P's bed

I've had a couple of questions about how we made P's bed so here are some more pics:


These are the locks that we put on it. They are kind of noisy though when you latch them so maybe just a slide lock might be better. These are on the top and bottom.These are the "L" brackets that keep the 2x2 boards together. You can lay it all out on the floor, put the spindles in place and then screw the "L" brackets in place. For a larger or wilder child you might need to use thicker boards, spindles and "L" brackets. P is quite mellow :o)

These are the hinges that we used to put them on. They are normal door hinges but be sure to get big enough ones so that the door can swing open without hitting the bed post that it's attached to. We put 3 on each gate for better security.
I had hubby put the spindles 5" inches on center so that the are wider than a crib but not enough to get her head through. I was worried that if we did it just like a crib she could get her arms or legs caught. This way they can go through but won't ever get caught. He measured them out and just made little holes for them with a 1" drill bit. Just don't go all the way through it :o)
He put these together on the fly so with more time and patience they could look pretty fancy. I'm more about function than beauty :o) We love the bed because it's safe and sturdy. We can open the gates and lay next to her if we want. It's easy to make the bed and it's easy to get her in and out. I just open the gate, sit down next to her, sit her on my lap, and then stand up with her, or else pull her to the side and put her feet on the floor to stand her up and help her walk. No strain on my back, or hitting either of our heads. This bed will last her forever and it's low enough that once she learns how to walk she can get in and out by herself. I can't think of one thing I would change.
One tip I would like to add is that if you have a wild kid that might dive around, you can take swimming noodles, cut them down the middle and slip them over the spindles as padding. As long as they don't like to eat them, lol. Another thing that can help is body pillows because one body pillow is as wide as the bed so you can put them along the top and foot of the bed so they won't hit their heads. If you have any questions feel free to comment and I'll try to answer them.