My wife wanted one gift for my daughter this year for Christmas...and that was a baby doll crib. She was getting a baby doll from her Grandma for Christmas, so my wife wanted her to have something for it to sleep in. Makes sense.
I found some plans online, and I used them as a guiding template for this project. It's a big piece: 21 inches tall, 22.5 inches long and 12 inches wide! The whole project was done with 3/4" common board.
I started with the headboard and foot board. I cut them to 21 inches and roughly mapped out the curved edges. After cutting the curve with my scroll saw, I clamped the two pieces together and matched them up at the bottom. I sanded them with my handheld sander until the two curves matched up perfectly. On to the rails!
I cut four rails to 21 inches X 2 inches. The "slats" running vertically (same width) were cut to 7 inches. I sanded down the rails until smooth, since this will be a child's toy after all! I used dowel rods and wood glue to secure the vertical "slats" to the horizontal rails. They were given 48 hours to fully "dry" before finishing the project. When attaching them to the headboard and the foot board, I used 1.25" wood screws; I made sure that the screws were flushed with the headboard and foot board when securing so I could easily cover them with wood filler later. Once secured in place, its time for the finishing piece: the flat piece for the dolls to lay on.
I cut the 12" wide common board to 21 inches (same length as the rails). I sanded the piece down and then screwed it into the rails from below. I used plenty of screws for safety and they couldn't be seen, which was an added bonus!
To make this look more professional, if filled in all the nooks and holes with wood filler. I gave it 24 hours to dry and set up. After drying, I sanded everything down smooth and prepped for paint. I decided to use white semi-gloss latex paint; I like the way it looks when it dries and how quickly it dries. Plus, the latex paint dries smooth and hides any little imperfections.
So, that's it! My daughter didn't really know what to do with the crib at first when she opened it at Christmas. She kind of looked at it, almost thinking "I already have one of these...and it's much bigger!" But, after a couple visual demonstrations using her stuffed animals, she got the hang of it! Now, all we have to say is "put the doll night night," and she puts her right in, blanket and all!
-Kevin
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