Ideas for a kids bed

[Jose Morales-Wade]

My next project is going to be a bedroom set for my daughters. They are 2 and 4 years old, I'll work on the boys room next!...
I need ideas for a bed and dresser. Wife is thinking on a panel bed or something similar.
I'm a beginner at woodworking.
Could you show me pictures of similar projects? and/or links to sites? I already check the "obvious" ones, like plansnow.com and the likes, but haven't found what I'm looking for. I need to justify my new planer and jointer!

[Prashun Patel]

The latest issue of Wood Magazine has great plans for a Mission style bed. Not exacltly 'kids stuff' but you can definitely adapt the plans to make something that they can grow into.

IMHO, a scaled-down and painted version of the plans in that mag might be very kid-appropriate.

[David Pearson]

I've made two beds for my daughter. The first was a castle, made out of MDF and supported by a frame made out of 2x4's. It was one of my first woodworking projects. I cut out all of the pieces during the week, then we had her stay over at her cousin's house. My wife and I stayed up all night and assembled and painted it. It was quite a birthday surprize!! (the mattress is on top of the castle)

The second bed I copied out of a Pottery Barn catalogue. The picture I've posted of the second bed, it doesn't include the three rolling drawers that I've recently built for under the bed.

[Jose Morales-Wade]

Those are nice beds.. I'll show them to my wife...

[Greg Cole]

Jose,
Here's a mini loft style bed I built for my little dude. The frame is nothing more than good old 2x4's, panels are birch ply. I used 1/2" ply splines on the corners for good strength, standard frame and panel "headboard & footboard". The base for the mattress is 2x6's with a 1/2" ply layer on top as there's no box spring. All told the material was MAYBE $150.00 and about 2 weekends.
The dresser was built to fit underneath meaning it's deeper than usual, but all the kids clothes fit with room to grow into. The additional storage is much needed in our home as our closets are tiny.
The last post in the link has the bed pics.
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...=544437&page=2

Cheers.
Greg