antique crib-turned-daybed

by | May 11, 2017 | Before and Afters, Furniture Makeovers | 30 comments

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Remember this antique Jenny Lind-style crib I found on craigslist a couple of months ago?

Well, I finally got around to sprucing it up and made it into a sweet daybed…

The wood was so pretty that I decided not to paint it.  Well, and spindles are a complete nightmare to paint as well, so that was an added deterrent.  I just removed the hardware the piece wouldn’t need as a daybed, added a piece of memory foam and some batting to the existing crib mattress, and then I made a custom cover for it out of an antique coverlet and a linen duvet cover.

I’ve had the white coverlet in my stash for a while.  It had a ton of holes in it, so it was definitely a “cutter”.  I had just enough fabric to work with to make a cover and then I added some pleated trim from a linen duvet cover I’ve been using for various sewing projects.  I like that the finished product has a “pieced together” sort of look.

And the white looks lovely against the warmth of the wood spindles.

I kept the front side of the crib as well as all of the hardware, so it could be used as a crib again, if desired.  (As a side note, I always suggest using new cribs for infants, just so they are made to the latest safety standards.)

I’ve managed to collect a few “scratch and dent” crocks to sell at Lucketts.  They are so pricey when they are intact, so I intentionally look for ones with cracks that are a better bargain.  The painting on this one struck me immediately.

Everything, except for the white stool, will be for sale at the Lucketts Spring Market in just over a week!

Tomorrow I’m heading out on my final shopping trip before the event.  I hope to find lots of goodies to add to the “pile”…

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    30 Comments

    1. Ruthy

      Hi Marion, so pretty and so perfect that you left it natural …. although my first thought is, are the legs and castors strong enough if one or two adults sat on it? It was originally only made for baby/toddler weight!
      I really love all that you do…..

      • Kelly

        I would have that same concern as Ruthy. While this one looks beautiful, it still doesn’t look very sturdy. I have seen one in person that a friend had done, and I had the very same concern. Did you reinforce to hold more weight than a toddler/baby?

      • Monica

        I agree, definitely not for an adult. However; it would be the perfect napping spot for a toddler…or a pet 😉

      • Marian Parsons

        When we lived in my in-law’s basement, we used a crib in our very small sitting area as a “love seat”. Usually only one of us sat on it at a time, but it never felt sketchy or anything. I have sat on this one and it’s been fine. So, I guess it depends on the crib and the person!

    2. Kim

      Yes, that wood has such a gorgeous patina, it’s the kind of thing I would leave paint free as well. And yes, painting THAT many spindles is no fun!

    3. Sarah

      Where did you get the pillows from?

    4. Terri

      Those blue pillows may have formerly been on her bed? The ‘settee’ is darling.

      • Marian Parsons

        I made them out of an old coverlet. They were in my family room for a while, but my boys thought they were scratchy, so they ended up back at the studio. 🙂 The linen pillow cases were from our bed.

    5. Sue Pagels

      I have an antique iron crib I would like to turn into a daybed – this is lovely!! Mine only has a very flimsy (baby weight) spring so I was hoping to find on-line how someone reinforced it, but haven’t as of yet. I am still on the hunt for ideas as all I can thing of is somehow using plywood as a base for a mattress.

      • Carolyn

        I have my mom’s crib- she is 87. It is an old metal one. I did put a 1/2” or 3/4” piece of plywood across the springs and then the mattress. It is very firm to sit on- firm as in it isn’t going to fall apart.

    6. Saundria Ash

      I have my dad’s old baby bed. It’s wrought iron and painted white which is chipped and scraped in lots of places, but I was thinking of making a daybed out of it as well. This baby bed is 85 years old at least. Thank you for the idea!

    7. Judy Bales

      Beautiful and so unique! I like the way you pieced the coverlet!

    8. Lori

      o glad you did not paint the wood! It looks so lovely with the linens and blue pillows! Have a great time at Lucketts!

    9. Nancy

      I have the same crib from 35 years ago. But, in Illinois it is against the law to sell any crib with that type of side. Not that I was going to sell it,btw. But for our grand babies, we just made the side non movable for safety standards. Funny, I raised 4 babies in that crib and never had a problem. It looks cute as a a daybed.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yeah, I agree that I wouldn’t use it as a crib for an infant. I love used pieces, but a crib is worth buying new!

    10. Shawnetta

      Sorry. I like a lot of your quirky redo’s but this just looks like a rib with adult bedding. This doesn’t work to me.

    11. Cathy

      I love the step stool and the daubed.

    12. Cheryl

      Love this… Take llots of pictures, videos of your tent
      At lucketts
      Since I can’t get to lucketts, I guess I’m going to
      Brimfield

    13. Jody

      I love this piece, especially the coverlet you made for it! This would make such an adorable toddler bed 🙂 Good luck at Lucketts!

    14. betsy

      I love it! It’s like a charming version of a ‘youth bed’ 🙂

    15. Judy

      My husband and I have a large collection of blue painted stoneware crocks and no damage was the first thing we looked for. If you don’t care about value and are just going for a little blue then go for it.

      • Marian Parsons

        Yes, it’s just about the look of the crock, not the value of it. Things are valuable to me because of how I can use them in my home. 🙂

    16. Monique DEnoncin

      Beautiful idea. Good looking wood with great details. Cannot agree more with the difficulty of painting all the spindles! I am dealing with 6 very tricky chairs right now with so many unusual parts..it takes for ever.
      You have “dressed ” the daybed with the vintage blue/white fabric, it is very nice.

    17. Sue

      Love it , love it all you sure have the eye for putting it all together.

    18. penny gharst

      How did you stabilize it without the other side or will it hold together with one side missing on the baby bed? All four of my boys slept in that same bed and am in the midst of decorating my daughters and thought it would be nice to make her bed for her to sit on or a friend to sleep on.

      Love all of your posts,

      Penny

    19. deb

      I bought a cracked crock with a blue design on it and it had a wire wrapped around the top. I guess it was to help it from not breaking, I thought it added charm! Love the checker board too, I have one that was made by my uncle, using small scraps of wood from where he worked. Cool right, the only thing is he worked for a casket company!!

    20. Mary

      It might look cute on a porch massed with plants……… Believe it or not I can remember being in a crib. I think back in the day they were called six year cribs………..today probably called death traps. lol I am almost, not quite 75 and
      said crib goes back 87 years……..

    21. Amy

      I love the crib as daybed transformation and think it could be so cute in a little girl’s room as a place to rest her dolls.

    22. Pamela R LePage

      The chairs turned out great!! Love the day bed settee and the pillows and coverlet, the crock looks cool.

    23. Soha Zain

      Great info. I have a question, Is proper ventilation system through plastic, metal grommets or the slits important for mattress?

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