Babies grow up so fast and they outgrow everything from their clothes to their furniture in a matter of months. Every parent has bought at least one crib but instead of throwing it away, turn into a piece of upcycled furniture you can use for many more years.
For many parents, baby cribs are also a sentimental piece of baby furniture and making a DIY project allows you to cherish it and make it part of your home. The goal is to be creative as there are infinite uses for upcycling baby furniture like baby cribs and here are 19 ideas to get you started.
1) Make a crib spring memo board.
Create a beautiful collage of pictures by creating a wood frame and wrapping it with fabric. You can use pins to secure each photo or because the crib spring is made of metal, you can glue magnet sheets on each photo to secure them instead. Follow this easy tutorial for creating your own crib spring memo board.
2) Build a beautiful outdoor bench.
A crib frame is very sturdy and is ideal for creating this adorable outdoor bench. All you need are some throw pillows and a fabric cover for the mattress and you’re all set! Get more ideas for creating this bench at 2littlehooligans.com.
3) Create a “Pull-a-Picnic” wagon.
Build this adorable multipurpose wagon that is perfect for bringing the kids for a walk to the park for a picnic! It even has a cute door on the side for kids to easily get in and out of the wagon. Here is an excellent tutorial for creating this Pull-a-Picnic wagon with a list of items you’ll need and visual instructions.
4) Turn a crib into a plate holder.
Store all your fine China plates, cups, and saucers in this rustic looking plate holder. Follow this tutorial for creating a pretty plate holder from a baby crib.
5) Build a hanging bed swing.
While you can do this with a single bed frame or a large wooden bed crib, all you need are some sturdy chains to secure it to a ceiling joist for an instant hanging bed swing.
6) Create a unique craft and tool station with organizer.
All you need for this awesome craft and tool station is a sturdy baby crib railing and a little elbow grease. Here is a list of tools and instructions to know how to make this craft and tool station and organizer.
7) Build an art center that kids will love.
Organize all of your kid’s craft supplies by securing a baby crib railing to the wall and using hanging containers to store all of their art and craft supplies.
8) Build a cute reading nook.
Children love having their space and they can read to their heart’s content with this adorable reading nook. Here is how this Ikea baby bed was turned into a reading nook.
9) Construct a baby crib swing.
If you liked #5, you are going to love this hanging bed swing secured with large ropes instead of chains. It uses a baby bed mattress and here is more photos of this bed swing for more inspiration before creating your own.
10) Create a stylish home office desk.
This one couldn’t be easier to build and it looks incredibly modern and chic. Simply add a sturdy glass top and convert one of the crib railings to use as a shelf for an instant desk.
11) Create an outdoor serving table on wheels.
Perfect for summer BBQ parties in the backyard. Upcycle and decorate baby cribs to serve as a fun serving table!
12) Build a jewelry display rack.
Organize all your jewelry with a rustic baby crib railing that you could find at a yard sale or consignment shop.
13) Make a flower pot stand.
Use a baby crib mattress spring to display your flowers and easily move them to a sunny spot. Simply drill two holes in each flower pot, insert a cable zip tie into each hole and secure it to the mattress spring support.
14) Use a crib railing as a magazine rack.
It doesn’t get any simpler than this. Take a baby crib railing and stand it upright for a handy magazine rack!
15) Build a book holder for the children’s room.
Encourage kids to read by providing easy access to all their favorite books with this cute book holder. You simply need to remove some of the slats from the bed railings to create this but here is a tutorial for creating this book holder.
16) Use a rustic crib spring to hang items in your kitchen.
Whether you’re hanging pots and pans or decorative jar candles, securing a crib mattress spring to the kitchen ceiling is a great idea!
17) Build a DIY chalkboard easel.
How cute is this? Kids would love to draw outside on this beautiful easel or it’s also a great way to make a portable sign. Follow this step-by-step tutorial for building this chalkboard easel using parts from old baby cribs.
18) Create a kitchen organizer.
Secure a baby crib railing to a wall and you’ll have an instant holder to organize all your kitchen supplies and gadgets. Use “S” hooks to hold pots and pans and add some magnets to hold kitchen knives. The sky’s the limit and here are more photos of this kitchen organizer to get inspired.
19) Build a play table from old baby cribs.
This play table has nearly everything to let your kids build and draw and help foster their creativity. Perfect for a rainy afternoon or a chilly winter day, this play table will spark creative thinking with a full-size chalkboard and tons of art and craft supplies. Follow this tutorial for creating this repurposed cot play table.
These DIY projects are just a sample of the wonderful things that could be created by upcycling baby cribs instead of throwing them out. If you love upcycling furniture, don’t forget to check out this DIY dog bed.
Please share these great ways of turning baby cribs into repurposed furniture with your friends and family.
