Fjellse turned storage bed?

I am an amateur DIYer.

My first few projects were built with simple tools mainly because I was terrified to use my circular saw. ..but whatever, they were practice projects just to get my feel wet.

I used a jigsaw to make the cuts for my son's toy box, and to cut the backing for his bed. I even used it to cut a few pieces for the underside of the dining room table.

Anyway, as a result of my lackluster cutting ability, and a few mistakes I should have corrected  immediately,

the profile of the bed annoys me would be better if it weren’t visible.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to compile a list of build projects for the next few months.  And when I saw this pretty, but massive bed, I

thought this might be the solution. Not buying the bed, but adding more storage to to the current one.

I think for the space we have, this may be too big, but something  more along the lines of this one

or even some type of combination of the two would be great. In a kid’s room, the more spaces they have to stuff stuff the better.

Or maybe not.

This looks a bit like overkill to me…but then again, I guess everyone’s needs are different.

Talk to you in the next one!

Ikea Fjellse Hacked!

So, I finally hacked the bed. Well, almost. I’m considering adding nail head trim around the front, then possibly framing it, and then it’ll be finished. It isn’t perfect, but I’m happy with the way it turned out. One more project crossed off my ever growing to-do list.

It wasn’t a long process, but I spread it out over 2 days. I think it took a total of 4 hours, and that includes all of the cutting, painting and fiddling with my staple gun. There are a few tutorials online, so I’ll just share my process, and show what I would have done differently.

What I used:

• screwdriver
• spray glue
• wood glue
• foam
• batting
• mending plates
• furring strips 
• paint
• primer
• clamps (since I was working upright)

• OSB (I cut my piece with a jigsaw…it was far from perfect, and really didn’t make a difference)

The top measured up almost perfectly, in the picture below, the OSB isn’t attached, just leaning against the back.I knew that the foam and batting would be forgiving so I didn’t worry about making the straightest lines in the world.

If I were to do it again, this is the part I would do differently.

I should have corrected this immediately, but I decided to push on, and see how it developed. It doesn’t look terrible, but the sides aren’t an even thickness from the top to the bottom.

I do love the paint color though, and it looks even better after the second coat.

This room is starting to come together, and I have to say that I’m very pleased with the progress.

Until the next time,

signing off.

Ikea Fjellse Twin Bed: Part 1

I’ve decided to go with an upholstered bed for the little one. I’ve been doing quite a bit of blog surfing lately and I’ve seen a variety of upholstered headboards. I love upholstered headboards. I’ve wanted one for my bedroom for a while, but I love my bed, and have no desire to change it. Plus the ones I’m most attracted to (like the over $4,500 tufted bed below from Horchow) are priced above the thousand dollar mark, and for me in my current situation, that really isn’t practical.

I found a few blogs that provide plans for brave DIYers to build beds themselves, but I wasn't quite ready to take the plunge into building my own furniture. Then while perusing the Ikea website,I came across the Fjellse. For less than $30 (at the time of this post) you get a solid wood bed frame. Total score!

Since the nearest Ikea is over 2 hours away, I had to order it online, and the shipping ended up costing more than the actual bed. Not a huge deal, considering the cost of purchasing a brand new bed from one of my favorite kiddie furniture stores. Delivery was quick and the bed came in 2 boxes. Both packages arrived on the same day in good condition. I was a little hesitant to buy a bed so cheaply online, but I figured since it was solid pine, worst case scenario, I could use the wood for something else.

In the big box, the actual bed frame.

In the little box, the slatted bed base (which must be purchase separately here).

On top of the box, my eager helper Zoey the Destroyer.

It comes with all of the tools you need for assembly, (except for a flathead screwdriver, but you really only need that for holding, not actual screw driving) which is great if you just need starter furniture and don’t have a ton of tools.

I used Mr. 7-Hands. He’s one of my favorite tools.

For me, the key to a successful Ikea assembly, is organization. First the little pieces.

Then the big pieces.

The directions suggest you have a friend around to help,

But I found that a chair works just as well.

And in almost no time at all, I was finished.

Overall, it was a quick and easy assembly. It took under an hour, and the bulk of that time was spent adjusting the chair to hold the pieces properly. The bed is solid and I’m content for the moment. It’s shorter than I expected, even though I read the measurements, but that’s easily fixed. Now off to plan my hack to pretty it up…

Until then, have a great rest of your day.

Related Posts:

• Ikea Fjellse Twin Bed: Part 2
• Fjellse Turned Storage Bed?
• Kivik Loveseat and Chase
• Sunny Lack-a-like Bookshelf
• Room Reveal: Partially Finished