It’s cute and it’s practical for all new moms – a baby crib! Pushed right up against the parent’s bed, it allows you to quickly take care of the baby at night, give them closeness or breastfeed them. We also knew before our son was born that we needed one. In our search for suitable models, however, two things struck us as negative: First, most of the baby cribs are quite small, so they are really only useful in the first year. We would like to use ours beyond that. And secondly, the price – we found it too high for almost all manufacturers (especially when you consider that the children grow out of it very quickly).
Quickly the idea was born: Build baby side bed yourself! And thanks to Ikea, it’s much easier than it sounds. &
From Ikea baby crib becomes a cheap extra bed!
Thanks to our favorite Swede, we can conjure up a matching extra bed in no time at all and only need one thing for it: the inexpensive Baby bed Sniglar in the size 120x60cm from the Ikea standard assortment.
Cost: 39 Euro
Dimensions lying surface: 120cm x 60cm
If you don’t have an Ikea nearby and still want to recreate the extra bed, you can also purchase the baby bed online: Baby bed Sniglar 120x60cm at Amazon*. However, it is more expensive than directly in the store.
Offer
This is a very simple baby crib made of wood. With a few changes we can build an additional bed, which is unbeatable cheap with 39 Euro, usable for a longer time (our son still sleeps in it with 2,5 years) and absolutely fulfills its purpose.
Build baby extra bed yourself: the tools
For the set up or. Conversion the following tools are needed:
- cordless screwdriver
- Spirit level
- Jigsaw
- Sandpaper
- Wood drill with 5mm and 8 mm thickness
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
For skillful hobby do-it-yourselfers, the conversion can be done within max. 2 hours done. There are no complicated handles and so anyone can actually build such a baby extra bed itself!
In the next section we will explain each step in detail, so that nothing can go wrong.
Note: These instructions are suitable for parent beds with a maximum edge height of 43cm.
Build baby extra bed yourself: the construction
Step 1: Assemble the baby bed according to instructions, leaving out one long side (this side remains open, and will later border the parents’ bed). For the lying surface on one side omit the fastening pins.
Step 2: Hook the lying surface to the bed (the side with the fastening pins).
Move the cot to the parent’s bed and align the lying surface horizontally with the help of a spirit level. Now measure the height difference between the lying surface and the edge of the bed.
Step 3To bring both beds to the same height, shorten the feet of the baby crib by the measured length. To do this, draw a line with a pencil and saw off the appropriate piece with a jigsaw.
Step 4Then sand the edges so that no wood chips stick out and everything is nice and smooth.
Step 5Now the two side parts must be shortened so that they do not protrude over the lying surface. To do this, measure the length of the protruding side part.
Step 6This measured length is marked on the top and bottom of the side panels.
Step 7Now saw off according to the marking.
Step 8Now there is a small piece of wood left, which we do not need. This is also sawed off.
Step 9Now attach the legs to the sides again.
To do this, place the legs on the side pieces and pre-drill the holes for the screws with a drill (5mm) (make sure there is enough drilling depth).
Then screw it with the original screws.
Step 10: To support the lying surface on the loose side, a cross strut must be added. The lying surface is later placed on it.
Step 11: To do this, take the remaining long side and saw off the bars. Grind off the edges again.
Step 12Now bring the lying surface back into the horizontal position with the help of a spirit level and mark the lower edge of the lying surface on the inside of the legs.
Step 13Drill a through hole through the bed legs below the marking with a drill bit (8mm) so that the cross brace can be fastened again with the original screws. Pay attention to the position of the drill hole (ca. 1.5cm below the marking) so that the cross brace is in the right place.
Last but not least, screw the crossbar and place the lying surface on top.
And this is how our finished baby extra bed looks like:
Build baby extra bed yourself: Attachment to the parent bed
The following material is needed to securely attach the baby side bed to the parent bed:
- 2 curtain angles (the length here depends on the width of the edge of the parent’s bed)
- Adhesive felt
- 2 small wood screws
Make sure the curtain brackets are long enough to be hooked to the parent bed and screwed to the side bed before you buy them.
The inside of the curtain angle is now pasted with felt, so that the parent bed is not scratched.
Now slide the baby crib to the parent’s bed, hook the curtain brackets to the parent’s bed and screw the other end of the curtain brackets to the edge of the crib base.
When the mattress is lying on it, the angles are almost invisible and the crib can no longer slip.
Baby extra bed build yourself: Safety of the baby
What to look for in an extra bed, which you want to sleep longer than just the first few months in the crib, is especially the height of the bars. Because at some point the little ones pull themselves up and of course it can be dangerous if they climb out or simply lean out of the cot.
When our son started to pull himself up, we immediately lowered the side bed. put the bottom further down. The problem was solved and he could no longer climb out of the top of the bed. There is a difference in height to the parent’s bed and you are no longer at the same level as the child. At a certain age, however, this does not have to be a nuisance at all. Demian is a little lower than us now, but since he doesn’t nurse at night, sleeps through the night, and almost never needs us, the side bed serves more as an extension to a family bed.
In any case, care should be taken with children who like to climb and, if necessary, to move them to another bed. should then be changed to another, age-appropriate bed, in order not to endanger the safety of the child.
Mattress for baby crib
When choosing the mattress, you must remember that the baby mattress is pushed press to the parent bed. Depending on the model of the parent’s bed, there will most likely be a gap between the baby mattress and the grid, which you can see in the photo. This can be stuffed with a blanket or pillow, so that it does not disturb at all. If you want to use the bed for a longer period of time and at a later date lower the floor again, the mattress will fit perfectly into the bed again.
When buying a mattress for the baby crib, you should make sure that the thickness of the mattress matches that of the parents’ bed, so that there is no noticeable (or. disturbing) height difference arises.
Here you will find a wide selection of different baby mattresses *.
Ikea rollaway bed for baby: an alternative to the classic family bed
For us, this extra bed is a wonderful Alternative to the classic family bed. This was never an option for us, because we all sleep better when we have some distance from each other. The fact that the baby or child should "move out" of the bedroom was never an issue. So we had to find a way for all of us to sleep in one room and enlarge the bed accordingly. With the homemade extra bed it works out great. Our son, who is 2.5 years old, still sleeps next to us, but has his own sleeping space and can’t roll over to us at night.
When our second baby is born soon, he will get exactly such a bed on the other side of the parent’s bed. So we have increased our bed for the whole family and still have all our space. For us the optimal solution, with which we are happy and above all sleep very well!
And if you are now in the absolute building fever, you can immediately start with the next useful part from the house of IKEA: Simply rebuild our Ikea Learning Tower! Or do you know the Pikler triangle? We also have a construction manual for this at home!
We wish them good luck!
The links marked with * are affiliate links. We get a small commission from Amazon if you make a purchase through them. For you, of course, the price does not change. Thank you for your support!