Preparing to have a baby is a very stressful time. With so much to prepare for, it can be difficult to find time for everything. Because of this, you might consider paying someone else to assemble your baby's crib. However, assembling a crib isn't as hard as you might think, especially since virtually all cribs follow the same basic instructions. Master these, and you could save yourself a lot of money.
Step 1
Take all of the pieces out of the crib box and place them on the floor. Inspect the instruction manual and identify each piece as it is seen in the manual. Grab your tool set and put it in a place that's easy to access as you assemble the crib.
Step 2
Place the back of the crib on the floor so that the holes are facing up. Take one of the crib sides and align it with the holes on the crib so that it forms a L-shape. Consult your instruction manual to determine which screws are needed, then install these screws in the correct holes. Most cribs have screw holes at the top and the bottom of the crib side. You may need to place little wooden pegs in holes near the screw holes in order to keep the crib's structure in place.
Repeat this step to install the other crib side. When this is done, you should have a C-shaped crib.
Step 3
Take the front of the crib, sometimes known as the dropside, and align it with the rest of the C-shaped crib. Place the dropside so that the holes on the dropside line up with the sides of the crib, then use screws to attach the pieces, using the wooden holder pegs if necessary. In most cases, there are screw holes on the top and bottom of both sides of the dropside. When this step is completed, the outer structure of the crib should be complete.
Step 4
Take the mattress support, also known as the mattress spring, and place it inside the crib. Notice the four arms of the support that line up with four corners of the crib. Align these arms with the corners of the crib.
Install the arms with the appropriate screws, taking care to ensure that they are all installed at the same height. If you're building this crib for a newborn baby, the mattress support should be installed at the highest level possible.
Some cribs feature mattress supports that are installed a little differently. These cribs have stabilizer bars that run parallel to the back and front of the crib. Install the arms of the mattress support directly to these stabilizer bars.
Change the angle of the support arm to meet your desired height level--a steeper arm angle means a higher mattress level, while a totally flat arm brings the level to the lowest possible point.
Tips and Warnings
- Some crib instructions swap Step 3 with Step 4. The potential for switching these steps depends largely on how the mattress support attaches to the rest of the crib, as the dropside may get in the way. While your baby won't stay in a crib forever, you can purchase a convertible bed that will maximize your investment. These beds come with toddler rails or are compatible with separately purchased toddler rails so you can convert the crib into a toddler bed. Once he's done with the toddler bed, you can then buy bed rails to create a full-sized bed. As your child grows, you'll have to lower the level of the mattress to keep him from falling out. Depending on the crib you have, this can be done by unscrewing the support arms and moving them to a different notch, or this can be done by changing the angle of the already installed support arm.
- Before letting your baby use the crib, perform a safety check. Double check that all all screws have been tightened and that there are no loose panels on the crib. Push down on the mattress to ensure that it can support weight. If you have any reservations whatsoever about letting your baby sleep in the crib, call the manufacturer for help.
Things You'll Need
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Allen wrench
- Hex wrench
- Hammer
