Average But Inspired

Inspiring creativity at home.

  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Disclosures
  • Policies
  • Home
  • Popular Posts
  • Furniture
  • Home Decor
  • Holidays
  • Crafts
  • Organization

February 8, 2017 by Bre

How to Make an American Girl Doll Bed

Hey, friends!  Welcome to another edition of the Monthly DIY Challenge!  Each month some of my best blogging buds and I team up to create projects based around a common item or theme.  This month we all created projects that use 1 x 2 lumber.

This challenge forced me to step out of my crafting comfort zone and into the power tools / DIY zone, and I LOVED it!  I used by 1 x 2 lumber and other supplies to build an American Girl Doll Bed for my daughter’s doll, Cailyn, and it was such a fun project that saved me a lot of money!  (Beds on the American Girl website start at $85; this bed cost me under $20 to make!)  Also, this was an awesome beginner woodworking / power tool project.  I got really comfortable with my tools and cannot wait to build something else!

This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I’ll be giving you all the details on how I built this bed later in this post, but first, here’s a sneak peek of the fabulous projects my friends came up with (you’ll find direct links to all of the projects at the bottom of this post).  1 x 2 lumber is so versatile! Check out this post for lots of ideas on projects to make with 1 x 2's - they're perfect for beginners!

Before you go check out all of the amazing things you can build with 1 x 2 lumber, let me show you how to build an American Girl Doll Bed for any girl in your life!

Supplies Needed to Build an American Girl Doll Bed

Some of these links are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no added cost to you if you purchase through them.  To read my full disclosure policy, click here.

  • 1 x 2 lumber (you’ll need 68″ minimum)
  • 3/4″ thick plywood (approximately 21″ long x 10″ wide)
  • 2 x wood balusters (52″ long)
  • .5″ trim strip
  • Circular Saw
  • Impact Driver
  • Wood screws (1 1/4″ long)
  • Wood screws (1″ long)
  • Wood glue
  • 1.5″ Ball Knobs with Flat Bottoms
  • Poster board

Instructions for Building an American Girl Doll Bed

To make this project happen, I began by drawing a really rough sketch of my plan.  Can you tell I’ve never done this before?  (Note: don’t follow this plan.  I changed some of it along the way.)

After that, here’s how this project went down.  I started by cutting the little nubs off the end of the wood balusters.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Next, I cut the balusters so that they each measured 13″ long.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

After that, I cut my 1 x 2 lumber into four pieces: two 21″ long pieces and two 9″ long pieces.  (I don’t recommend using paint buckets as sawhorses, but it was freezing outside and our sawhorses don’t fit in our tiny work room!)  At first I was really scared to use this saw, but it was actually SUPER easy.  It has a laser on it, which made keeping a straight line simple, and it was so easy to use.  Plus I felt like a total bada** working this thing like a boss.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Once all the wood was cut, I measured where I wanted to screw the pieces together. This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I drilled pilot holes and then used my new impact driver to begin putting it all together!  (Super relieved you can’t see my gray hairs in this extreme closeup.)This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I started with a side railing of the bed, and once that was in, I screwed the end of the bed onto the baluster.  Notice how I offset the placement of the screws so that the side rail screw is lower than the screw for the piece at the end of the bed.  This was so that the screws wouldn’t hit each other in the baluster.

This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I repeated this process until the entire frame of the bed was completed.  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Then, I cut thin trim strips to just slightly shorter than the length of the side rails of the bed (approximately 20.5″ long).  These strips will be holding the bed’s base in place.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I fastened them to the inside side rails of the bed with the shorter screws, placing them about 1/4 of the way down the side rail. This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Then, I measured the inside area of the bed so that I could cut the plywood base.  This was important because it wasn’t exactly equal on both ends.  I cut a piece of poster board into the less-than-perfect rectangle shape, and then traced that onto the piece of plywood.  I cut that shape out and laid the plywood onto the attached trim strips with a thin layer of wood glue.  It fit perfectly!  (Sorry I forgot to photograph this step!)

Then I decided that the bed needed a headboard.  (Well, truthfully, my daughter made this decision because she was worried her doll would fall out of bed.  I’m glad she spoke up because the bed definitely needed a headboard.)  So, I measured the space in between the balusters at the front of the bed and cut a piece of wood to that size (it was about 9 5/8″ wide).  I screwed it in to the balusters.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Finally, I used wood glue to attach the 1.5″ ball knobs to the balusters.  This was the finishing touch on my simple DIY American Girl Doll bed!  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

After I gave the bed a coat of white paint and sewed some simple bedding in fabric that my daughter chose (she has good taste!), I put it in her room and was so happy that she LOVED it!  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

I’m telling you that building this doll bed was the best way for me to get comfortable with some easy building projects.  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Plus, my daughter’s excitement over having a “real” bed for her doll made this whole thing worthwhile.This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Not gonna lie – I’m also really happy that I spent a fraction of what it would cost to buy a real American Girl doll bed!  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

If you have a little girl or know someone who does, make them a doll bed!  If I could do this, so can you!  And please “pin” this post to share the idea!  This is awesome! For under $20, you can build your own American Girl Doll bed! It's a super basic build that is perfect for beginners. Make your own 18" doll bed and save so much money!

Now that you’ve seen how I used 1 x 2 lumber, check out these incredible projects from my friends!  I have a feeling you’ll be rushing out to Home Depot after you see these!

I Bet You'll Like These Posts, Too!

  • Vintage Airplane Bedroom RevealVintage Airplane Bedroom Reveal
  • Stenciled Tile Fireplace Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}Stenciled Tile Fireplace Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}
  • IKEA Rast Hack – a Dresser Becomes a Bar CartIKEA Rast Hack – a Dresser Becomes a Bar Cart

Share this post:

TwitterFacebookGoogle+PinterestLinkedinEmail
❮❮ Previous Post
Next Post ❯ ❯

Comments

  1. Breanna Bertolini says

    February 8, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Bre! This is so cute. And power tools look good on you! Can’t wait to see what else you build 😉

    Reply
    • Bre says

      February 8, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      Thanks girl! I cannot decide what to build next. Currently on the list are the dog feeding stations from you and Nicole, Sarah’s farmhouse gate, and radiator covers! SO MUCH to build, so little time! 🙂

  2. Kendra @ www.joyinourhome.com says

    February 8, 2017 at 11:44 am

    This is the cutest Bre and what a fabulous idea! Our daughter loves these dolls and this would be so cute for them!

    Reply
    • Bre says

      February 8, 2017 at 1:21 pm

      Thank you Kendra! I am so pleased with how this turned out! I wish I would have filled the screw holes, but alas, I am a newbie woodworker. 🙂

  3. Nicole @ The Inspired Hive says

    February 8, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    This is such a sweet idea!!!! And you def look like a bad a** with those power tools! Good work!!! 😉

    Reply
    • Bre says

      February 8, 2017 at 1:21 pm

      Thanks, girl! I think I’m gonna get myself a t-shirt with that emblazoned on it. 😉

  4. Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says

    February 8, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    What an fantastic job you did on this doll’s bed! And the price is WAY better than the original.

    Thanks so much for the awesome gift idea!

    Reply
    • Bre says

      February 22, 2017 at 2:56 pm

      Thank you, Ashley! I wish I would have filled those screw holes, but I totally forgot until it was too late! Oops!

  5. Kristi says

    February 8, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    SO stinkin cute!!!

    Reply
    • Bre says

      February 22, 2017 at 2:57 pm

      Thank you so much, Kristi!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Be Social!

  • View averagebutinspired’s profile on Facebook
  • View averagebre’s profile on Twitter
  • View averagebutinspired’s profile on Instagram
  • View averagebut’s profile on Pinterest
  • View +BreEggert’s profile on Google+

Hi, I'm Bre! Average But Inspired is where I share my love for creating beautiful things for my home and family. If I can do this stuff, you can, too. Trust me.

Get the Weekly Newsletter!


Reader Favorites

FAT Paint Antique Wedgewood Blue Console Cabinet Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}

FAT Paint Antique Wedgewood Blue Console Cabinet Makeover {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Five Tips for Styling a Dresser on the Cheap

Five Tips for Styling a Dresser on the Cheap

10 Craft Supplies You Should Buy at Dollar Tree

10 Craft Supplies You Should Buy at Dollar Tree

Rainbow Sand Art Terrariums

Rainbow Sand Art Terrariums

Looking for Something?

Stenciled Chair Seats – A Thrifty and Fun Kitchen Chair Makeover

Stenciled Chair Seats – A Thrifty and Fun Kitchen Chair Makeover

Thank you to Cutting Edge Stencils for providing the stencil used in this project and the prize to be awarded in the giveaway.  The project and opinions are all my own. One thing I love is giving a plain object new life and personality with a simple change.  Stenciling the seats of my beat up kitchen […]

5 Furniture Makeover Mistakes to Avoid {Lessons From a Failed Furniture Flip}

5 Furniture Makeover Mistakes to Avoid {Lessons From a Failed Furniture Flip}

One hot summer night I sat in front of the TV, watching reruns of an intellectually stimulating show (most likely Real Housewives of Dallas or some other random city), while mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.  Suddenly, a post showed up in my newsfeed of someone selling a gorgeous and antique roll top desk in my local resale group . . . […]

DIY Modern Desk – A Beginner Woodworking Project {Monthly DIY Challenge}

DIY Modern Desk – A Beginner Woodworking Project {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Thank you to Kreg Tool Company for sponsoring this post.  The project and opinions are all my own!  Also, this post contains affiliate links.  Please see my full disclosure policy here. Years ago when the ladies of the Monthly DIY Challenge and I started up this whole thing, I knew there would be times that […]

Mid-Century Dining Chairs Makeover

Mid-Century Dining Chairs Makeover

In a strange turn of events, Chicago has had absolutely amazing weather over the past week or so.  It is FEBRUARY and we have had temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s for multiple days in a row.  I am beyond thrilled with this taste of spring in the dead of winter, and have been using it to […]

Copyright © 2013-2018, Bre Eggert (Average But Inspired). All rights reserved.

Pretty Chic Theme By: Pretty Darn Cute Design