Let me go ahead and squash what all of you are thinking.
I am not pregnant.
Nor do I have any plans of being pregnant. I am a one and done parent. Or even a one and fun kind of parent. To all you other parents out there that have multiple children, my hat is off to you. The thought of having another one just makes me want to go take a nap. Grunt Labor, the kid, and I are perfectly happy as a unit of three.
Over the past week during the fiasco of preparing for the kid’s birthday party (details coming soon), I started thinking about her nursery and what all has worked in there for us, what didn’t work and what I would do differently. I thought some of you guys with kiddos on the way, may want to hear my words of wisdom.
Or not.
But trust me, my words of wisdom on nursery ideas and decorating is far better than my words of wisdom on actual parenting. At least I can admit it.
Nursery Ideas
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#1 – Use a Buffet or Dresser as a Changing Table
By far, this is one of the best things we did in the kid’s nursery. I’m not really fond of changing tables and I had no idea where we would put one in the kid’s room. I searched Craigslist for months looking for a dresser or buffet to refinish and use as her dresser and changing table combo.
I finally found an old buffet for $75. It has amazing storage and worked great when we needed a changing space.
#2 – Go for a Neutral Wall Color
I am not a girly pink type girl, so I certainly didn’t want the kid’s room to be pink. I like it in accents and here and there, but I’ll be darned if there was going to be pink walls.
We used Stonington Gray in her room (the same color as the bathroom) and it is the right amount of color, but I won’t have to change it (unless I want to) when we switch up her room.
#3 – Character-Free Bedding
I have to say that when Grunt Labor and I began plotting out the kid’s room, I was very adamant about not having a “character theme.” With the exception of vintage Bambi wall hangings that were Grunt Labor’s and some vintage Donald Duck and Mickey cross-stitches that were mine, we steered clear of characters. Honestly, the thought of Winnie the Pooh sheets and bumpers made me throw up a little in my mouth. I wanted something more classic. Plus, who knew if she would even like Winnie the Pooh?
I found some beautiful custom bedding from thisEtsy store and went with it for the space. It wasn’t really that much more expensive than what you would find in a store. Plus, it came with a blanket and pillow that she can use for years to come.
#4 – Mesh Bumpers
Speaking of bumpers….We did not have bumpers to begin with. Many doctors recommend that you do not use them anymore for fear of suffocation. A few months in, as the kid started to learn how to roll around and move, we heard a scream from her room and I walked in to find her little leg caught between the bed rails. The next day, we bought these breathable mesh bumpers. They were the best things ever. I didn’t have to worry about her getting her legs and arms out of the crib, but I knew she could also breathe easy.
#5 – Using Nursery Rhymes as Framed Art
Before the kid was born, I started picking up vintage nursery rhyme books. Her nursery has a vintage-y feel, and I love the images that go along with the classic, old nursery rhymes.
I pulled out my favorites and framed them in simple white frames above her dresser. I didn’t spend a ton of money on these at all, so they can easily be switched out.
#6 – Use more of those Vintage Nursery Rhymes for a bunting
A year or so into this whole parenting thing, I decided she needed some more decor above her bed.
I still had some of those nursery rhymes left, so I used the pattern from my DIY birthday banner to create a nursery rhyme banner in her room.
#7 – Create a Reading Nook / Book Area
I guess this one is the former teacher in me. I think its really important for kids to be exposed to books at an early age. One of the best ways I can think to do that is to have a space in their room where they have easy access to books. We don’t have enough room for her to have a full nook area for reading, but we do have all her books in a bookshelf with a bean bag nearby.
The bookshelf is the one that used to house all my Grannie’s yearbooks from the 30+ years that she was a teacher. I spent a huge portion of my childhood pulling yearbooks off that shelf and immersing myself in them. Its nice to pass the magic of that shelf onto the kid.
#8 – Pom-Poms in lieu of a Mobile
Instead of a mobile above the kid’s crib, I opted to make pom-poms in coordinating colors from her room decor.
They were cheap, easy to make, and the kid loves her nightly tradition of punching them before bed.
#9 – The Chair / Glider / Rocker Debacle
When we started on the kid’s nursery, I was adamant that I wanted a chair that swiveled, rocked and it had to be upholstered. Guess how much those things cost new? The ones I liked were in the ballpark of $800.
Negative.
Instead of spending $800, I found a chair on Craigslist for $25 that someone had added a swivel / rocker baseto the bottom of. The upholstery was terrible, so I made a slipcover for it. It worked for us for the year that we needed it.
Now…….
If I had it to do over again, I would totally opt for one of these Mod Rockers.
It would have served the purpose, its smaller scale, around $100, and its something that would grow with the kid.
What are your nursery ideas? What worked or didn’t work for you?
You can see our complete vintage style nursery here.
Looking for more real-life decorating ideas that won’t break the bank? See these then…
Real Life Bedroom Decorating Ideas – great ideas for your bedroom that are actually doable and pretty!
20+ Living Room Ideas – tried and true living room ideas that will leave you dreaming up your next living room makeover!
Got Knotty Pine Paneling? Don’t fret! Here are great decorating ideas to work with the paneling and make it shine!
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