Get a better dollar.

I liked the idea about running cable from one side to the other, pulling them toward the center. Instead of cable, I'll use bungie cord, making it easy to take apart if/when (okay, when) I have to move. I'm going to install some hooks in the sides and bungie cord them. I will post pics when it's done.

It may take some time, since I'm down to 20 bucks in my account. But paycheck comes soon.

So I put together a bed for my friends' two-year-old daughter.  It was one of these things where you get roped into going to IKEA.  I never pass up an opportunity to go to IKEA - love Swedish meatballs you see.

They decided to get her a big-girl bed to graduate her from her crib.  They got her the Kritter, which is just  a headboard, footboard and two sides to hold up the lat shingles.  The lats are fixed to two pieces of canvas ribbon.  It also comes with a useless side rail thing, on the right side of the pic, to keep the kid from falling.  I left that rail thing off.  




I insisted she needed a canopy so they got her this one:



They also took my suggestion and got her bedding with monkeys printed on them. . .

In in assembling this thing I thought of this post.  The headboard and footboard are all one piece, and the two wooden side pieces are attached to them with four screws.  The lats sit between the two side pieces on a lip.

How the hell does IKEA keep the lats from falling through?  They have two  metal rods with eyeholes for two screws.  The rods go under the bed in an odd way.  They are set up in an asymmetrical fashion; not at all how you would think they should be set up, and you have to make your own screw holes!

I apologize for the crappy drawing, but it's my first time using the Linux mPaint program on this computer.  The white lines represent the wood and the lats.  The green lines represent the rods.  See how they are set up in sort of a sideways "V" shape?  That was the surprising part, but it holds the two side pieces so they don't bulge and let the lats fall through. And you'll notice the rods don't meet at the bottom of the "V" show below. They were about six to eight inches apart.



You could do the same with two pieces of scrap wood (cheapest - free) or better yet, get yourself some of that metal fastening strip tape that you see holding up pipes in your basement or holding your water heater up against your wall (couple of bucks).  Secure it with two screws each.  Make sure you "pinch" the two side pieces together before you secure it so it's as tight as possible against the lats.  I've drawn some of what the metal tape looks like on the bottom right side of the pic above. Notice it has holes about every half inch for screws to fit into.

Bungie cord would be useless because it would give. 

Hope this helps.

I can't see any reason why it wouldn't.  As long as you "pinch" the two sides inward before you affix the tape it should work. 

I don't know if it's a twin or not.  It's a kid's bed.  Here are the specs:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39836495

No.

Leave your setup as is and just add the wood or tape to the underside of your bed.  Stick it to the bottom from underneath.

Buy a box spring (they're cheap), make sure you're using that metal bar in the middle and you won't need the slats (I just built myself an Ikea bed this weekend w/frame, middle bar, box spring, mattress..no slats). Also, your mattress needs to sit on something flat and smooth, sitting directly on those slats will make your mattress wavy over time as it settles.


Also, don't have sex with your Ikea bed.

This is win. I have one of these, King size. My roommate only has a twin. he's very possessive, very competitive, and hates to be outdone.

I fucking win.