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How to convert a Jenny Lind Crib to a Bench or a Daybed

Everyone has hobbies, right?  Some women like to shop, my hubby likes to hunt, etc.  I guess I’ve finally realized what my hobby is; recreating old pieces! So when I stumbled upon a post from Pinterest about converting a JENNY LIND CRIB TO A BENCH or DAYBED, I knew my next project.

DIY Jenny Lind Crib to bench

I had an old Jenny Lind crib that has been sitting in my  moms attic for the past 5 years.

It was time to repurpose this antique piece and convert this Jenny Lind crib to a bench or a daybed.

In the next few days I brainstormed how I would cut down, fasten, saw, refinish and recreate my old crib.

After about a month of trying to wrap my mind around a real simple way to do this, I started getting discouraged because this project looked like it would be a little more labor intensive than I realized.

With two active toddlers, my time is VERY valuable, and there isn’t much of it. I decided that this project might have to move to the back burner.

And then a light when off in my head (yes, sometimes this happens). I had an idea; I had two sets of oversized outdoor cushions that I really wanted to get rid of, but I thought they might just be the perfect size for my crib.

IMG_9048

This was perfect because now I didn’t have to cut the crib down.

My vintage Jenny Lind Crib would serve as an oversized OUTDOOR BENCH. I was so thrilled.  Since the cushions were not my style, I decided to paint them, and you can see that post on painting outdoor cushions how to paint fabric.

After much thought and deliberation, I decided NOT to make the sides of this bench lower than the back. I might change my mind soon, but for now I decided to leave the sides alone.  So if you’re wondering if I really had to do anything to create this bench other than remove the front piece, well the answer is no.

The one thing I did do to create this Jenny Lind crib to a bench is to reinforce it.

After all, I don’t know that a crib was made for  a 300 LB man to sit on.

Converting a Jenny Lind crib to a bench

Here are a few quick things I did to reinforce it:

adding wood slats to reinforce the crib to make it a bench

In the picture above you can see where I screwed 3 pieces of wood to the crib. Refer to the picture below to see the placement of the screws.

converting a crib to a bench

You can see where I used two screws per piece of wood and screwed them into the “bed” of the crib.

How to convert a Jenny Lind Crib to a bench or daybed

I screwed another piece of scrap wood to the bottom of the front of the crib to stabilize the sides.

Now that it was safe for a large human to sit on, I was ready to convert my new bench from a crib!

DIY Jenny Lind Crib to a bench
a side view of my crib-turned-bench being used as an outdoor bench

Because I have a furniture rearranging problem (at least I can admit it), my CRIB TURNED BENCH did not sit outside for long. I decided to keep it one of our side rooms for extra seating. Here are a few pics of my new “seating arrangement.”

My vintage CRIB TURNED BENCH or DAYBED!

DIY Jenny Lind Crib to a bench
DIY Jenny Lind Crib to a bench
DIY Jenny Lind Crib to a bench

What do y’all think?  Daybed or outdoor bench?

Isn’t it funny how we can recreate and repurpose something like a Jenny Lind Crib into adult seating. Now if I can just figure  out what type of seating…:)

Lindsey**

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  1. Melissa C Maturin says:

    Thank you so much! This is perfect!

  2. Nike says:

    My dad gave me my old Jenny Lind crib with a drop front. I’ve been hoping to upcycle it for years and almost just gave it away but couldn’t get over the sentimental bond. Now I have a easy way to create a show piece! Thank you!!

  3. This turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing it with us over at the Homestead Blog Hop!

  4. Absolutely love this! And styled perfectly too! xx

  5. Jann Olson says:

    Really cute transformation! Thanks for sharing it with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

  6. […] Jenny Lind Crib to Bench via Repurpose and Upcycle […]

  7. Leanna says:

    This idea looks so cozy and the smaller size of the crib would be very handy to add some extra seating.

  8. […] from Leslie @ From Play Dates To Parties   PIN here.   …     How To Convert A Jenny Lind Crib To A Bench or Daybed from Lindsey @ Repurpose & Upcycle   PIN here.   …     Maple Pecan […]

  9. Michelle says:

    I just adore how this turned out! And I have that exact same throw blanket with the hearts <3 Thanks for sharing this on The Farmhouse Friday Link Party!

  10. harropaj says:

    What a great re-purpose and I love the new bench

  11. […] We all pick different features.  Pin It  This is my pick for the week. I love how Lindsey at Repurpose and Restyle converted this vintage crib into a bench.  Now I am going to be on the lookout for a […]

  12. Sheri K. says:

    This is awesome and beautiful! Thanks for adding this to the To Grandma’s House We Go link party! Remember to follow all of us, and we hope to see you again this Wednesday!

  13. Great project! It is my favorite for the week for Totally Terrific Tuesday and will be featured tomorrow. Thanks for linking up with us!

  14. Natalie A says:

    I love it! This is a great idea and so creative! I would have never thought to do this with a crib!

  15. What a wonderful way to upcycle a beautiful piece of furniture. You’ve done a great job. Thank you for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove

  16. I absolutely love this fun upcycle project Lindsey! You did such an amazing job.Thank you so much for sharing with us at Dishing It & Digging It & congratulations on being featured this week!

  17. Florence says:

    Personally, I’d hate to see that land outside, even if it was in a covered area. It’s so pretty how you have it styled. I’d vote for in.

  18. krishna says:

    Wow! this is very smart way to repurpose a baby crib…

    Please visit: http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com

  19. […] Converting a Crib to a Bench | Repurpose and Upcycle […]

  20. Nige says:

    What a fab idea it looks beautiful Thank you for linking to #ThatFridayLinky Please come back next week

  21. pinkpearbear says:

    Wow! Well done you! I love doing things like this and making something old look new and useful again. Just to let you know that lots of the photos weren’t loading for me, I’m not sure why, I saw the finished product and it looks great. Thanks for linking up to the #bigpinklink this week.

  22. What a great way to upcycle a crib! Thanks for sharing at The Blogger’s Pit Stop! Roseann from http://www.thisautoimmunelife.com

  23. […] love a clever & well executed repurpose and this crib to bench upcycle nails […]

  24. Angela Boone says:

    Such a pretty idea! I’ve been wanting to do this.

  25. What a fabulous project and a wonderful turnout. It looks gorgeous! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday

  26. diy180 says:

    This piece turned out beautiful and I love that you shared at Dishing it and DIgging it link party. You are one of our features this week. Thank you again for sharing.

  27. Ola Broom says:

    Visiting from creative circle. Love what you did to this crib. Such a great idea.

  28. What a beautiful upcycle! I’ve loved the Jenny Lind cribs for a long time but sadly they’re not really around in the UK. It’s the perfect way to reuse it, they’re such a beautiful piece of furniture it deserves to have a place in your home! Thanks for joining us at #SharingtheBlogLove

  29. sineamarie says:

    Love this DIY. You are a women of vision! Found it on #HomeMattersParty – pinned, of course!

  30. Hey, Lindsey! Just wanted to let you know that we loved your How To Convert A Jenny Lind Crib To A Bench Or Daybed so much when you shared it at the #HomeMattersParty last week, we’ve FEATURED it THIS WEEK! Hope you can check it out when you get a sec. Happy Friday!!!
    https://lifewithlorelai.com/2017/11/02/home-matters-linky-party-160/

    ~Lorelai
    Life With Lorelai / Home Matters Linky Party

  31. Teresa B says:

    Cool! I have a similar crib in my mother’s house (leftover from when my daughter was a baby and spent the day there). Maybe I need to do something similar. Thank you for sharing at The Really Crafty Link Party. Pinned!

  32. Chez Vies says:

    WOW, This is inspiring! I wanted to do this but have no clue how to go about it. My sons’ crib still sitting unused in our store room. One day (yes one day) I will do this ! Thanks for a great post !

  33. laura70ak says:

    This is super cool! I love taking old things and making them into new things! Pinned it–thanks for linking up!

  34. […] How To Convert A Jenny Lind Crib To A Bench or Daybed from Lindsey @ Repurpose & Upcycle […]

  35. playdatesparties says:

    How cute! I think it looks adorable with ways, though the daybed looks less crib-ish, if that makes any sense. Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!

  36. Victoria Nilsson says:

    Looks so pretty! I love the idea of up cycling the crib 🙂

  37. I had a Jenny Lind crib for my daughter. I love the upcycle. I’ve been looking for a headboard to convert. I’m going to keep my eye out for a crib too. Thanks for the inspiration, and sharing on Sunday’s Best.

  38. Judee says:

    What a great idea- totally changes everything.

  39. Mia says:

    What a brilliant idea, Lindsey! It turnout out beautiful! I love it, my friend!

  40. JESS44903 says:

    What a cute idea!

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

  41. Coombe Mill says:

    Such a stylish change and it looks amazing, I love the new grown up feel #TwinklyTuesday

  42. Heather Keet says:

    What an amazing transformation!!! #bigpinklink

  43. ItalianBelly says:

    Awesome idea! I have to wait a few years before I can totally get rid of our crib. will be pinning for later. much later! #inspirememonday

  44. That looks good Lindsey, love it!

  45. acraftymix says:

    I vote inside daybed bench 😀 It looks beautiful. I love the way you’ve styled it Lindsey and re-inforcing the bottom is probably a really good idea.

  46. Carol says:

    Love the look – great job! #MMBC

  47. Julie says:

    I’d not actually heard of Jenny Lind, so I have no idea if her cribs are something especially different or fancy (I’m in the UK, maybe we don’t have them here or maybe the whole thing has just passed me by) I do think this is a great idea though. So often an old crib just sits in a garage doing nothing, much better to make something attractive and useable from it. This looks great and the reinforcing the base tip is brilliant, I may have not thought of that with disastrous consequences!

  48. jjalki06 says:

    Oh I love this!!! I think it will look gorgeous no matter where it ends up!

  49. Charlene says:

    Loving this idea. Thanks for sharing!

  50. Lydia C. Lee says:

    What a great idea!!

  51. vrmm26 says:

    Super cute and inviting! I grew up with Jenny Lind beds, which my mom still has stored in her garage, so someday maybe I can do the same. Once she gives me permission to paint the wood, lol! Visiting from Nifty Thrifty Sunday.

  52. What a clever idea. You did a fantastic job! #HomeMattersParty

    ~Lorelai
    Life With Lorelai

  53. Jennifer M says:

    This awesome!! Exactly the tutorial I was looking for! The only problem is some of the pictures are missing, like they didn’t upload or something? Are you able to email them to me? Thanks!

  54. I think you’ve made it quite beautiful. I think it may be better suited for outdoor seating, but it works as a daybed too.

  55. Michelle James says:

    This is amazing Lindsey! Great project! Thanks for co-hosting #homemattersparty

  56. […] Crib to Bench Daybed from Lindsey […]

  57. […] Crib to Bench Daybed from Lindsey […]