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How to Change a Crib Into a Daybed

New parents save themselves money when they purchase a crib they can later turn into a toddler daybed. All this simple project includes is the removal of the front crib panel, which you can choose to replace with a small supplied sidebar to help prevent the toddler from falling out of bed. These beds come with all the necessary hardware and many even supply the required allen (hex-head) wrenches. The only thing you need to supply is about 10 minutes of your time.

Things You'll Need

  • Phillips-head (cross-head) screwdriver
  • Allen wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the crib mattress from the crib. If the mattress has not already been lowered to the lowest height, lower it now according to the manufacturer's directions. This is most commonly done by removing an allen bolt at each corner of the mattress support spring, lowering the hinges and replacing the allen bolt.

    • 2

      Remove the four allen bolts from the crib's front panel and one allen bolt on either side of the front panel, near the bottom using the supplied allen wrench. If your crib has a dropside front panel, lift the panel up to the highest position and remove the block brakes, on the front legs underneath the panel, with a phillips-head screwdriver.

    • 3

      Remove the front panel from the crib. A droprail panel must be lowered all the way down before you remove it from its track.

    • 4

      Line up the bolt holes in one of the sidebars with two of the bottom bolt holes from which you removed the bolts to separate the front panel. Insert the bolts through the sidebar and back into the bolt holes. Tighten them in place with the supplied allen wrench. Repeat with the sidebar on the other side of the crib. Lay the mattress back on the support spring.