New Parents’ ULTIMATE Guide to Decorating Your Nursery – 7 Easy Elements for New Baby’s Space
Congratulations!
If you’ve found me here, then a congratulations are in order! Whether you’re expecting your first child or fifth, preparing for Baby is part of the fun! Sure you need a crib, dresser, changing table and rocking chair (glider!). But what about the whimsy? The fun and adventure? The little love den?
It’s easy to get lost in decorating a nursery but I think I’ve found a simple plan to bring it all together. Start with these simple strategies to help set you on your path!
Choose a Theme
Whether your expecting a boy or a girl (or waiting to learn Baby’s gender), it’s essential to start with a theme in mind. For example, I’m a birdwatcher and a gardener, and being outside a huge part of what our family does! Therefore one baby’s theme is birds; the other is the garden.
There are countless themes out there! Here are some of my favorites: Travel (think hot air balloons, maps), camping animals, tribal patterns, transportation (cars, trucks, bicycles, airplanes), patterns that inspire you (like chevrons or polka dots), and more. Pinterest has a huge selection of Nursery Themes! Check out my Nursery Theme Board here.
Choose a Color Scheme
Color scheme and theme go hand in hand; in fact, I’ve bounced back and forth between choosing a theme and colors. I recommend identifying three colors for your nursery: a bold, a complimentary, and an additional pop color. In our nurseries we chose light pink/chocolate brown/cream, and mint/gray/coral.
Now these colors shouldn’t necessarily include the color of your furniture! Just because you have dark wood furniture doesn’t mean one of your colors is dark brown; choose three others that go well with what you have on hand.
Add a Baby Blanket
I had the great fortune of being gifted baby blankets for both kids. (HINT it was really nice that I knew my nursery colors in advance! My friends asked me the nursery colors early and the gifted blankets go PERFECTLY!)
A baby blanket really ties the room together and gives texture and an anchor to the rest of your decor. Plus they’re great for snuggles and bedtime!
Add Artwork
In both nurseries I use a series of three pieces of art (all purchased off Etsy). I love having three frames because it helps to fill up walls with more than just one dinky little picture, and gives me options to choose from. With the two themes (birds and garden) there are lots of items that relate! So three picture frames is perfect to keep the nursery from being too “matchy matchy” but still tying it all together with the theme.
After purchasing the instant downloads from Etsy, I printed them at a local print shop with quality cardstock and ink, then put them into the frames myself. All said and done, I probably spent $25-30 per nursery.
I buy the art as downloadable 8″ x 10″ digital files for a great price (each less than $5), then put them in frames that I buy on Amazon. The frames are 12″ x 15″ and include mats for a clean look.
Add a Mobile
If there is one item in our nurseries that gets the most compliments, it’s definitely this one! Mobiles are WONDERFUL! I love a light mobile that has dimension and interest. I made the gray/coral/mint one, while I purchased the bird mobile on Etsy. The babies LOVE looking up at these, and they are still with us as the kids get older!
Target also carries some super cute, whimsical ceiling and crib mobiles. Check them out here!
Add Greenery
Every space in the house needs something GREEN! I like these faux plants from Ikea. They are light, textured and add interest to an otherwise boring corner of the dresser.
Plus they’re FAUX!
Add Texture
Bunting is my FAVORITE nursery decor! It is subtle, adorable, and classy. It also doubles as a decoration for a birthday party; just take it down on your little’s birthday and hang it as a backdrop in the party room.
You can do SO much with bunting–hang it on the wall like I did, or stretch it across the ceiling.
Each extra piece I add to the nursery goes along with either my theme or my colors. Here are a few things I’ve added: bird lamp, a bird cage filled with faux magnolias, and a wreath I made out of white feathers.
Time to Get Started!
There are lots of ways to save money on children. The nursery is such a special place that it pays off to invest a little in the “small things” you read here. Following these simple steps helped me bring the nursery together for both children. I hope you find this helpful as you prepare to welcome your new baby! Congratulations, have fun designing, and take care!
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