Building Wooden Rocking Chairs for Nursery Rooms
Rocking chairs for a nursery are perfect for any child. If you have problems getting your baby to relax, sit still or go to sleep, the rocking motion of the chair will be soothing. The advantage of making your own rocking chair is you can decorate it to match the rest of the nursery.
Tools and Materials
- Wooden Chair
- Tape Measure
- Pencil
- String
- Wood
- Hand Saw
- Safety Glasses
- Drill
- Screw
- Sand Paper
- Non-Toxic Acrylic Paint
Step 1 – Find a Wooden Chair
Locate an unused wooden chair for the rocking chairs for nursery project; look for one at a local consignment or thrift shop. You should be able to find a suitable chair for less than $20.
Step 2 – Choose a Piece of Wood for the Rocking Base
To turn a regular chair into rocking chairs for nursery, you need to add a curved base to the legs. You will need a plank of wood longer than the distance between the front legs and back legs of the chair. The width has to be wider than the width of the chair legs. For this article, you will be using a piece of wood 20 inches long, 6 inches high and 2 inches wide.
Step 3 – Mark the Rocking Base
The rocking base is the curved part on the bottom of a rocking chair that allows the motion to take place. The art of drawing a curve for the rocking chair for nursery takes a bit of experimentation. First, mark the center point on the bottom edge of the piece of wood with a pencil. Second, tie a piece of string around a pencil. When the string is held taut, the pencil will move in a curve. Third—and this is the part that takes a little experimentation—lengthen and shorten the string to make the curve longer and shorter. You need to get the string to the right length so that with the pencil you can draw a fluid curve from the top corners to the bottom midpoint that you marked.
Step 4 – Cut the Rocking Base
Put on your safety gear before starting to cut the wood. Using a circular saw carefully cut along the pencil mark indicating the curve.
Step 5 – Cut the Chair Legs
If the chair you are using is designed for an adult then you may want to cut the legs to make it easier for your child to sit on. First, mark with pencil the length you want the legs. Second, double check they are all the same length. Third, cut the legs with a hand saw.
Step 6 – Attach the Base
Mark on the top of the rocking base where they meet the chair legs. Drill a hole straight through the base. Use a screw to secure the base to the chair, up through the curved base into the chair leg.
Step 7 – Finishing
Sand the chair using sandpaper. Paint the chair the same color as the other nursery furniture using a non-toxic acrylic paint. Now leave it to dry in a well-ventilated area and get ready to enjoy your rocking chairs for nursery.
