Safety regulations have put a fair few old cribs to bed—in the dump, since many of them cannot be legally resold. To give new purpose to an unwanted model, transform its slatted sides into storage racks. We came up with two options: a simple magazine rack to keep reading material tidy and easy to find, and a drying rack to hang wet towels or laundry.
Drying Rack
1. Remove hardware from crib side and paint, if desired.
2. Screw the ends of the chains to the long sides of the crib frame, about 9″ in from the end.
3. Attach the piano hinge first to the short end of the crib frame with %/8″ screws, then to the wall (using longer screws and hitting studs wherever possible). The hinge should be at the bottom so the rack opens out from the top. Make sure you mount your drying rack so that the top is well within reach.
4. Screw the loose ends of the chains to the wall (again, into studs wherever possible) to hold the rack in an open V position.
5. Mount the hook and eye to keep the rack closed when not in use.
What you’ll need:
- Wooden side from crib
- 2 lengths of lightweight metal chain
- 5/8″ wood screws
- Piano hinge
- Screws suitable for wall
- Hook and eye latch
Magazine Rack
1. Remove hardware from crib side.
2. Saw the side in two equal lengths (in half, or a little shorter if there’s a spindle right in the centre). Round over the cut edges with sandpaper or a wood file.
3. Join the two pieces with the piano hinge, using %/8″ screws.
4. Paint the rack, if you like. We used Benjamin Moore’s Lyons Red (CC-68), sanding some of it off. A touch of dark brown paint applied with a dry rag highlights the worn areas for a distressed look.
5. Using screws, attach a leather strap partway down each side to create an A-shaped frame. We added a dab of red paint to the screws.
What you’ll need:
- Wooden side from crib
- Piano hinge
- 5/8″ wood screws
- 2 leather straps (shoelace, belt, or animal hide)
