Loft bed.

Jude recently realized how much taller Ellie Kate's bed was than his, and began begging for a big boy bed. 

Being the frugal type that I am, I searched for ideas and ways to make his wish come true without breaking the bank or having to purchase a new bed. 

My Dad is super talented at building things so I presented to him my idea to turn Jude's little ikea bed into a loft bed. 

He executed that idea perfectly. 

I wanted to share some of the details because I had a few people inquire about how we did this. I don't know too much about building so if I'm not clear on the instructions or if I got the names of some of the materials we used wrong- please don't judge me;) 

I forgot to get a picture of Jude's bed by itself so I had to pull a photo from www.olivesworldblog.com. This is the bed we started with except our didn't have the headboard. It's an extendable ikea toddler/children's bed that I purchased as a hand me down from a friend.  

What we used:

2X4's for the rails, ladder and bracing the back

4X6's for the legs and bracing the sides 

Screws and bolts to secure the frame and to connect it to the legs of the original bed. (We used screws and bolts instead of nails since it isn't permanent. I wanted to be able to take the bed apart in case we move.)

I think we only spent a total of $50 on all of the material. 

This is the inside of the frame where the mattress lays. I just wanted to give an idea of how we secured the frame.

I can't wait to share pictures when it's 100% complete. 

We still have to stain or paint the bed. (I can't decided which.)

I also want to organize the bottom in a fun, exciting way for him. Maybe a camping theme or a bat cave. We are still deciding that too.  But for now, the kids and all of their friends are loving it! It's also sufficient for jude to sleep on (and play on) and that's all he really cares about.