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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
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  1. Home
  2. Renovating

How one mum made her son a cubby house bed for under $400

The ultimate Kmart hack? - by Olivia Hart
  • 25 Aug 2020
How one mum made her son a cubby house bed for under $400

When mum of six Trina Gale's youngest son was ready to transition from a cot to a bed, she wanted to make it extra fun. With the help of her husband, the two crafted together a cute cubby house-style bed. The project cost less than $400 and was made from a Kmart cubby kit, hardware store bits-and-bobs, and a DIY roof assembled from spare pallets. 

Better Homes and Gardens Online caught up with Trina to find out more about their creative DIY. 

cubby disassembled but painted

Before: A mess of pieces from a Kmart cubby kit and bed frame

Trina Gale
finshed cubby house bed for kid

After: A cute and detailed cubby bed any kid would love

Trina Gale

What inspired your makeover?

Ollie was due to be moved from his cot and into a bed, so I wanted to provide an environment where he felt safe and secure. 

Have you done any makeovers before?

I've not really done any makeovers before actually, so this was all very new to me! It seemed simple enough to do in my head, but it was just a matter of turning my vision into a real functional bed and space for Ollie.

sanded cubby house front

Sanding the cubby kit

Trina Gale
painting sanded cubby house

Painting the cubby kit

Trina Gale

What kind of look were you after?

A hut, playhouse, cubby-kind of look with a roof, windows, a door, and lights.

What was the biggest challenge of the project?

The roof was the most challenging part of the playhouse bed. The roof that came in the cubby house kit set wasn't wide enough to fit the width of the bed. Thankfully my husband had some spare pallets and whipped up the same roof as in the kit set but just wider. 

Materials for reno

Before putting it all together

Trina Gale

The Renovating Process

  • Purchased the Kura Ikea bed frame and the Kmart cubby house.
  • Sanded the wood.
  • Used wood putty to fill in and staple holes.
  • Painted the cubby house in sections.
  • Set up the frame of the bed.
  • Attached panels to the bed frame.
  • Attached the roof.
  • Added some architraves to really make the entire look of the cubby house-bed pop.
  • Added a doorbell and fairy lights on the inside of the roof.
bed inserted into cubby

Fitting the bed frame and mattress inside

Trina Gale
Bed in cubby with bedding

After: A safe haven for her son Ollie

Trina Gale

Budget Breakdown

Bed frame: $50 from second-hand website. (These are about $500 new) 

Cubby kit set: $180 from Kmart

Architraves: $15 from any hardware store

Paint: $70

Plants: $6 each from hardware store

Bell: $20 from an online store

Bits and bobs (wood putty, decoration clips for the lights): $25 

Fairy lights: $16 from Kmart 

 Total: $382

cubby bed with Ollie playing inside

After: Ollie enjoying his new cubby house bed

Trina Gale

Favourite part?

I really just loved chipping away at it each evening for an hour or two when the kids were in bed. Painting is very therapeutic.

My other favourite part was the wee bell. It was cast iron and then I spray-painted it gold. It really does complete the overall look of the cubby bed. I also can't forget to mention how excited Ollie was when he got to sleep in his big cubby bed for the first time. I've not seen him more excited before! The joy in his eyes was well worth the effort. 

Inside cubby house at night with fairy lights

After: The cubby lit up by fairy lights at night

Trina Gale
gold fancy bell attached to side of cubby

The fancy gold bell adding the final touch on the cubby house

Trina Gale

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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

The Kmart cubby hack that's breaking the internet

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How one mum created an enchanted garden for her daughter

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{headline}

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The new $3 Kmart hack that will revolutionise your home

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How to make a stunning mirror wall for under $50

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Mum's amazing DIY Kmart hack transforms her backyard

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Make your own mountainous bedhead mural

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Amazing bedhead inspiration from Instagram

Amazing bedhead inspiration from Instagram

Refresh your bedroom with a shade of green

Refresh your bedroom with a shade of green

How to make stamped bedding

How to make stamped bedding

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