Simple 18-Inch Doll Bed

This doll bed is deliberately built from the cheapest lumber available — 1x2 furring strips for nearly everything — and deliberately simple enough that a kid can help with final assembly. Build the two headboard/footboard ends first, each one just four boards joined into a small frame; the plan notes hot glue works fine here if you don't want to deal with screws or nails on a project this small, though screws or brad nails and glue both work too.

Once both end panels are built, attach the side rails between them to form the bed's basic shape. A wider single board (1x6 or 1x8) works as a genuine substitute for the built-up end panels if you'd rather skip a step, though the plan notes this raises material cost slightly since wider boards cost more per linear foot than furring strips.

The mattress platform is intentionally left open-ended: sturdy cardboard, cut and measured by the kids themselves, is the plan's own suggested material rather than a dedicated wood or plywood panel — a genuinely kid-friendly way to finish the last step of an otherwise adult-built frame.