Do-it-yourself baby bed. Inexpensive cribs for newborns: all the options available

The crib should be ready to accept new additions to the family while mom prepares for discharge, but not just out of courtesy and joy. Man is a social being, and a stable society is impossible without hierarchy. Having received his territory and things from birth, even if he still does not understand their meaning at all, a small person will gain self-confidence, with time he will correctly determine his place in society and achieve success. This, of course, is not an absolute law, but the statistics show unequivocally: babies who, by the will (or lack of will) of their parents in an irrational age, wandered anywhere, are much more likely to grow up carelessly useless. There is even a historical and sociological theory: they say, people began to come out of savagery and create civilization, when the cradle was invented and mothers stopped carrying babies all the time.

All this may be interesting, but in a developed civilization, dad, in happy anticipation rushing to shops and websites, discovers that the prices of cribs for babies are disproportionately high compared to the complexity and material consumption of products. And you will not dig into, under each hidden cheat there is a solid medical-ecological-production-legislative basis. But what about in a consumer society, and let the parents spare nothing for their child.

Let's say the head of a family is a craftsman. Then he has an idea to make the bed himself: its design has developed over millennia, there is nothing complicated in it, and nothing is required of the material. It is possible to make a crib for a baby with your own hands, using an ordinary household tool and plus a jigsaw, manual or, better, electric. There is one more reason: the mother after childbirth, especially if this is the first-born, will be "on edge." Having made sure that the faithful in her absence did not wander and did not drag, but worked diligently in his field for the sake of the family good, she will calm down much faster and generally return to normal. And there will be more milk, which again benefits the child.

What are we going to do?

Classic bed for a newborn, pos. 1 in the figure, the design is straightforward. Basic requirements for it:

Ecological cleanliness and complete health safety.
Lack of sharp protrusions and edges.
There should be no holes / openings and crevices in which the little one can get stuck with anything, from a finger to a head.
The presence of sides is required; how dangerous it is for babies to fall even from a low height is known. The front side (wall) is desirable to be partially hinged or lowered, so that it is more convenient for the mother to take care of the child.
Ventilated, i.e. lattice or perforated bottom. No matter how improved the means of children's hygiene, the baby will someday make the bed.
If a newborn is the firstborn and it is supposed to someday add siblings to him, then sufficient strength and durability in combination with a collapsible design.

Often, a crib is placed on wheels for ease of movement around the house, pos. 2. In small apartments, you can sometimes find samples with boxes for linen in the bedside space, as in adults, pos. 3. However, for the reasons stated above, the boxes underneath the infant bed must be fitted with moisture-proof lids. Finally, a rather complicated and expensive product, but convenient for the mother and saving living space, is a bed for newborns combined with a changing chest of drawers, pos. 4.

Many babies have to be rocked to sleep. The main types of rocking beds hammock, pos. 5, cradle (with top suspension of the bed), pos. 6, and a cradle (with a bed on the lower curved rocking supports), pos. 7. The hammock is suitable only as a temporary rookery, say, at the dacha on weekends. The bones of the baby are still soft, and constant reclining on something malleable deforms his skeleton. Cots for newborns - hammocks are often made foldable and transported.

It is easy to swing the cradle, but it is more difficult to make it. some kind of mechanism is required. In addition, the risk for a baby to fall out of the cradle, hanging over the side, is much greater than from a hammock or cradle. The latter, in addition, is easier to make, and small bumpers on the rocking chairs make it completely safe, which is why the cradle is the most common. In the cradle, there must be a bed retainer, and it is highly desirable spring-loaded with self-resetting, which must be diverted for motion sickness, otherwise the bustling mother may forget to insert it, moving away from the crib. “Self-resetting” means that the mechanism will put the bed horizontally and drop the pin into the socket if the cradle tilt angle exceeds a certain permissible value.

Note: in cribs for babies there may be completely different bumpers, which see at the end.

Swinging in the transverse direction is not optimal for a person, this is how our vestibular apparatus is arranged. Anyone who has gone to sea in a boat or sailing yacht knows that pitching is much easier on board. Babies who are constantly rocked from side to side may even develop an addiction to motion sickness, which is why the obnoxious screamer, having grown up, runs the risk of turning into a hyperactive stunner or "no" autistic. The likelihood of injuring the baby's psyche by excessive motion sickness is reduced to almost zero if the cradle (pos. 8) or cradle (pos. 9) are adapted to longitudinal motion sickness.

Recently, pendulum beds have become widespread, pos. 10, free from the disadvantages of bassinets and cradles. First, lateral swinging in a pendulum crib is harmless, because the child's body does not tilt with him and his vestibular apparatus experiences a completely insignificant load in one plane. Secondly, it is almost impossible for a child to fall out of it, because the bed itself is not tiltable. Thirdly, the bedside box can be arranged more simply - access to it is provided automatically. The pendulum mechanism itself is fundamentally uncomplicated, pos. 11, you will only have to occasionally adjust the spring tension as the child grows.

How not to do it!

In no case do you need to make a crib for a newborn that can swing in 2 planes, pos. 1 and 2 in Fig. Perhaps your offspring, having matured, will intend to become a pilot or parachutist and from the first call will withstand with a joyful grin, without turning a little green, training on the loping. But in infancy, a humpty dumpty back and forth would not have benefited Valery Chkalov either.

Further, it is undesirable to make the bottom of the crib with too sparse crate, pos. 3. When the baby learns to get up, his legs will crawl into the cracks along with the mattress. A thick pad (see below) solves the problem, but this is extra work, material and costs, and unnecessary drying replacements. The best base for a newborn's crib is made of fiberboard, approx. 10 mm with holes 20-30 mm in diameter, drilled along the mesh with a pitch of 70-90 mm. Suddenly it will completely become unusable, it is easier and cheaper to replace it than a mattress topper, and it takes up less spare space. And don't worry, fiberboard is an environmentally friendly material, even cleaner than the original wood. In its manufacture, synthetic binders are not used, and in the process of processing all volatile substances are "exhaled" from the wood.

Note: it is also undesirable to make a bottom adjustable in height in the baby's crib. The nests under its holders are tempting from the point of view of knowing the world, and the little finger will crawl into them. If there are no nests, then a rather complex and expensive mechanism is required. And the folding side is enough for mom.

A bad solution is also a crib, pos. 4. All creatures whose life is divided into an active phase and sleep, instinct during the latter requires complete safety. Combining the sleeping area with the play area does not give it. Which adult can have a good night's sleep at work? And what about small children who are defenseless and are not yet able to be aware of their surroundings?

About the canopy

A canopy over the crib of a newborn is not a luxury. And not so much a remedy for dust, which should not be in the nursery and generally in a well-kept apartment. But remember, which adult was not brought to white heat by an autumn fly or an itchy and itchy mosquito in the dark? What is it like for a kid who does not yet own little hands? And it is very, very unnecessary to turn on a fumigator or spray a repellent in the nursery.

The canopy over the baby's crib is made of natural fabric that freely passes through the air: chiffon, veil (silk or cotton), organza (only silk), muslin. The optimal design is a tent, on the left in the figure, or a tent, in the center, allowing, if necessary, to open / move the canopy completely. But remember: in the process of learning about the environment, the child will pull and pull the canopy.

Purchased children's canopies are equipped with a sturdy bracket with a holding paw made of light durable elastic plastic, on the right in Fig. In case of self-production, the best option is a canopy-tent, suspended by a cord from the ceiling. An M6 screw-hook screwed into a steel threaded collet, and a strong adult will not pull out of the ceiling, and if you unscrew it, the hole is almost imperceptible on the ceiling with a height of only 2.5 m. except for the lightest fabric and thin lace will not fall off.

Note: the best protection for the crib from annoying insects and dust, under which the asthmatic is not out of breath is a mosquito net. But not a fiberglass window, but a special tropical one. Its meshes are wider than that of dress-drapery airy fabrics and it itself is stronger. We have this rare product, but still take an interest. Ruched bows don't look bad for her either.

What bumpers to make?

Sellers offer a wide variety of protective fences for baby cots: folding, lowering, swinging, sliding, with doors and manhole hatches. But upon closer examination, it turns out that there is something everywhere in which a finger or a whole pen can be pinched. And the recesses under the overhead details carefully store the dust and, as it were, invite the settlers themselves. Only undesirable and not a human kind, but an arthropod.

The simplest and safest sides for a newborn's crib are folding ones with elastic bands, see fig. The height of the folding part of 150-180 mm is enough for the mother to be comfortable caring for the baby. There are no complaints about such boards, but it is reliably known that at least one new person in this world with a character to the envy of m-mes Sobtchak & Timoshenko has never been injured in her and has not broken anything in 3.5 years; the elastic bands were changed 2 times during this time.

Note: 2 ways of laying this type of flap will be discussed below.

Let's get down to business

Now it's time to make a crib. Making it and decorating it is another article (with one small exception, see below); first you need to make a solid and reliable base for them. And even before that, decide on the material; first of all, for its safety for the baby, then for the price and manufacturability at home.

What to make of?

Even the safest plastics disappear: a little older, the child begins to touch everything. The tactile sensations from plastic go against its fundamental instincts, which can cause irritability and damage the emerging moral and volitional qualities. For the same reason, we discard the metal, which will also harm more when the baby's teeth begin to cut. Then the disadvantages of textile and other semi-soft type of beds will also fully affect.

As for laminated chipboard, the emission class of phenol-containing compounds E0 (zero, premium or extra grade), it seems to be applicable for children's furniture. But conscientious manufacturers in the specifications honestly point out: "For children from 6 months", therefore, not newborns. In addition, high-quality laminated chipboard is expensive, a bed made of it will cost more than a ready-made purchased one with a canopy. That is, a newborn's bed must be made of wood.

We choose wood for a crib taking into account the fact that its impregnation with any biocides is unacceptable. Therefore, any commercial timber of foreign origin disappears: its raw material will simply not be admitted to the market by consumer supervision. From domestic hardwoods, birch and beech are suitable for a bed for several generations; for single use - cheap aspen or linden, but expensive. All the rest contain tannins, salicylates and other substances that are harmless for adults, but can cause allergies in a baby.

Of conifers, pine is quite reliable, but not all. Pine wood is marketed in the form of expensive tar, cut down during sap flow, and cheaper dry chips, harvested in winter. The tar is good for outdoor buildings, because it does not lend itself well to rot and pests, but it is absolutely unsuitable for a crib. In other conifers, the change in resin content from sap flow to sleep is not so pronounced, so it is better not to risk it.

In order not to miscalculate with pine, it is better to make a crib out of it with plywood. The cheapest construction and packaging plywood is made just from dried pine, glued together with harmless and safe casein glue. It makes no sense to "cheat" manufacturers, tk. everything else is more expensive. A plywood bed will serve with proper home preparation of the material, see below, 2-3 times for 4-5 years, which is quite enough for a family.

About finishing

Over time, the baby will feel that something is climbing in his mouth with which to bite. And then he will begin to gnaw everything. This is a natural and necessary process, but once it created serious problems for children's furniture makers: leaving the tree bare - the fibers will be swallowed, or even choked with a chip. Nitrolac is not harmless, and its sharp scales cut lips, gums, tongue.

Now there is no such problem: water-based acrylic varnish, firstly, is completely safe; secondly, it is very durable. Compounds of a similar composition restore the enamel of the bathtubs, against which a hardened wolf will break its fangs.

Very suspicious parents can also put special silicone pads on the sides of the crib. But you will have to buy them and adjust the design to the selected sample: construction and aquarium silicone is not suitable for homemade products, you need a special one, from which teething toys are made. It is not on sale in its raw form, only in finished products.

Cradle and classics

How a classic wooden cradle for newborns works is shown in fig. on right. Pay attention, firstly, to the laying of the sides in the pockets and the prefabricated structure of the rockers. We'll deal with the first one, and we'll use the second later. Its recommended dimensions and specification of parts in a modern design, without labor-intensive artistic details, are shown in Fig. below.

Cradle

Who knows, perhaps the pediatrician, after examining your restless baby, will recommend rocking him in the cradle. A child is a child of strife, and there is no person who would fit into the general rules in everything. For such a case, Fig. drawings of a newborn's crib - a cradle made of boards. However, the grown child cannot be kept in the cradle in any way, so the length of this crib should not be increased. Secondly, the retainer (stopper) of the bed is still needed, since the baby is restless. In this design, it is manual, so remember to stick in when leaving and control each other.

Plywood classic

Here in fig. - detailing of a classic-type plywood crib for a newborn with an elastic band. It was made at home; a manual jigsaw (there were no electric ones on wide sale at that time). The wayward person mentioned above grew up in her. Material - 2 sheets (quite a lot left) of birch plywood 6 mm thick; construction pine will also go.

First of all, a plaza was prepared (several pieces of packaging cardboard put together), the contours of the parts were sketched on it, and everything was covered with a solid plastic wrap. Then a sheet of plywood on the plaza was impregnated with a water-polymer emulsion, first on one side, and after it had completely dried on the other, and cut into blanks with a hacksaw. With a jigsaw, grooves were cut for the crate in the middle plates of the packages and openings in the backs.

Parts from plates on PVA for wood were glued (sold and sold in construction and hardware stores). The glue was applied with a brush in a thin layer on all the glued surfaces of the plates of the package and kept until soft tack (the glue film turns slightly yellow and becomes translucent in places).

There was no loan for rallying the packages, there was no time to do it. Therefore, small bags were simply wrapped in polyethylene and tightly pulled together with a flat elastic band for panties; it left a whole skein, approx. 10 m. It was necessary to tighten the packages with an elastic band, winding and pulling the turns very evenly so that the plates would not crawl over the glue. The upper and lower strips of the walls (pos. 1 and 3) nevertheless crawled, therefore, having applied and withstood the glue, they had to be knocked down with small nails. The nails were then pulled out, and the holes were covered with homemade sawdust putty on the same PVA.

It was more difficult with the backs, you can't pull them off with rubber bands. Therefore, holes were drilled for the assembly guides, which were used for furniture dowels 18 mm long. The gluing of the backs was carried out on the plaza under oppression, which consisted of pancakes from dumbbells and stacks of books. According to the calculation, for 2 layers of PVA of such an area, a bend of 25-35 kg is needed, evenly distributed over the surface of the package.

Also, from 3 strips of plywood, each piece of the support belt was glued together, but it was assembled already in the crib in place. In all details, the protruding glue streaks after drying for 3-4 days were cut off with a safety razor blade (there were no cutting knives then either) and the edges were sanded.

While the glued packages were drying, the frame of the bed was assembled from planks cut in half a tree, glued without aging and reinforced with nails. The rectangularity of the frame on the not yet hardened glue was carefully checked by measuring the sides and diagonals, because it then served as an assembly template, and only then the nails were driven in. The flooring of the bed is perforated fiberboard, see above. It was laid on glue and nails on the side with which the legs of the crossbars were, so that they lay on the longitudinal beams, and not hang on nails and glue.

Note: the racks of the backs were made similar to those of the walls, but shorter. Stacked in place before overlaying the top plate.

The crib was going to be on the screws (now, of course, the confirmations will be better). The loads on the joints of the baby's crib are small, fastening with threaded hardware along the layer in this case is quite reliable and at the same time allows up to 4-5 disassemblies / assemblies if the plywood is impregnated with a water-polymer emulsion. The rectangularity of the box was verified by the stock, and its horizontalness by the level. Then marks were made along its bottom and the beams of the support belt were placed along them on glue and nails; the transverse ones should be spaced between the longitudinal ones, so the crib will be stronger.

The oval support boss of the side flap is less traumatic and easier to make than a pocket. Some of the scraps with a thickness of 18 mm went to the bosses, they were put on glue and nails. At the ends of the strip, U-shaped holes were chosen for them, with a drill and a chisel - there were no household cutters for wood at that time either.

Time still endured, and the bed was covered with oil varnish, not as harmful as nitro. Immediately, the elastic bands were fixed in the blind holes with also furniture dowels. Then another final drying, and the bed is ready.

Transformer

There are also many convertible cribs for newborns on sale, but at least one variety is not just a tribute to fashion. We are talking about a crib for growth, but this is not limited to a sliding bottom. A sufficiently formed personality may be indignant: "I will not sleep like a small person!" Therefore, a transformer crib "from scratch" should be structurally and externally similar to an adult. In this case, the fence is made removable from the cord; of course, this is only an option for fairly calm babies. And the transformation comes down to the fact that one back is removed and the bed is increased in length with it. Drawings of a homemade "growing" bed for newborns are shown in Fig.

Drawings of a crib "from zero to growth"

And if you are very restless?

It also happens that the doctor makes a helpless gesture: nothing can be done, you need to sleep with you, then he will outgrow it. Or, on the contrary, even if the mother is the most wonderful in the world, she is weak and constantly gets up at night to feed her. Then you will need a crib attached to the parental bed without a front wall. The crib for restless newborns necessarily includes a bumper - a soft hygroscopic pillow along the contour with ties, see fig. on right. And from what and how to sew a crib bumper with your own hands, see the video below:

Video: how to sew a bumper (bumpers) in a child's bed

Arrangement

In no case should you protect the mattress of a crib from getting wet with oilcloth, this will lead to abrasions and diaper rash in the baby. First, you need 2 mattresses, with a margin for drying. Secondly, they must be non-rotting and dry quickly enough. Therefore, it is preferable to sew them from linen and wrap them in coarse calico, flannel or a bike. Best horsehair padding; its almost complete replacement is coconut fiber or sisal.

Now remember that the bones of a newborn are soft. Therefore, the thickness of the mattress needs to be small, up to 6-7 cm. But then sleeping, feeling a hard bed as a body, will not be so comfortable. A mattress topper 10-15 cm thick will help out from the most dense, 45-50 room, furniture foam rubber, it is wrapped in the same fabric as the mattress. The mattress topper, in addition, will absorb some of the moisture, which will speed up the drying of the mattress, but then they are also needed 2.

A newborn does not need a pillow to prevent torticollis from developing. However, sometimes, on the recommendation of a doctor, for very nimble ones you have to buy a butterfly pillow: its middle is almost flat, and the wings are voluminous. But you do not need to experiment with such pillows yourself - suitable materials are not sold separately and the manufacturing technology is not subject to "domestication".

Decorations

When considering the design of a baby's crib, you need to remember that his vision, both in acuity and color perception, is formed gradually. Therefore, the contours of the decor elements need smooth, and the colors are dim and unsaturated, preferably close to the middle of the spectrum: pale yellow, light beige, light green, pale blue. Whitewashed reds and oranges are okay, but poisonous greens, deep blues and purples don't, like anything shiny.

A very simple and useful way for a child to decorate his crib is to hang a mobile carousel over it, see fig., With soft toys. Their smooth movement will not only calm the baby, but also contribute to the development of his visual motor skills. Since the introduction of mobiles for babies, the number of children with congenital visual impairments has declined markedly.

Finally

Presumably, now it has become clear to you that an unpretentious bed for a newborn is inherently not so simple, because there is a whole world of a new person in it. Therefore, let me wish you success not only in your skills, but also in the study of the basics of child psychology. They have it from the very beginning, even if they themselves do not yet understand it.

The modern market offers a sufficient selection of children's furniture, including baby cots.

The child will be able to sleep in his crib for a maximum of four years, then he will have to change it to a more adult dimensional version. And the price of furniture is not at all cheap, so there is an option to make a comfortable crib with your own hands. It's not as difficult as it seems at first glance!

It is not at all necessary to be a professional in this area and spend a lot of time on assembly.

The first step is to purchase exceptionally high-quality environmentally friendly materials and take this issue seriously, thinking over the entire upcoming process.

The do-it-yourself crib photo shows how to make an option for a five-year-old child, but all of these parameters can be increased to a larger size.

Pros of a self-made bed

Going to a furniture store, you can find a lot of options for baby beds from various materials (plastic, fiberboard, chipboard, wood). The best material is, of course, wood, which provides safety, durability and is the most durable option.

A finished wooden crib is quite expensive. Not every family can afford such costs, especially since it will last only a few years.

The cost of a hand-made design will be several times less and has the following positive aspects:

reliability in use of the structure. Children often love to play and jump on the bed, and they will not have to worry that it will break from the load;
you can make a strictly individual bed. Which will suit the style and interior of the children's room and has individual sizes;
the creation process will help you spend time with interest with your child, who will certainly not refuse to help parents.

Acquisition of the necessary material and preparation of tools

To begin with, it is worth carefully preparing the room in which the planned process will take place. If it will pass directly in the room, it is reasonable to cover the floor and furniture with a film, since a lot of dust and sawdust will appear in the process.

Then you need to competently prepare an accurate drawing of a crib for a newborn with your own hands, or find a suitable sketch on the Internet.

A number of materials will be needed:

self-tapping screws of different diameters;
wooden backboards for furniture;
special wheels, with the help of which the drawers will be pulled out;
plywood sheet or metal lattice for the base of the berth;
sandpaper for processing sections.

The set of tools is absolutely minimal: an electric jigsaw, a grinder and an ordinary drill.

It is important, before drawing up the drawing, to measure the mattress that will creep into the crib, since later it will be more difficult to find the right size!

Step-by-step making of a crib with your own hands

Having decided on the size and design of the children's bed, you can start working directly:

All the necessary markings are carefully applied with a pencil, not forgetting about the sides.
Then, using a jigsaw, you need to carefully cut out all the blanks of the parts.
It is necessary to cut metal corners of the required size, immediately drilling holes in them (maximum five), into which self-tapping screws will be mounted in the future.
For the base of the mattress, you need to screw the corners to the bottom of the sides.
Putting the bed comfortably on its side, you need to collect all the necessary parts.
Erase any irregularities and sharp corners with emery paper.
Capacious drawers are assembled at the bottom of the furniture.
It is wise to coat the crib with varnish or similar to give it an aesthetic appearance.
The final stage: we put a mattress on the bottom of the bed and spread the bed linen.

Baby bed accessories

A crib for a small family member must be equipped with bumpers that will protect the baby. It is not difficult and exciting to sew the bumpers into the crib with your own hands.

The most popular type is the option that protects all four sides and is attached with ordinary ties.

Note!

When choosing a fabric for children's bumpers, it is worth stopping the choice on light materials with a not too "pretentious" pattern, since the kid will have to study the drawings surrounding him for quite a long time.

The cover over the crib protects the child from insects and possible drafts. It is also possible to make an original canopy for a crib with your own hands, choosing the right fabric.

It is better to buy two different cuts (rather wide for an allowance) of natural material: weightless, light, summer fabric and denser for the winter. First, you need to purchase a frame that attaches to the bed. Then draw the pattern to size, cut out the details and sew them in the right places.

If you have imagination and minimal skills, you can make an original, unique crib that will faithfully serve and delight both you and your baby for several years!

DIY crib photo

Note!

For a newborn baby, the main place of his stay is a cot. Parents try to choose only the best and the safest for their own. However, quality items are quite expensive. Some imported cribs are prohibitively expensive. But what about such a difficult situation? Buy a cheaper model with poor quality?

Remember an important rule: saving on the health and well-being of your children is unacceptable!If you do not have the opportunity to buy a good-quality crib for your child, then a crib for a newborn with your own hands is exactly what you need.... Maybe it will be inferior in design to a store counterpart, but you can be absolutely sure of the quality of this furniture. A do-it-yourself baby bed for a newborn, made with love, will become your child's favorite resting place and a source of pride for the whole family for the skillful hands of dad.

DIY newborn crib - manufacturing technology

This article sets out all the necessary information on how to make a do-it-yourself crib for a newborn: drawings, photos and a detailed description of the process. The choice of material is not an easy question. The table below describes the most common types of materials for making a crib with your own hands.

Type of material	Benefits	Flaws
Wood	Environmentally friendly and completely safe material, pleasant to the touch, with excellent aesthetic qualities	High price
MDF	Eco-friendly and safe; affordable; easy to use; covered with safe paint, looks aesthetically pleasing	Needs coating with paints and varnishes
Chipboard	Affordable material; practical and aesthetic (covered with laminate or melamine); easy to use; light weight	Contains formaldehyde hazardous to children's health

MDF bed

Chipboard crib

Wooden cot

To begin with, you need to prepare all the necessary tools, materials for the crib and its finishes, accessories and be patient.

Materials for work

The best material for making a crib for a newborn is wood.... This natural resource is environmentally friendly, safe, does not cause allergies and is pleasant to the touch. Recognized as the best wood for children's furniture beech: it is very durable and aesthetic. Also, a good option can be oak, birch, ash and alder... Pine wood is quite soft and may not withstand the active onslaught of children. So, you will need the following consumables:

Tools for the job

In addition to the materials, it will be necessary to prepare a set of tools in advance:

Level gauge and tape measure;
Rasp;
Manual milling machine;
A hammer;
Drill and matching drills;
Varima;
Wood machine;
Electric jigsaw.

Now in more detail about how to make a crib for a newborn with your own hands: drawings, photos and instructions will help you understand this matter.

We determine the overall dimensions and draw up a drawing

The starting point is the mattress for the crib, or rather its dimensions... Take the money and buy your baby a quality mattress with a "complex filling" of coconut fiber with latex interlayers. The usual size of a children's mattress is 1200 x 600 mm. What other mattresses there are for children, you will learn from the table below.

A kind of children's mattress	Advantages	Flaws
With spring frame
With dependent spring block	Affordable; good orthopedic properties; reliable and durable	Over time, it starts to creak; Builds up dust and insects; springs corrode and accumulate electromagnetic waves
With independent spring block	Increased wear resistance and strength; Hypoallergenic	High price
Springless mattresses (by type of filler)
Coconut fiber	Moisture resistant; Hypoallergenic; Does not accumulate insects and pests; It has medium hardness; Affordable
Latex	Moisture resistant; Eco-friendly and safe; Excellent orthopedic properties; Wear resistant	High price
Cotton wool and foam rubber	Most affordable	Build up dust, moisture, pests and bacteria; Low wear resistance; Short operational life; Do not have orthopedic properties
Polyurethane foam	Non-toxic and harmless; Excellent orthopedic properties; Hypoallergenic and resistant to pests and bacteria; Wear-resistant; Relatively affordable

Spring mattress

Springless mattress

Cotton wool mattress

The dimensions of the mattress are fundamental for determining the size of the crib. The height of the bed from the floor should be such that the grown-up baby can climb into the crib on its own. It is recommended to make it equal to 350 mm.

The distance between the lattice to the solid wall of the bed is 12 mm, and between the rods - no more than 9 mm. Such indicators guarantee the safety of the baby. Based on these points, you can prepare a schematic drawing, which is much easier to work with.

How to proceed further?

Now you have all the necessary components to make an excellent crib for a newborn with your own hands: drawings, a photo of the model you like, and it's time to start the manufacturing process. First, let's prepare everything you need to build.

We make materials and carry out details of the crib

You need to perform the following types of work:

Machine wood boards, which should be 70 x 35 mm in size;
To design the bottom, you will need a beam from which the frame is made. You will also need 6 transverse bars, in which you will need to make 25mm nests;
These cuts can be made both on the machine and with a straight cutter;
To calculate the backrest frame, it is required to add to 600 mm the thickness of the side walls, multiplied in two, and another 25 mm;
For the bars of the lattice walls of the crib, 20 x 20 mm slats are needed, which are rounded off on a milling machine.

Do not forget that this crib is made for a child, so all sharp corners and edges should be rounded and sanded.

Parts assembly and finishing

When all the details are ready, it's time to put them together:

We assemble the backrest frame using a 35 mm spike;
We connect the blanks of the side walls with poles and two backs using deaf thorns;
Glue the backrest to the side walls. After the glue dries, you can connect the parts with self-tapping screws;
After all the parts are assembled, the crib can be covered with finishing material. Remember that child safety comes first at this stage. Therefore, all finishing materials must be absolutely harmless to the baby. Choose a water-based primer and paint. The varnish layer must always be sanded.

If you choose varnishes, then buy those that have the NC marking. Only such materials are allowed for use on children's furniture.

How to assemble the crib yourself?

If you decide that a crib for a newborn with your own hands is too tough for you and bought a ready-made one in a store, then, for sure, upon arrival home you will have a lot of questions about assembling this piece of furniture.

If you are at a loss to sit in front of a pile of parts and cannot figure out how to assemble a crib, instructions, photos and recommendations will help you in this matter. In order to properly put together all the details, you need to follow these steps:

All parts must be moved to the nursery. This will save you the trouble of moving around the already assembled crib. In addition, in this case, there will be no question: how to squeeze the bed into the doorway;
Unpack the box. Inside, there must be detailed information on how to assemble a crib, instructions, photos and a list of necessary tools. Typically, these are a screwdriver, a reversible wrench, and a hammer;
Check the availability of all of the crib parts listed. If something is missing, then immediately contact the seller for a replacement or return of the goods;
If suddenly there is no instruction, then you can check the complete set of all parts without it. Be aware that all cots are standardly composed of the following elements: upper and lower parts, rubber furniture wheels, supporting structure for the mattress and the mattress itself, two side thin boards. Inspect all parts carefully for defects;
Now let's proceed directly to the assembly of the crib. Fastening screws should start from the bottom and side backs. Screws must be loose. Next, we connect the back wall with 2 screws to the side backs;
The next step is the front side of the crib. Most models have this part one-piece and movable. You need to insert this element into the grooves on the side parts. Then, firmly holding all the fasteners, we check how freely the facade moves;
For the motion sickness of the baby, arcuate components, which are located on the lower part of the side walls, will be useful. When the baby grows up, they will need to be fixed in metal grooves in the sidewalls;
Evaluate critically the strength and stability of the entire structure, the strength of the bottom, the absence of sharp corners and material defects ;
Next, we place a mattress in the crib and arrange a baby bed according to our own taste.

These simple instructions will help you assemble a new crib bought in a store on your own without involving a specialist.

Assembling the pendulum bed

The pendulum crib differs from all other analogues in the presence of a baby rocking system. This function is very convenient for the first months of a baby's life. However, with the complete set of this model, difficulties may arise. But a further description of how to assemble a crib - a pendulum: instructions, photos and a step-by-step guide will help you deal with this issue.

This type of bed consists of a frame, bottom, sides, legs and a pendulum mechanism. Also, such models can be equipped with special drawers for clothes and linen crumbs. The mechanism itself can swing up and down. When the need for it disappears, the structure is fixed.

The assembly is carried out according to the following scheme:

You will need all the elements of the crib, a work plan, screws, damping devices and a screwdriver;
The workplace on the floor should be covered with a light-colored cloth to prevent the loss of elements;
Fasten the static rear wall to the side backrests with screws. In order not to confuse the top and bottom of the back wall, be guided by the legs;
The next step is to install the bed. It can be either solid or rack and pinion. The slats are inserted into special holes in the back wall bar. First, the stock is fastened slightly with screws. The movable front piece attaches to the notches on the side backs of the crib that serve as guides. Next, the screw connection should be tightened more;
Then the finished case can be turned over and the pendulum system can be assembled. If the model includes linen boxes, then they are placed in the inner space of the pendulum. Further, its side panel is fastened with screws. The housing is mounted on the pendulum with bearings. Make sure the grooves in the tabs match exactly. Screws are closed with plugs for aesthetic appearance.

A do-it-yourself baby bed for a newborn, carefully prepared for a baby, or bought in a store that meets all safety requirements, will become the best place for your baby to rest and sleep and will worthily take a central place in the interior of a children's room. To carry out these manipulations, it is not necessary to call the wizard. Thanks to this guide on how to assemble a crib - a pendulum (instructions, photos and recommendations), you yourself will perfectly cope with this task.

Expensive event for parents. You don't have to buy furniture to cut costs and furnish your kids' space. One of the options available is a crib, you can make it even if you don't have the skills.

Before proceeding with the manufacture of the crib, it is necessary to make a calculation taking into account its design and prepare the necessary materials. The bed, made according to individual measurements, will not let you down.

Accuracy must be observed when taking measurements.

Structural analysis and drawing

Selection of materials for assembly

When choosing materials, it is better to give preference to natural materials; solid wood and plywood are ideal for this purpose. The use of natural materials will save the child from toxic effects. You should purchase the necessary fittings, fasteners and other materials, taking into account the design of the bed.

Use only well-dried wood without visible damage or knots.

Necessary materials

The most expensive part of the cost will be the mattress. You should not save on buying a mattress, from
its quality depends on the health of the child. The orthopedic mattress guarantees a comfortable sleep and relieves the problems of incorrect body position during sleep.

Where to start assembling the crib

When assembling, the screws must be tightened in such a way that they do not stick out.

Assembling the laundry drawers

As soon as the base is prepared, you can start making cabinets. Usually there are 1-2 lockers with a pull-out mechanism in the crib. The base is made of solid wood, and the bottom is made of plywood.

If the child is small for him, you can make a development rug yourself.

The cut material is sanded and assembled according to the drawing;
Equip the lockers with a sliding mechanism, it is mounted on self-tapping screws;
To make the cabinets open conveniently, you need to attach the handles.

Back or head of the bed

Depending on the type of crib, it can be decorated with additional elements - a back or a headboard. The wooden backrest will save the child from touching the wall while sleeping and will protect the wallpaper. While the headboard will allow you to comfortably position the pillow. The combined models provide for the placement of the back and head.

According to the drawing, it is necessary to cut the solid wood according to the shape of the intended back. Backrest standard height: 70-90 cm;
Before fixing the back or headboard, do not forget to sand everything with sandpaper;
Instead of self-tapping screws, it is better to take long bolts as fastening materials.

It is better to leave the details of the headboard, footboard and backrest wooden, in this form the bed can be washed.

Finishing work

At that moment, when the crib is assembled with your own hands, you can start decorating it. This does not require any special delights. Natural wood is absolutely harmless to the health of the child. In order for its surface to be well preserved and to acquire a smooth surface, wooden parts must be coated with a non-toxic varnish. If the design provides for bright shades of the crib, it can be painted with acrylic paint.

Do not paint the crib in an unventilated residential area where children are.

DIY bed making video

A detailed video material will allow you to make a crib from wood, followed by painting with acrylic paint. The author of the video explains all the working points, from cutting parts to assembly.

Types of cots

Choosing a baby bed in favor of a special design poses a daunting task for parents. Different bed models are classified according to functionality and dimensions:

cradle cot for newborns, size 90 x 45 cm;
standard cot-playpen measuring 120 x 60 cm;
bed for preschoolers with drawers 140 x 70 cm;
transformer bed size after transformation 190 x 80 cm;
bunk bed with drawers and ladder to climb;
non-standard beds in the form of a sports facility.

The cradles and cribs in the form of a playpen are designed for children from birth to three years old. Using the schemes presented on the Internet, you can make any model or in accordance with an independently developed design. A white-painted bed can be decorated with decoupage technique and a removable canopy made of harmoniously selected fabric.

A cot for children from 3 years old to primary school age will give comfort during sleep and rest. Spacious lockers with pull-out mechanisms allow you to store in them

Kids' things. Thanks to its simple design, it can be done in a few days. The presented model does not require additional decoration. Unpainted wood looks natural and natural. Bright pillows and soft toys will help to bring in bright colors.

A transforming bed will help out in a situation when it is necessary to save space. A transforming version of a sleeping place for a child can be bought in a store or created with your own hands according to drawings. Bunk beds also allow you to save space in the children's room.

The upper tier of the bed must be equipped with a protective rail.

Beds of unusual shapes

Cribs of unusual shapes are especially delightful for children. It is a mistake to believe that an amazing sleeping place cannot be made by yourself. Using the drawings, you can make cribs of a wide variety of shapes. Men who like to work with wood can try their hand at making a car bed.

Having built a bed in the form of a sports facility, you can combine a play and sleeping place into one whole. A crib with a slide or a fairy-tale house will be appreciated by active children. Having studied the complex design, such a model can be made by hand. Use additional drawers and compartments for storing baby things to complement the bed.

What material is the best to make a bed from?

The undoubted leader is natural wood of valuable species.

The most common and available material is solid pine;
The use of alder will allow you to get a bed of noble colors;
A beech bed will last for many years, it will not creak, crack and loosen;
The beautiful structure of ash will give the piece of furniture a natural gloss;
The use of solid oak will allow you to get an exquisite bed in which several generations of children can be raised.

A homemade bed with your own hands is a practical solution for arranging a nursery. The design of the presented models is quite simple, so a novice master can make it. Using the instructions, drawing and detailed video material, it is quite possible to make a bed for a child.

Preparing for the appearance of a baby, future parents will have to incur considerable expenses. Baby clothes, nappies and diapers, an envelope for a statement, a blanket - you can list it for a long time. Perhaps one of the most expensive purchases is a crib, which is difficult to do without. But sometimes the money is very close, and you have to look for a cheaper option, but of high quality.

Trying to meet the minimum amount, you can use two methods: choose a new model from inexpensive cribs or look for a used high-quality crib.

Cheap cots

In this case, it is worth thinking about the products of Russian companies - they often cost an order of magnitude cheaper than imported ones. And we will choose a simpler model - without any "bells and whistles". The usual classic version of an inexpensive crib for a newborn is quite suitable - the main thing is that the product is made soundly, using safe materials.

Note that the cheapest cribs are usually pine. Their disadvantage is the softness of the wood, which the child can chew on. But this breed contains extremely useful phytoncides.

Experienced parents identify three leaders among domestic manufacturers of budget cribs:

Company Kubanlesstroy (Lel), which produces very durable and beautiful products, moreover, from beech wood, which is considered the strongest. The beds of this company bear delicate floral names: "Cornflower", "Buttercup", "Lily of the valley". The price of their cribs for newborns starts at six thousand rubles.

Company Mozhga (Red Star)- a well-known manufacturer of furniture for little ones, engaged in this business for over a hundred years. Inexpensive beds at Mozhga are mostly birch, they cost from five thousand rubles.

Brand products Gandilyan They are distinguished by a cute and varied design, streamlined shapes, and reliable assembly. They, like the previous ones, are able to withstand not one baby, but several. The cheapest products will cost from six thousand rubles.

Budget cribs from manufacturers (photo)

Crib Mozhga

But recently, new manufacturers of cribs for newborns with good reviews have appeared on the market. For example, an enterprise Vedruss from the city of Sergiev Posad. It makes beds for a little over 4 thousand rubles. And near Arkhangelsk there is a company SKV-Company, which produces even cheaper products - a little more than two thousand rubles.

And the leader at the lowest price is the Swedish-made bed. The simplest model "SNIGLAR" from IKEA will cost two thousand rubles.

Purchase from hands

Do not overlook the option of buying a used crib for newborns. Moreover, he sometimes allows you to buy an excellent foreign children's bed inexpensively: for mere pennies. It can be a product of a well-known brand (for example, Italian, Spanish, French), distinguished by excellent quality and great design. And the fact that it has passed the test of time will even be beneficial. So you will know for sure that the crib is strong and reliable enough. In addition, for a minimal cost, you can manage to buy, for example, a practical transformer or a high-quality baby cot for newborns.

Baby cot for a newborn

It is especially successful if such an acquisition is made from good friends - you can be confident in the seller. However, no one bothers you to check the quality of the item being sold by swaying the sides, pressing on the bottom, seeing how attractive the appearance is after use. And if none of your friends and neighbors offers to buy a crib for a newborn, it is possible to try your luck on sites with free ads. Many mothers bought their cribs this way and are very happy.

There are, for example, resources such as Avito, "From hand to hand", where you can buy a crib for newborns inexpensively. Each of them has a convenient sorting by city, product type and other parameters. It is also worth noting the site “ Beblog". On it you can not only find used children's things, but also get a lot of useful information. As for the price, you can buy an old crib for one and a half rubles, and even cheaper. How to agree.

Dads who love tinkering will gladly plunge into the fascinating process of making a bed for their future son or daughter. This process cannot be called insanely difficult, especially for the classic version. To begin with, we will select everything you need.

Materials and tools

If you want round slats like a shop crib, check out your gardening store - you'll often find them there. Or you can take rectangular blocks (1.5x2.5, 2x2, 2x3 cm) for this purpose. The frame - the basis of the sleeping bed - is assembled from 5x5 or 7x3.5 cm bars. The same bars are used to create each of the walls, the continuation of which will be the legs of the crib. Bars 5x3 cm will be needed for a slatted bed. If you plan to make one-piece backs, then stock up on a sheet of plywood 1.8-2 cm.

In addition, you will need fasteners (bolts, screws), and you will also need metal corners for strengthening. You must also buy plugs (plastic) - they will cover the fasteners that must be recessed into the tree. Also, stock up on epoxy glue, as well as a lot of emery cloth - after all, a baby product should be absolutely smooth and strong.

From the tools we will use:

drill (preferably electric);
file;
hammer;
jigsaw;
rasp;
woodworking tool (ideally);
a sander for wood;
level and tape measure;
milling machine;
a mechanism that grips the glued parts.

Blueprints

Here, too, there will be no special problems - the standard size of children's mattresses is 1.2 by 0.6 m. And you need to focus on it. It will be very nice if there is already a mattress for the future crib, then it will be possible to easily make the bottom using it. As for the height of the sides, the optimal size (if you count from the floor level) is 0.9 m. The backs should be slightly higher - 20 centimeters. And the bed should be 30-35 cm from the floor. We leave 10 cm between the individual crossbars.

The drawing for a crib with your own hands is very simple. But if you want to build a more cunning design, then you can turn to specialized magazines or books where you can find drawings of baby cots for newborns with dimensions. And then someone may want to make a transforming bed for their child, for example.

Technology and manufacturing process

First you need to make frames for the sides and backs (if those are latticed). In the case of solid backs, we cut them out of plywood. It is advisable to fasten the bars with thorns of the through type, providing them at the end of each bar. But a connection with glue and screws is also possible. For the bottom of the crib, we take six bars 5x3 cm. To attach the fence rods to the crossbars, we drill holes with a 16 mm drill.

How to make a crib with your own hands (video):

We glue all the parts to be connected using a clamp. Fastening the backs and sides of the crib together, we use self-tapping screws (from 8 to 10 cm). The legs of the crib can be either separate parts (by the way, you can take it from an old bedside table, for example), or a continuation of the frame design. In the latter case, this must be foreseen. On request, it is possible to equip the crib with furniture wheels. But then don't forget about the clamps! And one more thing: when making the front wall, you can provide for its folding or a door in it. A moving car wall is a bit tricky for a DIYer.

Having made this simple product, pay due attention to processing.

Thoroughly sand and sandpaper all parts so that not the slightest roughness or chipping remains anywhere. Close the fasteners with plugs. Finish with safe varnishes and paints (those suitable for children's toys are suitable), for example, water-based. Or you can do without them altogether by rubbing the bed with wax (sold ready-made) or special oil for wood.

DIY crib (photo)