To strengthen your bed, cut two slats from craft wood (I used stir sticks) to glue to the support rails at the head and foot of the bed, gluing these slats to both bed sides as well as the head and foot rails. If you are building a bed for a child to play with, you may want to use a piece of appropriate thickness plywood or craftwood to make a solid base for a mattress. A solid base will add extra stability to the bed.
Measure across the width of your bed between the supporting rails and fit and glue bed slats. I made my bed slats from stir sticks (check to see they are flat first). Glue the slats to the supporting rails inside the sides of the bed at roughly 3/4 inch intervals (for a 1:12 scale bed). If you will be putting a stiff mattress on the bed, and if it is not for a child's play, you can skip this step if you wish.
Finish your bed with trims, stickers, patterns made with thread, or painted finishes. You can build all kinds of beds using these simple techniques, just vary the finishes or the styles of the head and footboards.
Some possible finishes for these simple pieces of furniture include:
- Classic Painted Finishes
- Faux Mahogany Finishe
- Carved Rope Mouldings
- Decorative Details Cast From Silicone Moulds - using gesso, resin, or polymer clay.
Have Fun!
