A Princess Bed!

I have been wanting to get Paprika a beautiful bed frame like the Pottery Barn one pictured above. Problem was that those beds retail for well over $1000, not to mention we didn't have a box spring to go with it, which would add another couple hundred dollars. Cha-ching!

Since Paprika outgrew her toddler bed, she has been sleeping on a Queen mattress on the floor. It was the mattress we bought when we got married (we've since upgraded to a King)- and it's a great bed. We just haven't had a frame to put it on (besides which, I've been nervous about Paprika rolling off it and in the few months she's been sleeping on it, she never has).

Anyhoo, her bed has looked like this for awhile (well, except usually it has sheets and blankets, of course!):



Well, long story short, I found a bed frame on Craigslist that I loved...originally retailed for $1500 plus shipping and I bought it for $200 even. Problem was that I didn't have a box spring, and that was going to cost a few hundred dollars.

So, I sent Mr. Mustard over to pick up a box spring off Craigslist for $30 that the person said was "like new" and had been sitting in her guest bedroom untouched.

I now realize that you ALWAYS have to ask for pictures or go yourself because Mr. Mustard brought home THIS box spring, and I just about cried. (In his defense, he picked it up late at night and there wasn't enough light for him to really get a good look at it!)



It was seriously the nastiest thing I'd seen in awhile and I guess it probably was new thirty years ago, but it certainly wasn't NEW anytime in the 21st Century! The whole thing really grossed me out, and I told him to "take it back to her and get our money back!"



After I stewed (and the person we bought it from did not answer our calls or emails), I calmed down. I was like..."Okay, here's $30 that has already been wasted/spent, so have fun with it."

So, the next day while Ginger was napping, I took out the stuffing:



And I ripped off all the fabric. Then I washed the whole thing down with a solution of 3 parts water, 1 part bleach. Then I set it in direct sunlight and let it dry. I wanted anything remotely germy or gross to be obliterated.



Then, while it was drying, I set up the bed I had bought on Craigslist. I love it, and since it's a Queen, it's something she can have for a long time. A real find!



Then, I brought in my stripped down box spring.



Covered it with an old mattress cover we'd been meaning to replace due to ripped elastic on the edges. The padding on top is nice (and washable)!



Then, I took some fabric I had lying around and made a bed skirt (using some masking tape). I was doing this while Ginger took a nap, so I wanted to be quick. At some point, I may go back and do this "the right way"- but for now, it will do...



See, here's the tape. I put that there so that the bedskirt wouldn't slide when I put the mattress on top.



Then, I loaded the mattress on top.



And then I was done! Not perfect, of course...but not bad for an hour's work, which is all I had time for since I had to get it done while Ginger was napping.

Before:



After:



I guess the proof is in the pudding, because when I showed Paprika the finished product (I made her close her eyes and everything), she flipped out and jumped right into the bed.



It was definitely a huge success!



I think she'll enjoy it for a long, long time!