Build a Wood Baby Cradle A Few Easy Steps

Ron:
Well for those of you who are regular watchers of the show, you know that it’s just about this time when I normally hop in that motor home and head on down the road to another housecall. But these days I’m going to be spending a little more time closer to home, or here in the shop, and that’s because in a very very short time, my wife and I are expectng a new baby. Hi Honey.

Lynn:
Coffee?

Ron:
Ms Lynn, my wife. Thank you, very much.

Lynn:
And our baby.

Ron:
Who is about to show up any time now, so I thought what would be a better project to kick off this part of the series with, than a baby cradle? So if it’s all right with you, because I don’t think I have any time to waste here.

Lynn:
No we don’t, three days to go. You gotta start working.

Ron:
I better get started.

So, here’s what I had in mind. This is kind of an overview of it here, from the end and from the side. And it’s going to be made up of about four or five components. Here’s the headboard if you would. The footboard down here, with some nice scalloped tops, and then of course it will also have sides. It will have a nice curve like this and then the rockers.

Now this is a full size drawing of the headboard and footboard of the cradle. I’m going to cut a template using this, from this material right here. This is quarter inch hard board, so what I want to do is take the full scale drawing, place it face down. This is just a scrap of hard board here, and then I’m going to spray the back of this with adhesive.

Now, lets take our hard board we’re going to use for the template itself and lay it down. Then from the center, push out like this, so that it is nice and flat.

Alright, now lets take this over to the band saw
and cut this out.

RON – VO:

AFTER GLUING ON THE DRAWINGS FOR EACH PART I CUT ALONG THE LINES THROUGH BOTH THE PAPER AND THE HARDBOARD. THEN, LYNN AND I PLACE THE TEMPLATES ON TOP OF PRE-MADE SOLID WOOD PANELS WHICH WE FOUND AT THE HOME IMPROVEMENT CENTER, AND TRACE AROUND THE OUTSIDE.
Lynn:
My daughter is going to have a beautiful bed.

Ron:
Yeah, I hope she uses it a lot.

Ron:
What is it they told us at that La Mas Class, was it…

Lynn:
Four hours of crying

Ron:
Four hours is average. I don’t know, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

Lynn:
I don’t think so.
RON – VO:
WHILE LYNN TAKES A BREAK TO FINISH PACKING FOR OUR UPCOMING TRIP TO THE MATERNITY WARD, I SET ABOUT CUTTING OUT EACH OF THE CRADLE PARTS. .
Ron:
Well, we are just about ready to start putting this cradle together. The first thing I want to do is add a bottom support bracket or brace. We’ll actually attach the cradle bottom right onto these braces.
Let’s apply a little glue to the bottom edge here. Just a little yellow wood glue. Set that in place. Then we’ll attach it with these screws.

Ron:
Oh, hi. I could use another cup of coffee.

Lynn:
Well, forget the coffee; that’s all you’ve done so far? C’mon!

Ron:
You’re just in time. I do need some help.

Lynn:
All right. Let’s keep moving.

Ron:
What a taskmaster. My gosh.

Ron:
Okay, what I want to do is attach the sides to the headboard here okay?

Lynn:
Okay.

Ron:
So I’m going to hold this in position like this, Now you see those tools over there?

Lynn:
These two?

Ron:
Yeah, get the one that’s got the drill on it, that’s the pointy thing.

Lynn:
Okay.

Ron:
Okay that’s good, now out. Now pick up the other drill over there and that’s got a screw driver in it.

Lynn:
Okay.

Ron:
You ever used one of these before?

Lynn:
No!

Ron:
You can do it.

Lynn:
Okay, do the same thing?

Ron:
Yep, you have to push on it a little bit.

Lynn:
Okay

Ron:
Push.
Lynn:
You ready?

Ron:
Okay, come here.

Lynn:
No.

Ron:
You come around to this side. Come on over here. You hold.

Ron:
There we go, okay.

Lynn:
Alright

Ron:
Now, there are the first two sides.

Ron:
You think babies sleep better in cradles?

Lynn:
Yeah, I hope so, or soon we’ll have to be making a big ol’ crib!

Ron:
A rocking crib, we’ll do that next.

Ron:
Should we put the bottom in?

Lynn:
Yep, let’s keep going!

Ron:
Just put this right in here.

Lynn:
OK. All right. Perfect fit!

Ron:
Alright, I’ve already predrilled the holes here, so these screws are going to go right into those rails that we put on a while ago. OK. Now. You know what we’ve got to do now?

Lynn:
Rock-a-bye-baby?

Ron:
It doesn’t rock too well.

Lynn:
So now we’re going to put some glue on the bottom?

Ron:
Glue on the bottom, actually on the top of the rockers.

Ron:
All right. I’m going to hand this to you. Now I’ve drawn a line there, the edge of that rocker goes right on that line.

Lynn:
Okay, got it.

Ron:
Then I’m going to run some screws in through the bottom.

Ron:
And here it is.

Lynn:
Cradle #2

Ron:
Rocker #2

Lynn:
Rocker #2

Ron:
Cradle #1, rocker #2

Lynn:
Like I said, like I said.

Ron:
And here’s the last screw.

Ron:
Okay, bottom’s in. Just one last little detail now.

Lynn:
Another detail?

Ron:
Another detail. I wanna take these little wooden plugs right here, and just cover up those counter synch screw holes.

Lynn:
Make it look really nice, clean.

RON – VO:
I DAB A LITTLE GLUE INTO EACH COUNTER-SINK HOLE, THEN TAP THE PLUGS INTO PLACE.

Ron:
Okay, it’s done.

Lynn:
Okay, is it done?

Ron:
It’s done. Let’s give it a test rock.

Lynn:
Oh it looks so good.

Ron:
Well, (singing)

Lynn:
Wow, she’s going to love it. It’s so steady.

Ron:
Yeah, needs a little finishing work.

Lynn:
Yeah, well, I think like a nice coat of banana yellow. With some great looking bedding. I’ll take care it. You do the hard work, I’ll take care of the beautifying work.

Ron:
What else?

Lynn:
I’m not going to tell you, it’ll be a surprise!

Ron:
Okay.

Lynn:
Alright honey, good work.

Ron:
If you like more details on the cradle, then be sure to check our website, ronhazelton.com, and be sure to join us next week, for more projects and of course, more housecalls.

RON-VO:
A FEW DAYS LATER, LYNN AND I WELCOMED OUR NEW DAUGHTER DANIELLE ELIZABETH INTO THE WORLD.

Build a Beautiful Wooden Cradle for Your Baby

Follow these simple woodworking plans to construct a rocking wooden cradle that can be painted or stained. Seven main pieces are cut from solid 1-inch wood panels and then assembled with glue and countersunk screws hidden under wooden plugs. The cradle bottom is secured on narrow rails and provides additional structural support to the baby bed.

Step 1

Plan the Design and Dimensions of the Baby Cradle

Draw the plans for the wooden cradle on paper and mark the dimensions of each component. The project requires cutting a headboard, footboard, two sides, a bottom, two rockers, and narrow wooden strips to support the bottom.

Step 2

Prepare a Full-Scale Drawing of the Curved Cradle Components

Make full-sized paper drawings of the curved headboard, footboard, and rockers. Spray adhesive on the back, turn them over, and glue the drawings onto 1/4-inch hardboard, smoothing them from the center outward to avoid wrinkles.

Step 3

Cut out the Shapes to Make Hardboard Templates

Cut along the lines of the drawing. Use a band saw and cut through the paper and hardboard to make light-weight but stiff templates.

Step 4

Trace the Templates onto Solid Wood Panels

Trace the shape of each template with a pencil to mark cut lines on the solid wood panels. Be sure to keep the templates aligned with the grain of the wood.

Step 5

Cut All the Curved and Rectilinear Cradle Parts

Cut each cradle component, cutting along the trace lines for the curved parts and carefully measuring and marking for the rectilinear pieces.

Step 6

Install One-by-one Wooden Strips to Support the Bottom

Cut one-by-one wooden strips to attach at the bottom of the headboard, footboard, and both sides to support the cradle bottom. Glue and secure the strips with screws.

Step 7

Attach the Sides to the Headboard and Footboard

Apply glue to one edge of the headboard and butt it against the inside edge of one side panel. Insert screws through pre-drilled countersunk holes to secure the pieces. Repeat to attach the footboard and second side.

Step 8

Attach the Cradle Bottom to the Support Strips

Drop the bottom into the cradle from the top after pre-drilling countersunk screw holes around the perimeter. Insert screws to attach the bottom to the support rails.

Step 9

Secure the Rockers to the Underside of the Cradle

Apply glue to the tops of the rockers and position them against the underside of the cradle under predrilled and countersunk screw holes. Insert screws to secure them.