How to Turn a Teen's Twin Bed into a Couch

When a teen is cramped for space in a bedroom, one way to add some extra seating is to turn her twin bed into a comfy couch. Twin beds are perfectly sized for using as a "day" couch and can easily hold up to four teens. The fun of using a twin bed as a couch is that twin sized bedding and pillows come in an amazing assortment of colors and prints which can add lots of pizzazz to a room.

Whether you are a college student trying to free up dorm space, downsizing into a smaller apartment, or a teenager looking for a way to seat a bunch of friends, these ideas should work for you.

1.Move the twin bed against a long wall.

To create a "back" for your couch, the bed has got to be up against a wall, since it's the wall that will provide a framework for the cushions. If your bed has locking casters, set them in place now. If not, place some rubber floor protectors beneath the wells to prevent sliding. These cost around $3 for a package, and are available at furniture and hardware stores.

2. Cover the bed with a colorful blanket.

Hit places like Shopko or Kmart to find deeply discounted dorm style blankets for under $10 in a bright color. These dorm blankets are lightweight and cover up your bed while adding some color to the room. Whatever color or print you choose, make sure it blends in with the colors of the pillows you plan on using on the bed. The safest bed is to use a solid color blanket which is easier to match.

3. Arrange pillows along the back and round bolsters on the sides.

There's no rule that says pillow arranging has to be done any particular way when it comes to decorating a twin bed/couch combo. Since my teen is a pillow fiend, she uses several 20" square pillows for the backrest, and then a second row of smaller 12 x 12" pillow in front of those to create the "back" of her couch. For the arm rests, a couple of 6 x 18" round bolsters along the headboard and foot board do the trick. As long as the casters are locked, it won't be a problem with the twin bed rolling away and the pillows dropping to the floor behind.

Other ideas to try:

* Place three bed rest type pillows against the wall ~ these are sometimes known as bed lounge pillows or back rest pillows.

* Try using a collection of bolster pillows for the sides and back

* Use a full sized, 20 x 60" body pillow to create the sofa back

As you can see, turning a twin bed into a couch really isn't that tough to do. A decent blanket and some coordinating pillows is all it really takes to create some seating for daytime use.