This little Ikea bed frame is cute and very economical, but it lacked a certain joie de vivre. With some MDF, batting, stylish fabric, and lots of clever planning, this little frame went from dull to delightful!
Lisa from All Things Campbell had a design in mind when it was time to move her daughter to a toddler bed… she carefully sketched out her idea, and was able to complete the project in under two days. With the help of her brother-in-law's sawing skills and her own sewing (and stapling) prowess, Lisa transformed the bare wooden bones to something a bit more magical.
Go see more step-by-step photos and explanations at Lisa's blog, All Things Campbell.
(Images: 1. Ikea, 2. All Things Campbell)
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That's incredible! Well done!
Beautiful!
wow gorg and ivy is a adorable
So creative and cheerful!
People have been doing a similar hack to this bed for years. That being said, this is probably the best I've seen.
Here are others: http://www.ikeahackers.net/2011/12/upholstered-fjellse.html
http://manhattan-nest.com/2010/07/23/a-whole-mess-of-staples/
I love this! What a great way to get a custom look from an inexpensive bed.
Wow! Her daughter must be one really thrilled little girl!
inspiring... ikea really is an affordable 'base' for a project... well done.
Wow, that's one of the best Hacks EVER.
The thing that always makes me sad though, is that you need to have the tools and set up to get something like this done.
Maybe I should go talk to my neighbor.... :-)
I have this frame! I feel stupid for not doing something like this with it... weekend project!!
To me, "lacking a certain joie de vivre" describes virtually all Ikea furniture. But fun result!
Yesssssss. I *just* built this bed at a friend's house and was saying how much I'd like to upholster it! Perfect!!
For those of us with small budgets and a fondness for plan, unadorned, contemporary lines, IKEA is a pragmatic basic -- affordable, easy to personalize, and functional. Hacks like this are one reason why! Nicely done!
How fitting - our daughter has this bed, which I continue to marvel at for its sturdiness to cost ratio. Cute upgrade. We stuck with the minimalist wood finish for now. She also likes to hang things on the headboard like the dreamcatcher she made the other day.
I'm so envious of people with "killer woodworking abilities" or even the skill to upholster furniture. This is such a fun bed now... her daughter is so lucky!
This is great! We have a similar IKEA bed. One thing I've never liked about their kids' beds is that they have such sharp corners. I'm always injuring myself on it, and one time my toddler fell headfirst against the corner and got quite a dent in his forehead. I need to figure out how to upholster the corners, too. Any idea how that could be done?
HOLY CRAP BATMAN...B E A U T I F U L!!!!!!!!!!
This is fantastic!
WHAT! That's incredible!
I bought a fjellse bed almost exclusively so I could come up with a creative way to upholster it. I don't love this particular fabric but still a fun furniture mod!
How cool. Great job!
What a lucky child. Nice job, mom!
Oh my....so pretty!
Very clever idea, and great execution on this project! Also bonus points for beauty AND practicality in a kid's space.
Beautiful! Well done!
LOVE !!!
My daughter needs a 'grown up' bed; I think this is it!
This is awesome. I would consider doing this for our queen bed except for the side rails. Great job!
Wow! I was surprised and excited to see this posted on here. Thanks, Apartment Therapy! You made my day.
Holy cow! This is one of the cutest hacks I've ever seen!
Awesome! I just bought this bed for my toddler with plans to do the same! I had seen the post on Manhattan Nest and am planning to do a knock-off of the upholstered Land of Nod beds. Love your vibrant, take on it and your detailed photos! Looks fantastic!
I second the Holy Cow statement. Awesome hack.
I LOVE this!
In the Ikea hackers link above in the comments, the corners are upholstered. Good luck!
This looks great.
I had basically this same bed frame in grad school with the Sultan Fageras mattress! I was so proud of myself for moving across the country, purchasing my own $50 bed, and topping it off with a $70 mattress. The crazy thing was, it was not only comfortable but it also looked great in my tiny attic bedroom. Ikea really does have its place...
I love this Ikea bed frame because it's very cheap and this mean you can spend some extra money in personalising it! Then, being so cheap, you are not so afraid to experimenting with it either.
My husband and I bought the double bed frame and upgraded to a daybed for my studio that actually turn into a sofa bed fro guests when needed. The structure came out quite resistant! I plan to paint it and order a mattress cover from Finland to add some Scandinavian twist to the design. Cannot wait!
Elena / facingnorthwithgracia.blogspot.com
Wow! And I thought I was an overachiever..and I only stained mine! This is fantastic!
So incredibly cute! Nicely done.
I am super impressed by your creativity.
Wow! I was not expecting that, I am very impressed. So fun
Where did you get that just-right size bench?
That is a great "big girl" bed! I might even want one for myself!!
I love it- so whimsical !
The bench is actually another Ikea hack! It's a billy bookcase turned on its side with moulding and a cushion added. You can see it here: http://allthingscampbell.blogspot.com/2012/02/bookshelf-to-bookbench-transformation.html
so great!! love it!
Thank you for giving me hope that we can repurpose my husband's hideous old bunk beds that separate into beds. Covering them may well be the way to go!