Okay so here’s the deal—my volleyball kept rolling under my bed and waking me up at night. Annoying, right? Plus, my cheap laminate floor made every bounce sound like a gunshot. So I thought: why not build a shock-absorbing volleyball “sleeper” thing on wooden flooring? Sounds fancy, but really it’s just slapping together wood and foam.
The “What Even Is This” Phase
First, I eyeballed my bedroom floor. Needed a flat spot near the wall where the ball always hides. Grabbed a tape measure—turns out 3ft x 3ft was enough to trap that escape-artist ball. Headed to my garage-turned-mess-pile. Found leftover plywood from a shelving disaster last year. Perfect. Thicker wood? Nah, too heavy. Thin stuff? Nope, would snap like spaghetti.
Stuff I scavenged:
- Plywood board (half-inch thick, fight me)
- Old yoga mat (purple, because why not)
- Wood glue that expired in 2020 (still sticky, good enough)
- Random carpet scraps (free from neighbor’s trash)
- Screws, because duct tape felt lazy
The Glue-and-Stab Process
Laid the plywood on the floor. Traced the yoga mat shape with a crayon—don’t own a pencil, sue me. Cut the mat kinda-sorta along the line with kitchen scissors. Looked like a toddler did it. Whatever. Slapped wood glue all over the plywood. Stuck the mat on top. Weighed it down with dumbbells and waited 24 hours. Watched Netflix. Felt productive.
Next day: flipped the board upside-down. Carpet scraps got the same glue treatment underneath. Why? Extra cushion when stomping mid-game. Pro tip: Glue fingers peel off eventually. Probably.
Screwed L-brackets to the bottom edges—raised the board half an inch so it “floats.” No clue if that’s legit shock absorption, but science-y words sound cool. Also added slanted side panels from cardboard (covered with duct tape so it looks ~futuristic~). Goal: ball bounces back when it hits the edge instead of jailbreaking under furniture.
Does It Even Work?
Tested it with a volleyball. Dropped it—thump. Not silent, but way softer. Bonus: rolled toward me instead of the bed. Did a victory dance. Stubbed my toe on the plywood. Whatever. Success? Ball stays trapped now. Room looks like a low-budget sci-fi prop. But hey—less midnight ball hunts and no more concussion-level bouncing. 10/10 would slap together again. Only cost? That expired glue and my dignity as a “DIY guru.” No regrets.
