Savvy parents have revealed how they built an impressive Jeep bed for their son – for just £200.
Abigail Talbot, 23, and Darren Block, 42, from Manchester, created the vehicle for two-year-old Horatio’s dinosaur-themed room, which they accessorised with products from eBay and Amazon.
‘The overall cost was around £250 for the entire bedroom,’ Abigail said, speaking to money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. ‘The bed cost £200 and it’s made from MDF and softwood timber.’
‘Our local timber yard is still open so we were able to source all of our materials from there but B&Q stock all the products required. The headlights were from Halfords. We tweaked them so they could be wired to a plug!’
Abigail Talbot, 23, and Darren Block, 42, from Manchester, built a Jeep bed for their son Horatio, two – and it cost just £200. Pictured, at the beginning of the project
The savvy homeowners bought the headlights from Halfords, but tweaked them so they could be wired to a plug. Pictured, the complete Jeep bed
The created the vehicle for two-year-old Horatio’s dinosaur-themed room, which they accessorised with products from eBay and Amazon. Pictured, Abigail and Horatio
Abigail, a support staff for engineers at SSE, and Darren, a blacksmith and bicycle mechanic, who also have Aria, one, says the idea for the Jeep bed originally came from a Facebook post.
‘We then spent time researching a design that suited us and our space,’ explained Abigail. ‘The first step was to draw out the Jeep then cut out with a jigsaw.
‘We assembled the Jeep body, added the legs, filled and sanded the screw holes with body filler and sand flat, then added the wheel arches and filled and sanded the joints and also wood slats for the bed.
‘The process is messy due to the woodwork and with the MDF, you need appropriate ventilation.’
Abigail went on to explain that the bed must be built in the room it’s going to stay in – as it’s heavy and won’t fit through door frames.
The couple revealed the bed (pictured) is made from MDF and softwood timber which they sourced from their local timber yard
Abigail, a support staff for engineers at SSE, revealed the idea for the Jeep bed originally came from a Facebook post. Pictured, almost complete
‘One big tip we wish we had have been told is to make the bed fit your mattress,’ she continued. ‘A lot of designs on the internet are in American sizes and they have different mattress sizes to the UK.
‘The wheels were gifted to us by one of our local scrap yards, Gadbury Auto Salvage. Car body filler to fill all the joints and screw holes just finishes the bed off, and truck bed liner paint which you can buy from Halfords was also great and cheap too.
‘It doesn’t scratch or wear easily so we have used it on all the areas that our boy comes in contact with often.
‘All the fake plants are from eBay and were as cheap as chips and the bookshelves are spice racks that were painted to match his bed. The wallpaper was from Amazon for less than £30!’
Abigail says that getting stuck into a DIY challenge such as this one is a great way to be creative and productive during what is a stressful time for families.
The couple filled the joints and screw holes with car body filler and used truck bed liner paint which you can buy from Halfords. Pictured, after the transformation
Abigail bought the fake plants from eBay, while the wallpaper (pictured) cost less than £30 from Amazon
‘It’s a great little project that will keep people busy during lockdown and it’s something amazing for the kids,’ she added.
‘I’m relieved now it’s done and so happy that our little boy loves it. It was a big step for him because it was the transition from a cot to a bed.
‘The sky is painted to look like the stars at night. This was done prior to the lockdown by Marshalls Night Sky Ceilings but it really adds to the overall look at night time.
‘The next project after the garden will be a bed for Aria!’
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented: ‘Which kid hasn’t dreamed of an epic bedroom like this? The lockdown is giving lucky kids with creative parents the chance to have a totally bespoke, tailor-made bed that transforms their bedrooms.
‘Best of all, this bed cost Abigail and Darren just £200! If your DIY skills aren’t the best, inspire yourself first on Pinterest and Instagram, then follow YouTube tutorials to build your own amazing Jeep bed from scratch.’