Loft or Bunkbed Organizer

by write+craft

28K9410

Intro: Loft or Bunkbed Organizer

This loft bed organizer is great for holding books, reading glasses, and other small items when your ready for bed. When your done reading, just put the book in the pocket hanging on the side of the bed and go to sleep. It doesn't clutter up things either!

STEP 1: Step One: Get the Supplies.

For this project you'll need:

Heavy-weight fabric for backing
Fabric for the pocket(this fabric can be heavy or lighter weight)
2 Buttons

I made a one pocket organizer, but you can also make a two pocket organizer. They are made the same way, but you need 3 straps and 3 buttons instead of two.

STEP 2: Step Two: Measure and Cut.

Measure and cut the backing fabric. My one pocket organizer was 11 1/2 inches tall and 14 inches wide.

You will also need to cut out the straps. The length depends on how long you want your organizer to hang. Mine was 8. As you'll see in the picture, this was perfect.

STEP 3: Step 3: Make Straps and Button Holes.

To make the straps I cut out an 8 by 4 inch piece of the heavy weight fabric for each strap. Take one of the pieces you cut and fold in half long wise with right sides together. Sew three sides leaving a short side open for turning. Use a pen or something skinny to turn it right side out.
To make the button holes use a button hole foot. Measure the size of you button to determine how big to make the button hole. Make the button hole at the sewn end of the strap. Repeat this step to make the second strap.

STEP 4: Step Four: Make the Main Piece.

The main piece is actually one long piece folded in half. Decide how long or wide you want your organizer to be. Mine was 14 inches wide by 11.5 inches long. Because the piece is folded in half, I will cut out a 14 by 22 inch piece.

With the right side of the fabric facing up, decide where you want your straps to be on your organizer. Place the strap pieces with the button hole end in towards the middle and the open end at the top edge.
Then fold over the backing piece and pin in the straps so they don't move or fall out.
Sew around all four sides leaving a hole so you can turn it right side out.
Turn it right side out and top stitch.

STEP 5: Step Five: Meausre, Cut and Sew on the Pocket.

Measure the width and length of the main piece so you know how big your pocket can be. Take your pocket fabric and measure and cut the desired length and width. My pocket is going to hold a number of things so mine is one large pocket. Center the pocket fabric on the main piece and attach with a zig-zag stitch sewing only three sides, leaving the top of the pocket open.

STEP 6: Step Six: Sew on the Buttons.

Estimate the placement of your buttons and hand stitch them on. Attach to the bed and your done!

11 Comments

littlemissmaker123 9 years ago

love this instructable. very useful. it you had a bed with a desk underneath, like me, then you could make a pocket with long strips of fabric attatched and then strap it to the bed so you have access to the stuff inside when you're i bed and when you're siting at your desk

MadVegetarian 13 years ago

Each of our kids have this same bed. Good thinkin'...

redsoxdrummer 14 years ago

grate idea.......i cant sew........think i cud wing it with duck tape?

write craft 14 years ago

You know...I'm not sure. Maybe not.....But you could try it! I've made a wallet out of duck tape before and it worked but you could try it with this....(vote for me please!) write+craft

Zaphod Beeblebrox 14 years ago

i have almost exact same setup and exact same bed as DanAdamKOF !!!!!!!

OnePrettyThing 14 years ago

I would have LOVED this when I was young and had a bunk. What a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing, I'll be linking to this.

flyboy11 14 years ago

i have the same bed but i hang a hammock from the top bunk and sleep in it.

XVIIarcano 14 years ago

Speaking of IKEA, I have the very same bed too and I solved the issue with a couple of little shelves taken from the kitchen stuff department. They are the metal ones which are supposed to hang from a "rail" over the kitchen sink. They go along quite nicely with the grey finish of the bed and you just have to enlarge a bit the "hooks" with a pair of pliers because their original rail is smaller in diameter than the bed elements.

DanAdamKOF 14 years ago

Great instructible! I have an IKEA loft bed similar to (or probably exactly like) that. What I did was use a few zip-ties to secure a plastic basket to the side of it, the holes in the basket lined up really well with the bars on the side of the bed, so it's really sturdy. Looks ugly, but it holds a lot on a flat plane, such as my phone, Nintendo DS (doubles as an alarm), sometimes some Kleenex if I have a cold. I also ran an extension cable up there, with my phone charger plugged into it (and a few plugs left free). There's nothing more annoying than hearing your phone go off in the middle of the night, and stumbling in the dark out of bed to whereever your phone is charging at ground-level :)