DIY American Girl Bouquet Bed

Back before Christmas I posted the plans for the American Girl Bouquet Bed. It had been requested many times but I never found the time to actually build it.  Finally I was able to put the plans together for it thanks to measurements from my friend Shelly over at Shelly’s  Doll World. Even though I couldn’t build it, I wanted the plans to be available for the people who needed to make it as Christmas gifts!  When you make plans to build something, sometimes you make adjustments or find a few measuring errors in the plans as you are building it, and that’s when you perfect the plans. Since I never built the American Girl Bouquet Bed, I left the plans as is.  Thanks to a reader Diane, who made the bed, we now have a few tweaks to make the plans perfect! I am really excited to feature her.  Not just because she made the bed, but because she did such a fantastic job with all the small details to really make it one of kind and still resemble the American Girl bed! Please take the time to check out her tips below so when you make your own you are prepared.  And if you can’t build it, just craft it with foam board! Her words below:

1. I only used 1/4″ and 1/2″ board, not 3/8″.  I also cut the dresser out of 1/4″ but haven’t had the time to put it together.
2. The three shelf boards for the headboard were 1/4″ too long.  They should be the same length as the header support and the mattress support.
3. And on the header after you put the shelves in there is a 1/4″ space behind it meant for the backboard.  I didn’t realize that is what is was for until after I had glued the shelves in place. I have pics that show the space.  I used 1/4″ poster foam board to make the backboard.
4. Footboard legs I made 1″ taller (HO has 1″ x 36″ square dowels)