A nursery is an important thing for the baby but it’s also an important place for the parents because we spend a lot of time there. Diaper changes, feedings, late night rockings. Make it a space you love.
I wanted the nursery to be a place that represents us as a family, and a place where the baby can feel loved. I wanted it to be a place where we could be together and have a sense of peace. I wanted it to be a place that can grow with the baby and eventually a place where the child can add their own style to the space. I also wanted the nursery to be gender-neutral (we didn’t find out the gender of our baby). We also did not want to spend a ton of money and knew we could get creative. Here are some simple things we did to create a nursery we loved and didn’t break the bank. If you are willing to put in a little extra effort in finding items and cleaning, you can create a nursery for cheap too.
Painting the Nursery
I promise you, we are not artsy people but we are capable people who can watch YouTube videos and learn from them. We watched this YouTube tutorial and were inspired to create something similar but more simplistic (for our own sanity!) Do not be discouraged…you can always simplify and make it your own! We loved how the mountains turned out.
The Furniture and Miscellaneous
Even before being pregnant, I loved utilizing Facebook Marketplace. Being pregnant made me love Facebook Marketplace even more. People are constantly getting rid of baby things for FREE or extremely cheap. People simply just want those baby items out of the house. More often than not the items are in perfect condition. Just be sure to check expiration dates and safety regulations of items. Get what you’re comfortable with but know the free options are out there.
The crib was free. People often like to give away crib mattresses too but we weren’t quite comfortable with that. I gave the crib a really good cleaning after we got it and it looked brand new.
The dresser/changing table was $30. There were some floral knobs on the dresser when we got it but we took them off and put white knobs back on. Those white knobs were found in the clearance section of Menard’s for under $2.00. I got rid of the floral knobs on Facebook Marketplace for free feeling good someone could put them to use and they didn’t go in a landfill.
The rocking chair was something we were previously using in our living room. It was a chair I got from a pre-school I used to work and they were remodeling and going to trash it, so that was a free win for us. Though you may not have a rocking chair lying around your house, Facebook Marketplace has free rocking chairs constantly. Don’t like the color? Throw a blanket over it or get a chair cover. Easy fix.
The hangers we use in the nursery were given to us from family friends. Check with your resources and community before you make that Target run! Also, the shelf we use in the closet was something we already had. It was an opportunity for some fun re-arranging in our home! The organization baskets came from my grandparents. The opportunities are endless when you start thinking outside the box. The lamp we use is something Andy made. It is a beer bottle lamp we’ve had around the house for awhile and it works perfectly. My goal is that we will replace it with the beer bottle we created to reveal our pregnancy (see the photo in this post).
I am grateful for my handy husband who loves to build and engineer things. He built a simple bookshelf for the nursery. (Check out the bed he built in our Subaru for a road trip in 2019) The inspiration for this bookshelf was from something like this. Again, we created it to be our own. Do not let those Pinterest perfect projects discourage you! Make it your own. The wood for the bookshelf was all free from either Facebook, friends/family giving it away, or found on the end of driveways. Always keep an eye for these things… people are constantly giving lumber away. If you don’t have the tools to build a shelf maybe talk with friends/family about borrowing tools for the project! Use your resources.
Decor
Keeping it simple was key. A couple of my friends created wall art for the nursery. When decorating for your nursery think of multi-purpose ways to use the items. I found a wood sign for $15 on Facebook Marketplace which I could not resist. We used this sign in our maternity photoshoot too. It’s in an awesome condition so when the baby grows out of it, we can re-sell it for the same price. The curtains were also a marketplace find for $15. They were in great condition and I love that they are a calm color with some design throw-in.
What tips do you have for creating a nursery you love?
