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How to Build a Baby Doll Crib

Feel the joy of making a toy for a child you know. It may become an heirloom. Girls love baby dolls and love to have child-sized furniture to use for their babies. Making a sturdy wooden toy that holds up to the use children can give it provides you with a feeling of accomplishment. You can simplify your task by using already manufactured parts to save on some of the steps. Spandrels, two rails of wood holding together a series of spindles, resemble a crib side. They are frequently near the porch roof or tops of cabinets in Victorian architecture.

Things You'll Need

Saw, hand, jig or table
classic spindle spandrel in pine, 6-3/8" height, cut in 2 9-inch lengths and 2 5-inch lengths.
4 10-inch long pine 1-inch by 1-inch boards
1 piece 1/2-inch thick plywood, 10 1/2-inches long and 6-1/2 inches wide.
4 15/16-inch wooden finials
8“right angle braces (3/4-inch wide by 1-inch by 1 inch) with 16 matching screws #8 by 5/8 inch
8 screws #8 by 7/8-inch
Drill with 29 gauge drill bit
Flathead screwdriver or bit
Sandpaper
Wood glue
Clamps
1 pint latex high-gloss paint
4 felt pads

Instructions

Making the crib
- 1
  Cut a square 3/4-inch by 3/4 inch from each corner of the plywood.
- 2
  Drill two holes down into the bottom rail, at least one spindle in from the edge of each of the four spandrel sections, using the 29 drill bit. Drill straight through the bottom rail.
- 3
  Put a bead of glue on one 9-inch edge of the plywood and on the bottom of one of the 9-inch spandrels.
- 4
  Place the glued side of the spandrel on the glued edge of the plywood.
- 5
  Attach the spandrel to the plywood by screwing the 7/8 inch screws into each of the two holes. Repeat for the other sections of spandrel on their matching edges of the crib.
- 6
  Turn crib upside down, with plywood facing up. Mark the screw locations by holding the right angle brace in place, then remove the brace and drill starter holes. Attach first 10-inch leg to one of the cut out corners using two right angle braces, one to join the leg to each section of the crib, using the screws and screwdriver or screwdriver drill bit.
- 7
  Repeat for the other three legs.
- 8
  Turn the crib right side up. Drill holes in the center of each leg to attach the finials. Put wood glue around the peg of each finial and insert peg into drilled hole.
Painting the crib
- 9
  Use rough and then fine sandpaper to smooth out the sharp corners on the legs and to remove any rough spots.
- 10
  Vacuum or dust to remove any sawdust.
- 11
  Apply a coat of primer paint and let it dry.
- 12
  Apply one or two more coats of finish paint.
- 13
  Add felt pads to the feet of the crib.

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