What child wouldn't want a dreamy playhouse bed? The only problem, as many parents will know, is often the cost of said bed. But one parent who knows that only too well is Tomasz Zub, who had his eye on an expensive £400 bed for his son.
He saw past that hurdle by flexing his DIY skills, making his own house bed at a cost of only £55 – saving £345.
More affordable ideas: Budget children's room design ideas – to create a room you'll love for less
'I am a kind of handyman at home, I like to make things by myself' Tomasz told Latest Deals. 'First of all, it is usually cheaper, secondly, it makes me feel proud of myself.' Sweetly adding, 'My dad did the same; I saw him doing and mending things at home when I was a kid.'
Dad's DIY playhouse bed
Explaining where he started, Tomasz says, 'First we decided the size of the mattress. There are many sizes available for toddlers. When we got to that, I knew what size of wooden boards I needed.'
'I drew up the project with the right sizing, and with my fiancée we decided what we wanted it to look like and what to include.'
He found an online example of a bed he liked, but it cost an eye-watering £400. Determined to make it more affordable he found the materials in a local timber shop, saying 'The wood cost approximately £55. The tools and screws I already had at home. I spent any free time after work making it, and it took about 15 hours altogether.'
The brilliant bed is finished with a splash of white paint, a comfy child's mattress and a string of decorative lights.
'Now it’s done I’m very proud of myself' he says joyously. 'I have saved a lot of money and made my son happy at the same time.' And inspired us here at Ideal Home Tomasz, so thank you.
'I started with the posts and mattress frame, then made a roof and the barriers. The last part was making the bed slats' he recalls. Adding, 'the roof part was a bit tricky to make properly considering the angles, and to make it look good and straight was a challenge.'
He bravely built the construction without using any devices or tools to check the angles. Exclaiming, 'I was worried about whether the bed slats would be strong enough. The only tools I used were a cordless drill, hand saw, yardstick and pencil. As you can see, even with not many tools you still can make things like this.
Offering his advice Tomasz says, 'If anybody would like to make something similar, first of all, I would say don’t rush! Everything needs to be done properly, and the bed needs to be stable so you don’t have to worry about it when your child is sleeping on it.'
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Would you be able to make your own playhouse bed?