will go at the foot of the bed and the taller pieces at the head of the bed. You will want wood pieces to fill the head board so cut two pieces that measure about 31 7/8 inches to extend between the end posts and connect using a screws and wood plugs. Once you have covered the slats with the plywood and secured with screws, you are ready to varnish and finish. If you prefer, stain the wood and apply a coat of polyurethane for a natural, shiny finish. Or, you and your toddler could pick out a paint color and paint the bed before applying the coat of finish.