Build your own family bed: with or without a FamBed kit

Dreaming of better sleep and more space for the whole family? Many families with young children know the struggle of squeezing into a standard 180 cm double bed. The solution is a family bed: one huge bed for co-sleeping.

But how can you extend your existing bed safely and neatly, without frustrating height differences or gaps?

In this guide, we'll take you through two methods:

• The no-frills DIY solution: A trip to the DIY store. It is cheaper, but requires more hands-on work and can look untidy.
• The professional, complete DIY kit: Use an extension kit from FamBed.dk for the easiest, neatest and most stable solution.

Before you get started: what you need to know

Whichever solution you choose, the basic principle is the same: take your existing bed, typically a double or continental-style bed, and attach an extra single bed to one side, usually using one or more box mattresses.

The result: A larger sleeping area!

Method 1: Extend your bed with the FamBed.dk kit (recommended)

This method is for you if you want a cohesive, furniture-quality finish with the comfort of one complete bed. The bed frames are securely joined, everything aligns at the same height, and the finished setup looks and feels like a single bed.

What you’ll need:

• Your existing bed.
• A new divan bed, for example 90 × 200 cm.
• FamBed “co-sleeping bed” extension kit, including a full-width mattress topper and sheets, height-adjustable bed legs with brackets, a bed bridge to fill the gap and a strap to hold the beds securely together. 

Step-by-step guide:

1. Buy the FamBed extension kit and a single or divan bed

Decide how wide you want your finished bed to be, then choose an additional bed that combines with your existing bed to create your dream size. You can buy it from anywhere or use a spare bed you already own. For a simple, convenient option, you can also buy it together with the FamBed extension kit. Order the kit in the combined dimensions of your existing bed and the additional bed or beds.

2. Fit the FamBed height-adjustable bed legs

When your kit arrives, screw the special FamBed legs onto the new bed. The clever height-adjustable design lets you fine-tune their height.

• Place the new bed next to your existing bed.
• Adjust the legs up or down until the surfaces of both beds are level.

3. Secure the beds together and bridge the gap with the FamBed bed bridge and included strap

The biggest challenge with a DIY co-sleeping bed is preventing the beds from sliding apart, which can create an annoying and potentially dangerous gap in the sleeping surface. The FAMBED® extension kit solves this with a bed bridge that sits in the gap between the 2 beds and a strap that holds them securely together.

4. Full-width FAMBED® mattress topper and sheet (Complete comfort)

Your two beds are now the same height and securely joined. Add the custom-made mattress topper and matching custom-made sheets, and there you have it: one large, comfortable sleeping surface with no seams or gaps.

5. Bed skirt and headboard (The finishing touch)

You now have a comfortable, secure sleeping surface, but the joined beds can still look untidy. This is where the FAMBED® bed skirt comes in, helping them look like one cohesive piece of furniture with a neater, more polished finish.

Method 2: The bare-bones DIY option (the budget option)

If you're handy and want to save a little money, you can easily create a larger sleeping surface.

What you’ll need:

• Something to raise the bed (a wooden frame, wooden blocks, books or similar)
• Clamps, long screws or brackets
• Foam from an old mattress or similar
• Fabric and a sewing machine (or standard sheets that can be sewn together)

Step-by-step guide:

1. The height challenge

A new divan bed with standard legs will rarely be the same height as your old bed.

• Measure the difference.
• Is the new bed too low? Cut wooden blocks to size and place them under the legs, or use shims.
• Is the new bed too high? You'll need to use a saw to shorten the legs. Warning: It is difficult to cut 4 legs 100% evenly and prevent the bed from wobbling.

2. Joining the beds

Securely joining the beds is important for both safety and comfort. There are several ways to keep them together.

• Push the beds together and secure them in place with screw clamps.
• Use brackets or long screws. Warning: You may need to screw through visible parts of the beds you are joining. Important: Make sure the screws do not hit any springs or mechanisms inside the beds.

3. Filling the gap

Placing two beds side by side, whether they are different or identical, will usually leave a gap that needs to be filled.

• Cut a piece of foam from a basic foam mattress to fit the gap, or order foam cut to size from a local supplier. Important: Particularly if you do not have a full-width mattress topper, make sure the foam fills the gap securely so children cannot slip into it and become trapped.

4. Comfort (one continuous sleeping surface)

When building your own family bed, the biggest challenge is finding a mattress topper and sheets in the full width needed to create one continuous sleeping surface without gaps or seams.

• If you are handy with a sewing machine, buy 2 mattress toppers and 2 sheets whose combined dimensions match your new bed, open one side and sew them together. Option 1: Accept the gaps and use 2 separate mattress toppers and 2 separate sheets.
• Option 2: Buy a full-width mattress topper and sheets from FamBed.

5. Appearance (a cohesive bed or a cluttered look)

If the look of your bedroom is a high priority, the DIY route may not be right for you. Even if you are handy enough to create a comfortable setup, combining several beds can often look cluttered.

• Sew your own bed skirt or cover for the joined beds to make them look like a single piece of furniture. Option 1: Accept a slightly cluttered look as long as you sleep well.
  Option 2: Buy a FamBed bed skirt in your preferred dimensions to give the joined beds a cohesive look.

How to complete the look, whichever method you choose

Once the bed frames are in place, all you need are the finishing touches to turn “two beds” into “one giant bed”.

1. Foam wedge: Buy a mattress bridge or foam wedge to place in the gap between the two mattresses.
2. One-piece mattress topper: If your budget allows, buy a custom-size mattress topper, such as 270 × 200 cm. This eliminates any feeling of a gap.
3. The extra-wide sheet: Sheets for a 270 cm-wide bed can be difficult to find in shops. Try specialist retailers or FamBed.dk for sheets made specifically for these widths.
4. Bed skirt or cover: To make the entire setup look like one finished piece of furniture, consider sewing or buying a bed skirt. If all the beds are identical, you could sew a cover instead
   

Conclusion

If you’re handy, don’t mind slight differences in height or a less polished look, and aren’t afraid of a little DIY, you can create a family bed relatively cheaply using second-hand finds and supplies from local shops. But if you want a plug-and-play solution that looks and feels like one cohesive luxury bed, with perfectly matched heights and first-rate safety, you may want to consider an extension kit, or parts of one, from FamBed.dk.

Enjoy the project, and sleep brilliantly!