How to Assemble a Crib: Tools, Steps and Romina Assembly Manuals

The tools, the two-adult steps, the label to find before you start, and what to do if a bolt goes missing.

Short answer: plan to assemble a solid wood crib yourself, with two adults, in the nursery where it will stay. Every Romina crib ships with its own illustrated manual and a hardware bag that includes the Allen wrench; you add a Phillips screwdriver (and, on some models, a flat screwdriver or a coin). Don't use a power screwdriver, because it can strip or break screws. You can download every manual on the assembly manuals page before delivery, and if anything is lost later, a model-specific Crib Hardware Kit ($30) replaces all bolts, washers and nuts and includes a printed manual.

Before delivery: download the manual and plan the room

The best time to read a crib manual is the week before the boxes arrive, not at 9 p.m. on delivery day. Romina keeps every manual in one place, the assembly manuals page, grouped into classic cribs, convertible cribs, conversion rails, toddler rails, full beds, twin beds and hutches. Each product page also has an "Assembly manual" download link, and Romina's furniture care page notes that every piece that needs assembly has its manual on its own product page.

Reading it early tells you three useful things:

• How many steps need two people. Each step in a Romina manual is marked "one adult" or "two adults".
• Which tools you need to have ready. The manual lists what's supplied and what isn't.
• How big the finished crib is. Check the width on your crib's product page against the doorway and the spot you've chosen.
• Which mattress height to start at. Every Romina crib has three positions; newborns start at the highest.

Build the crib in the nursery. Solid hardwood cribs are heavy: the convertible models that list a net weight on their product pages run from 119 lbs (Quadro Convertible, Uptown Convertible) to 154 lbs (Imperio Convertible). Widths also vary, from 53½" on the Quadro to 60¼" on the Dakota and Imperio, so carrying a finished crib through a door or down a hall is not a plan. Our guide to cribs for small nurseries has more on fitting the footprint.

Delivery day: what arrives and what to check

Most Romina furniture ships with Standard Threshold delivery. According to the shipping policy, the carrier brings your order, usually on a shrink-wrapped, strapped pallet, to the first dry, accessible point at your entrance (front door, doorway threshold or garage). It isn't carried into the room, and it doesn't include unpacking or installation. An adult has to be there to accept it, and you get 30 minutes for a visual inspection.

Use that time well:

• Cut the shrink-wrap and look at every box. The policy recommends it.
• Write any scuffs, dents or torn boxes on the delivery receipt before you sign.
• Take photos. Romina's warranty asks for shipping damage to be reported within 7 days with photos, and Romina files the claim with the carrier for you.

What about White Glove delivery? It's an optional flat $345 (subject to availability) and covers bringing the furniture into the room of your choice, unpacking and removing the packaging. Romina's FAQ mentions light installation, but the shipping policy is direct about cribs: because of liability, most White Glove providers will not install cribs or beds. So even with White Glove, assume you'll put the crib together yourself. White Glove still saves you the hardest part, which is getting heavy boxes upstairs and the packaging out of the house.

Think of White Glove as "the boxes arrive in the nursery, unpacked." The crib itself is a job for you and one other adult.

Tools you need (and the one to leave in the drawer)

The hardware bag also holds a storage pouch and two plastic ties. The manual's instruction is to tie the pouch to the mattress support and keep the booklet there. Do it. You'll want those instructions again when you lower the mattress, add a toddler rail or convert to a bed years from now.

How Romina crib assembly works, step by step

Every model has its own manual, and the order of steps differs between a classic crib, a 5-in-1 and a crib with decorative legs. The general pattern, though, is the same:

1. Lay out and identify every part

Check the parts list against what's in the box: headboard, footboard, left and right panels, mattress support and, depending on the model, legs, a daybed assembly or a stabilizing bar. Romina labels parts with letters taken from their names, so "MS" is the mattress support and "LP" the left panel. Bolts come in different lengths, and the manual prints the hardware diagram at actual size so you can hold a bolt against it to confirm you have the right one.

2. Find the model number

Your crib's item number is on a label on the inside of a side panel. Write it down or photograph it now. You'll need it for replacement parts, the correct toddler rail or conversion kit, and any call to customer service.

3. Set the mattress support height

The support has three positions: the highest for a newborn, the lowest for a child up to 35 inches tall. The manual explains which bolts set the height. Our crib mattress support guide explains how the hardwood support and its brackets work on each model.

4. Join the frame

The headboard and footboard attach to the side panels with Allen bolts and washers. Start each bolt by hand so you don't cross-thread it. Some steps tell you not to fully tighten yet; follow that, because the frame needs a little play until everything is in place.

5. The two-adult steps

Turning the crib onto its back (to fit legs or base parts) and lifting large assemblies are marked as two-adult steps. Put a blanket or rug down first to protect the finish.

6. Tighten everything, then check again

The final step in every manual is the same: completely tighten every bolt. The New York 5-in-1 manual, for example, counts 12 bolts that must be fully tightened after the mattress support height is set. Then press down on the mattress support and give the crib a firm shake. Nothing should move.

Safety checks from the manual

Romina's manuals carry the standard crib warnings. These are the ones that matter most right after assembly:

• Check for damaged hardware, loose joints, loose bolts or missing parts before and after assembly, and often while the crib is in use. Don't use the crib if any part is missing, damaged or broken.
• Don't substitute parts. Use only parts made for your crib.
• Remove all plastic. Never use plastic shipping bags or film as a mattress cover.
• Use the right mattress. Any mattress must be at least 27¼ × 51⅝ inches and no more than 6 inches thick, so there are no gaps at the sides. See what size mattress fits a convertible crib, or Romina's organic Kinder Mattress.
• Lower the mattress to the lowest position when your child can pull to stand, and stop using the crib when they start to climb out or reach 35 inches (89 cm).
• Place the crib away from windows and cords from blinds or drapes.

Your dresser, tall chest and bookcase need one more step: anchoring to the wall. Romina includes an anti-tip kit with its case goods, and our guide on how to anchor nursery furniture walks through it. More on Romina's safety approach is on the safe baby furniture page.

Lost a bolt? Replacement hardware and parts

Hardware goes missing during moves, reassemblies and the occasional toddler treasure hunt. Romina sells it by model:

• Crib Hardware Kit, $30. All bolts, washers and nuts for your crib model plus a printed manual. Select your model number when ordering.
• Conversion kit hardware, $30. The same idea for each full-bed conversion kit.
• Mattress Support, $150 (wood). For most Romina cribs made after June 2015.
• Everything else is in the replacement parts collection.

If hardware is defective, Romina's limited warranty covers it: cribs carry a 3-year warranty on the wood construction, hardware and structural parts (the finished surface excluded), and hardware is replaceable for the length of the product's warranty. Altering the furniture's original design voids that warranty, which is one more reason to stick to the manual and Romina parts. If a warrantied defect can't be serviced or fixed, a refund or exchange applies.

Later stages: toddler rail and full-size bed

A convertible crib gets assembled more than once. When your child is ready for a toddler bed, the model-specific toddler rail ($260 to $275) comes with its own manual, and our guide on when to convert a crib to a toddler bed covers the timing.

The full-size bed stages ("Full Size Bed w/ Footboard" and "Full Size Bed") use a conversion kit ($530). The kit includes the box spring in the form of slat rolls, so you only add a standard full mattress. Expect two adults again: on the Karisma kit, for example, you start by removing the eight Allen bolts that hold the crib's headboard and footboard, then bolt the bed rails on. The manual lists an Allen wrench (supplied) and a Phillips screwdriver (not supplied). For costs and which cribs go the distance, see our crib that converts to a full-size bed guide.

FAQ

Where can I download Romina assembly instructions?

On the assembly manuals page (/pages/assembly-manuals), grouped by cribs, conversion rails, toddler rails, full beds, twin beds and hutches, and on each product page under "Assembly manual."

What tools do I need to assemble a Romina crib?

The Allen wrench is included. You'll also need a Phillips screwdriver and, for barrel nuts on some models, a flat screwdriver or a coin. Don't use a power screwdriver.

Can one person assemble a crib?

Some steps, yes, but Romina's manuals mark several steps as needing two adults, especially turning the crib over and lifting large assemblies. Plan for two people.

Will White Glove delivery assemble my crib?

Don't count on it. White Glove ($345, subject to availability) brings the furniture into your room, unpacks it and removes the packaging, but Romina's shipping policy notes that most White Glove providers won't install cribs or beds.

How long does crib assembly take?

Romina doesn't publish a time, and it depends on the model and how familiar you are with flat-pack hardware. Read the manual first, lay out every part, and give yourself an unhurried block of time with a second adult.

I lost the manual or some bolts. What now?

Download the manual again from the assembly manuals page, and order the $30 Crib Hardware Kit for your model, which includes a printed manual. Your model number is on a label inside a side panel.

Is the hardware covered by the warranty?

Yes, for manufacturing defects. Cribs and case goods carry a 3-year limited warranty, and hardware is replaceable for the length of that warranty.

Related guides: Solid Wood Cribs Compared · Quick-Ship Nursery Furniture · Nursery Furniture Buying Guide