The day I decided to turn my girls TV room (which was built to use later as an unfinished walk-in closet) into their "office", I also decided to ditch their cute iron daybed and build my own. Only trouble was I had no clue how to go about such a feat. Luckily for me I knew just where to turn. Inspired by the
toddler sized upholstered daybed (much love for Ana-White.com), I knew just what to do.
I already had the twin sized mattress and needed a sofa style daybed. I intended the new bed to work both as a sitting area for TV/Wii playing but also as an extra bed for the inevitable sleepover tweens love to have. I also love a slip-covered couch. Not to mention, having twin girls who love to use markers zealously as well as a incessantly dirty hairless cat, I needed the sofa to be washable. Hooray for slip-covers!
I love using painters drop cloth for projects. Roman shades, pillows, duvets, shower curtains....you name it . They are cheap, have a great weight, have a lovely neutral color and come in really large sizes. I like to wash them a few times to soften them up. I took the toddler bed design and changed to to work for a twin mattress and slip-cover style (i.e. I added store bought turned legs to dress it up a bit).
I tried to document the progress.....
cut 6 2x4's into pieces as follows:
(2) 37" (I would actually add another inch or two as I did not allow for the padding on the headboard to push it forward)
(2) 71"
(4) 34" (if you adjust 37" board you have to adjust these accordingly)
(2) 25" 2x2
(1) 74" 2x2
rough layout before attaching
bought 4 pieces of 2'x4' thin luan as to not have to cut plywood down to fit (and also because at the big box store no one was around to help me get down the plywood or cut it for me and I lost patience waiting and just made do with the luan....it worked out famously!
5 yards of the thickest batting the fabric store had in stock....with my 50% off coupon - it was less than $30.
no nails, just pretending (and balancing)...making sure it is all going to come together....
bought 4 legs and the leg plates so I could have a more decorative leg showing
built the frame, attached the plates, painted the legs black
attached the legs
I probably over built this bed, but figured more support was better than not enough when it comes to 9 year olds and sleep overs!
once the legs were attached, I realized it was way taller than I had wanted, so I took the legs back off and chopped them down to the perfect height....easy peasy.
I built the back - I know the center support board is off center. That is because I only wanted to cut 1/2 of the luan sheets instead of all 4.
This is the back board (head board) laying on the bed itself. The luan was nailed to both the front and the back.
one side of the head board completed.
headboard attached to the bed
I attached the head board to the bed with bolts because I knew I was going to have to take it apart to get it up to the 3rd floor kids suite & figured I had more control reattaching it if it was bolted.
Backside of completed frame.
Moved it upstairs and added the batting.
added muslin fabric over the batting by stapling it all in place. At this point if I wanted an upholstered look I could have gone straight to nice fabric or used nice fabric over the muslin. I chose a basic muslin so it always has a base because I was planning on slip covering it. I might change the slip cover someday or just upholster it.... you never know but I love having the flexibility to do whatever I fancy!
waaaahla, ready for the slipcover!
At this point I made sure the mattress fit, and it did, however I did not allow for the padding, so the mattress isn't as perfect of a fit as I would have liked. Nonetheless, it works so I can't complain..... I am just a perfectionist so it will forever drive me crazy!
Now for the slip cover.......
I took regular painters cloth fabric. Washed the cloths a few times to soften them up. Then used the already sewed edge as my bottom hem. I measured the drop around the bed, which in my case to cover the upholstered part I needed about 6" including a seam allowance. I trimmed strips of 6" fabric on the already finished sides of the drop cloth to make my skirt.
Next I pinned the whole skirt in a pinch pleat type fashion. every 4" & put a seam in it to hold the pleats in place.
The left over drop cloth was just enough to make a base for the slip-cover. I measured the bed (in this case it was 37" x 74" (the same measurement as the mattress). I attached the skirt to the base on all three sides, leaving the back unattached. Essentially I created a bedskirt.
I then made a slip cover for the head board portion, like an envelope. A big piece folded in half and two strips sewn into each side as filler. Pulled the envelope over the back to pin fit the bedskirt to it.
Then I pinned the back skirt onto the back - this way the bed could be floating in a room and would look just as finished - no need to be up against a wall.
Made the final seam and waaaahhhla a slip cover was born!
batting 20.97 (with 40% off coupon 34.95 without)
muslin (1.99 45" width or 4.99 90" width a yard.... I already had it in my stash so it didn't cost me anything, I would suggest purchasing it with a coupon, the 90" width 5 yards should do it.... 24.95 without a coupon 14.97 with)
painters cloth 19.98 (I already had because I like using them for projects) it was a two pack at Lowes that contained a 6'x9' and a 4'x15' cloth - washed several times.
I already had the twin mattress (it was on a Crate&Barrel iron daybed that I "HAD" to have last year for my girls sofa/guest bed in their suite) I purchased a cheapo mattress for about $120 including delivery.
I already had the mattress cover that I purchased at Pottery Barn and spent waaaaay too much $ on (it was around $100) - If I hadn't already done that I would have made a slipcover for the mattress as well.
I purchased 2 linen euro covers on clearance at a PB store for $22 each & the Euro pillow inserts were 19.99 for two at Home Goods....I made the painters cloth pillow silk screened with EST.2001 with a Euro insert and scrap pieces of the painters cloth.
at Lowes:
two 2x2x8's @ 1.65 each = 3.30
six 2x4x8's @ 2.89 each = 17.34
four 1/4x2'x4' plywood luan@ 7.89 each = 31.56
four Waddell heavy-duty leg plate @ 1.98 each = 7.92
various bolts, nuts and washers (bolted back to base in four locations) = 5.76
Lowes total = $77.44
Fabric Store total = $35.94
Painters cloth total = $19.98
TOTAL SUPPLIES = $133.36
Total including everything on the bed right now = approx $427
I considered this 1934 Dining Chair from Sundance Catalog
rough layout before attaching
bought 4 pieces of 2'x4' thin luan as to not have to cut plywood down to fit (and also because at the big box store no one was around to help me get down the plywood or cut it for me and I lost patience waiting and just made do with the luan....it worked out famously!
5 yards of the thickest batting the fabric store had in stock....with my 50% off coupon - it was less than $30.
no nails, just pretending (and balancing)...making sure it is all going to come together....
bought 4 legs and the leg plates so I could have a more decorative leg showing
built the frame, attached the plates, painted the legs black
attached the legs
I probably over built this bed, but figured more support was better than not enough when it comes to 9 year olds and sleep overs!
once the legs were attached, I realized it was way taller than I had wanted, so I took the legs back off and chopped them down to the perfect height....easy peasy.
I built the back - I know the center support board is off center. That is because I only wanted to cut 1/2 of the luan sheets instead of all 4.
This is the back board (head board) laying on the bed itself. The luan was nailed to both the front and the back. 
one side of the head board completed.
headboard attached to the bed
I attached the head board to the bed with bolts because I knew I was going to have to take it apart to get it up to the 3rd floor kids suite & figured I had more control reattaching it if it was bolted.
Backside of completed frame.
Moved it upstairs and added the batting.
added muslin fabric over the batting by stapling it all in place. At this point if I wanted an upholstered look I could have gone straight to nice fabric or used nice fabric over the muslin. I chose a basic muslin so it always has a base because I was planning on slip covering it. I might change the slip cover someday or just upholster it.... you never know but I love having the flexibility to do whatever I fancy!
waaaahla, ready for the slipcover!
At this point I made sure the mattress fit, and it did, however I did not allow for the padding, so the mattress isn't as perfect of a fit as I would have liked. Nonetheless, it works so I can't complain..... I am just a perfectionist so it will forever drive me crazy!
I took regular painters cloth fabric. Washed the cloths a few times to soften them up. Then used the already sewed edge as my bottom hem. I measured the drop around the bed, which in my case to cover the upholstered part I needed about 6" including a seam allowance. I trimmed strips of 6" fabric on the already finished sides of the drop cloth to make my skirt.
Next I pinned the whole skirt in a pinch pleat type fashion. every 4" & put a seam in it to hold the pleats in place.
I then made a slip cover for the head board portion, like an envelope. A big piece folded in half and two strips sewn into each side as filler. Pulled the envelope over the back to pin fit the bedskirt to it.
Then I pinned the back skirt onto the back - this way the bed could be floating in a room and would look just as finished - no need to be up against a wall.
Made the final seam and waaaahhhla a slip cover was born!
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