How to Make a Car Bed

Select the type of car. Identifying which type of car you would like to make will give you a blueprint of how to proceed. While exotic cars are most popular (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche), consult your child as to which he prefers. When the car type is in hand, select the color scheme.

Draw a template. Begin drawing, with a pencil, the image of the car onto one side of the medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Use the drawing as a template to cut the other pieces. Note that all three car panels (front and sides) can be cut from one 3,000 x 1,200 millimeter sheet of 18-millimeter MDF.

Cut the board. Set the MDF on the workbench and use the vice grips or clamps to secure it. Use the circular saw for any straight edges, and the jigsaw for any curves, and smooth the cut edges. Stay within the shape drawn on the board, and after the first piece is cut out, use it as a template for the second piece, ensuring that both are identical.

Make the front and rear of the car bed, measuring and cutting as before. If the car you have chosen has a slanted front, be sure your MDF accommodates the thickness of the bed's mattress. If you have chosen a flat front, simply paint the front of the car to give it a realistic look. Take precautions that the headboard is not situated in such a way that someone's head will inadvertently strike it.

Prime and paint the pieces. Spray the primer evenly over the inside and outside and outside pieces of the car. Allow the primer to dry (which should take roughly two hours), and then spray paint the car the desired color(s). After one or two coats of paint, you can opt for a clear topcoat of lacquer for a shinier finish.

Paint car details. Every car needs headlights, tires, windows, and doors. Paint the windows, doors, headlights, and any other details you wish. Using a fine paintbrush, outline the details of the car with black paint.

Assemble the frame. Once the front, back, and side pieces have been cut out, glue and screw them together, drilling pilot holes for the screws. For extra stability, make sure the front of the car and the headboard are screwed to the outside edges of the two long pieces.