My grand kids are out of their cots and as we don’t have 4 extra beds for them to sleep overnight or nap on. I’ve made a couple (just the two for now) of these simple roll beds that can travel from room to room, motel to motel or even camping.
I picked up a couple of double (Au) bed sized doonas/ duvet/ comforter/ continental quilt or similar to be my mattress.
Fold in half and tack stitch together so the sides and a few stitches in the middle so it doesn’t move when being slept on. (If you’d like a slightly thicker mattress for the roll bed get a bigger size doona and fold it in thirds.)
From the fabric store I picked up some fabric that was on special. The measurements to make a slip cover was about 15 cm wider than the double folded doona and about 15cm longer. This for making sure there’s enough fabric to join the sides and to double fold each end to sew on some velcro to keep it closed. If you are uncertain give a little more and you can trim off if needed. For me it was 4 metres length of fabric by 1m wide. Folded in half 2m X 2m.
Fold fabric in half 2m X 2m and sew down each side. Turn your rather large slip inside out. Your folded and tacked together doona should slip in and out easily for washing. Fold the excess at the open end in half and half and sew around. Sew in at least 2 pieces of velcro of about 8cm length. Looped on on front and fluffy on the other making sure then the slip is closed they match. Other option for closing buttons and button holes
To give a bit of softness to the mattress on the floor I popped in a yoga mat for the base.
At home these get used as a seat for reading or watching TV, the unfolded to use as a nap bed.
If camping or a motel they have cotton rope to tie them up (1 each end) like a bedroll to carry. A personal blanket can be rolled up inside with the mattress.
Can be as cheap or as expensive as you wish to make depending on your fabric, doona, yoga mat.
Only needs straight stitching machine experience for the slip. Just needle and thread for the tack stitching of doona, it doesn’t have to be tidy.
Any questions, just ask as I made this up as I went along and my explanation can be a bit rambling.
I baby sit on a Wednesday and this is my nap time space.
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