Crib Plans

Hi Stephen here and you’re reading my uncensored view of what I really thought of  Woodworking 4 You’s Crib Plans

Why am I writing this?  Well when I was thinking about buying it there weren’t really many reviews around so I thought I would write one quickly to help any of you, who are in the same position as I was.

But be warned I am going to go into the good and the bad points so if that’s something you might not want to hear, then you may want to leave right now but I think it’s only fair to give you a true summary of it.

After looking around at baby cribs and looking at the ones available I decided to check out building my own. There were so many advantages it seemed crazy not to. I had a look online to find what crib plans I could get. I saw that there are loads of them online and that a lot of them are free. I had a look at them and some of them were OK but most of them were really hard to follow, or the crib plans weren’t detailed enough, there were no pictures, no support to help following them either. So after looking at all the free ones and a lot of researching but finding them to be pretty useless on the whole I found these

Click here if you want to go straight to the plans I’m talking about!

It is a fantastic book of plans for all sorts of wood projects including crib plans. You can use whichever materials you want and they take you through every step from a list of what you need, step by step plans and loads of diagrams and pictures along with the plans so you can make sure you’re doing it right.

I was a little worried about paying money for something that is available free on the internet but these crib plans had a money back guarantee. I figured that I couldn’t go wrong. Still, money is money so I was prepared to take advantage of that guarantee. I didn’t have to worry though. I’ve got some experience but I’m no expert, and I could follow the crib plans real easy. There’s even video instruction available too! They were definitely better than the free ones I saw.

One thing I didn’t like so much was the fact this was an online product and it’s not always easy for me to have the computer in the garage where I work on stuff. But my wife printed out all the information I needed for the crib plans so I could take it with me, and if I got problems I could come on back in and watch the videos.

I saved a load by making my son’s baby crib, even including the cost of this product. For the sake of a few bucks I had crib plans I could really use. They were great and I was amazed how easy and quick it was to build my son’s baby crib. He was a little earlier than planned but because it was so easy to build it from the plans we were ready!

PS; I forgot to mention not only is there a fantastic set of crib plans here but there is a massive library of over 14,000 high quality woodworking plans, click here to have a look yourself

Five reasons To Think About A Self Build Crib project

You can spend a lot of money on a baby crib. There are some amazing designs out there, and some of the more unusual kinds can cost thousands of dollars to buy. A baby spends a lot of time in his crib so you want to make sure you get the right one but you don’t have to buy one in a store. As an alternative to a store bought one, you can build a crib. A self-build crib can be easier than you think and there are advantages.

One of the places i found some fantastic plans on building my own crib are right here!

So what are the advantages of a self-build crib? Well firstly there is the cost. You can control the cost completely when you build a crib. You can even spread the cost and the project over time, although it’s always a good idea to have a home build crib ready early, just in case.

Secondly, there is the fact you know your self-build crib will be good quality. You may be unsure about trying to build a crib, especially if you don’t have too much experience. But there are a lot of places you can get help, including some great woodworking forums on the internet. The most important thing you need to make sure of if you do build a crib is safety standards. These do change from time to time, so make sure the patterns you use to build a crib are appropriate and up to date. You can always make changes to them if you need to bring them to standard.  You also need to make sure you use the highest quality materials you can, although if you are going to paint the crib rather than stain it, it’s okay to use timber of a slightly lower quality.

The third advantage of a self-build crib is the satisfaction of knowing you have made it yourself. There’s nothing better than putting the final piece of a project in place and knowing you’ve done a good job. If you build a crib, you’ll look at it every day and think “Hey, I did that!” Not only that, but you’ll be able to tell your child that you made it yourself and maybe develop a love for woodworking in your child.

If you build a crib yourself you will be able to finish it just how you want to. If you’ve seen the hand painted cribs for sale, you’ll know just how much you have to pay for them. A self-build crib can be personalized really easy. You can sign it with your name and the date, you can write your child’s name on it, you can paint it any design or color you want. Imagine how much you’d have to pay to get a custom made crib like that. You can build your crib for a fraction of the cost.

Another thing you might want to think about is the heirloom aspect of a self-build crib. If you buy a standard crib from a store, they’re all the same. What’s the point of wanting to hand that down to future generations? But handing down a unique home-build crib to future generations is something for you and your child to be truly proud of.

So while you’re looking at all the cribs available why not think about the fact you can build a crib yourself. Cost, quality, satisfaction, personalization and an heirloom to be proud of – all great reasons to consider a self-build crib project.

PS: good luck if you decide to go down this route i know that it was a great decision for me and don’t forget to click here to check out this site for some fantastic build crib plans

Why choose a wooden crib?

Baby cribs are available in so many designs, but the materials they are made from are more limited. The two most common materials for cribs are metal and wood. Why is a wooden crib better? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons.

Wood is a natural substance and if you have a wooden crib made from a sustainable wood source then it is much more environmentally friendly than a metal crib. It is also possible to get an organic wooden crib which has no contaminants or chemical preservatives. For many parents it is really important to control what their baby comes into contact with so this is a fantastic potential benefit of a wooden crib.

A wooden crib is generally cheaper than a metal one of a similar style. Of course you still can get an expensive wooden crib but in general they are cheaper. Also, they look and feel warmer than metal. If your baby touches a metal crib it will feel cold to the touch but a wooden crib feels much warmer.

You know what young children are like – they don’t always want to sleep and they bang things on the side of the crib to get your attention… Well, a wooden crib will be that little bit quieter as it absorbs more sound. On a more serious note, wood is also much softer than metal and so a banged head probably won’t hurt quite as much on a wooden crib either. Also all babies chew things. As their teeth start to develop they will probably start to chew the sides of their crib. The harshness of metal may well damage emerging teeth, whereas a wooden crib is more giving.

Studies have found that wood also has some natural anti-bacterial properties and it can be easily treated to make these properties even stronger. A wooden crib is therefore a good choice for hygienic reasons.

A wooden crib can look fantastic, not only is it warmer and more natural looking than metal but it can also be very easily customized. Metal is harder to repaint or make different and if you have a second child of the other sex it’s tough to change the look of your crib. Plus, with metal cribs you have to use certain paints, which can be quite toxic. A wooden crib can be repainted, re-stained and personalized really easily, and many times, just make sure you use child friendly products. You can also change the color or design on your wooden crib easily if you move home or as your child grows and shows preference for cars, animals, princesses or whatever. You can also attach fabrics to a wooden crib much more easily, meaning you can have a canopy crib without too much effort.

Your baby is likely to spend over 1500 hours in her crib in her first year alone. You want to make sure the crib you choose is the best possible. By getting a good wooden crib you will have something that will last for as long as you need it to.

Choosing the right baby crib

Choosing a baby crib is a wonderful moment. You are choosing something that your new child will spend a lot of time in so you want it to be right. You might want to have a simple yet functional one, or you might want to go for a real furnishing statement with your crib.

There are a number of different style baby cribs available and the one you choose will depend on your budget, your space available and of course your taste. Let’s look at the different styles of baby crib in turn.

Firstly there are bassinet cribs. A bassinet baby crib is sometimes known as a basket or Moses basket crib. They are the style of a carry basket and can be put on a stand. Sometimes they are rocker cribs and the basket can usually be taken off the stand. This is great if you are travelling as they can be put anywhere for your baby to sleep. They do not take a lot of room so a bassinet style crib is an ideal solution if you have a small space.

Secondly there is the standard baby crib. These are quite large and have either panel or bars on the side. Either one or both sides drop to make getting your baby in and out easier. A lot of people like this style of crib because it gives a lot of space for your baby to grow and you won’t have to replace it so soon. Similar to this is the convertible baby crib, where the sides can be removed to make a bed for a small child, so it can last you even longer.

If you want a baby crib to be more decorative, you can look at sleigh type baby cribs. These are similar in style to sleigh beds, with a kind of troika shape to them. They can often be expensive but they look great and can often be personalized by hand painting. You could then have a truly unique item of furniture.

Another kind of baby crib you might like to consider for decorative reasons is an iron baby crib. Iron beds are really popular but iron baby cribs are a little more unusual but can look fantastic. You can also get canopy baby cribs which are like four-posters for babies. These can be with a base of an iron crib or a wooden one.

If you like the romantic decorative look of a canopy baby crib, then have a look at round baby cribs. These can look absolutely adorable and come in a variety of colours and décor. They are best in a bigger room, as they look better when not up against a wall.

If your tastes are simpler than lots of fabric for your little prince or princess, then you might want to consider a log baby crib. Think of a beautiful log cabin and turn that idea into a baby crib. Then you the get the picture. Log baby cribs look really rustic and can add a lot to the look of your nursery, whilst still being sturdy and practical for your child.

Whatever style of baby crib you get, make sure it is safe your child, and then you won’t go far wrong.

If you would like to see where i found a fantastic set of plans,

Click Here