Tools for the Job

• You will need a flat head and Phillips screwdriver and a hammer. There are a lot of screws to use, and a hammer is necessary for tapping things into place. Prior to beginning your crib assembly, open the box and let the wood rest, and adjust to your home's humidity levels (a general recommendation since wood expands and contracts). Check the box to make sure all the parts are there before beginning.
  
  

Assembling the Back

• Screw the two back crib legs to the back rail bottom, attaching the bottom of the rail first and then the top. Attach the next piece--which is called the back rail middle--to the top of the back rail with dowels, and to the two back crib legs with side screws and bolts. Insert dowels into the holes on the top of the back rail middle, and then affix the back rail top onto these dowels. The back rail top is held securely in place by wooden screws, and the blocks inserted into the groves underneath the back rail top.
  
  

Assembling the Sides

• Connect each crib side to one of the two front legs provided using dowels inserted into the holes, bolts and nuts. Attach a crib end topping to each of the two crib ends using dowels and screws fitted up into the topping through the crib side tops.
  
  Attach each crib end to the crib back using the dowels, bolts and nuts provided, paying attention to how the parts line up. Make sure the hardware on the crib ends are facing each other, and not facing out. The crib front will be connected to these hardware parts.
  
  

The Bottom and The Front

• Locate the bottom stretcher--a wooden bar the full length of the crib frame--and connect it to the front legs of each crib end using dowels and bolts threaded through the front legs. Place the metal spring panel into the crib frame, line up its connection tabs to the holes on the frame and screw the bolts into place.
  
  Position the front rail of the crib on the floor, in line with and under its hardware on the front legs of each crib side. Pull the front rail up and onto the hardware, locking it into its highest position so that you can screw the block brakes on the bottom of each front leg under the front rail. These block brakes will stop the front rail from falling off its hardware when it is in the down position.
  
  

Finishing Touches

• Insert the caster wheels into the bottom of each of the four crib legs to give your crib mobility. Place a crib mattress over the metal spring and dress the crib up in your favorite dust ruffle, comforter and bumper.