Upcycled Doll Bed

Just finished this Christmas present for my little niece, Paiscey.  Other than the spray paint and some polyester fiberfill I already had on hand, this is made from all used materials.

The vintage doll bed was an empty metal frame when I found it at a flea market.  First, I spray painted over the rusty white.  Then, I made the bedding from sheets purchased at the Goodwill.  The mattress was a piece of foam from a former mattress pad stored in my attic.  So, what does this have to do with sweaters?  Well, look closely. 

The foam is covered in an old sweater! 

I knew the fabric from the old sheets wouldn't really cover the yellow memory-foam very well (as it wasn't exactly a high threadcount!).  So, I took a very soft acrylic sweater and stitched it into a pillow case of sorts.  The foam went in, and then I stitched the dust ruffle around.  The problem came when I put the mattress in and realized that this is more of a crib then a bed so I will have to make some adjustments. 

I seem to recall making a similar mistake when sewing a dust ruffle for my daughter's crib twelve years ago.  I guess we never learn!