DIY: Nursery Ideas! Decorate Your Baby's Nursery on a Budget

White Pique with Green Trim by New Arrivals

So you just had a baby; congratulations! And while the expenses are quickly adding up, the thought of decorating your child's room (and the money to be put into it) looms over your head. While doctors visits, diapers, and formula are three major culprits of a high credit card bill (when a baby is involved), nursery room decor does not have to be.

With so many decorating options out there, the cost of creating a nursery can quickly add up, and because decorating options for those on a budget are often greatly limited, you may feel as if this project is a lost cause. However, you no longer have to feel this way! There are very clever and creative ways to decorate a baby nursery without breaking the bank. You can do it yourself!

Start by creating a budget. If you are limiting how much you would like to spend on creating a nursery, before deciding upon how you would like to decorate, decide how much you will be willing to spend in doing so.

Get organized. After your spending limit has been created, think of nursery ideas and the potential costs of these ideas. To better oragnize yourself, split this list into two columns: one for the “must-haves,” and one for the “wishes”. This will better help you, because if you see yourself going over budget, you will know where you can cut costs.

Because this is a DIY, have fun using stencils. Wallpaper can be both time consuming and expensive. If you don't want to hire someone to hang the wall paper (which you probably won't), and you don't have the time to hang it yourself, you can have fun with different paint options. Stenciling is a popular choice among parents designing a nursery on a budget because they are affordable and easy to use. They also come out looking clean, and add a nice touch to any room. It's amazing how easy it is to create beautifully stenciled graphics as long as you are motivated to take the time to paint! ..and maybe have a practice run or two on a piece of scrap paper or wood. Just stay within your color scheme, and pick stencils that will go with the theme or decor of the room, and you're ready to go. So get stenciling!

Have fun with color. Paint is an inexpensive alterior to wallpaper. It is a fun and easy way to decorate walls without spending a lot. Now, here is a painting tip: Pastel colors are very popular for nursery walls. However, soft yellows, blues, pinks, and greens are not only the popular choice, but they're the safe one. There's a whole spectrum of bright, bold colors out there that little babies love to gaze at. So step away from the predictable and get creative, get bold, and show your wild side! Create an accent wall by painting one a different color, shade, by adding stenciling, or by using a sponging technique. If you're feeling daring, use contrasting colors. Since there are no rules, have fun with it, and show everyone your creative side.

If you're on a budget, instead of hiring a professional artist to create a painting or mural, use peel and stick wall decals. Wall decals not only come in subjects to match just about every theme you could think of, but they come in different sizes to accomodate the decorater, AND because they come off just as easily as they go on, they won’t damage paint or wallpaper should you ever decide to redecorate.

Don't underestimate the power of Wall Decals.

Use Shelving in an unpredictable way. If you feel your baby's room is lacking storage space, consider installing shelving units.

They are not only practical for parents on a budget, but they can be used in a decorative manner. In order to make these shelving units not only decorative, but functional as well, install adjustable shelves and brackets. You can store both necessities (like clothes and diapers) and decorative items (like stuffed animals) on the units. By doing this, you'll gain storage space and decorate at the same time.

My Baby Sam Paisley Bedding

The amazing throw rug. If the carpeting or flooring in your baby’s nursery is worn and torn, don’t let your budget get in the way. You can still make the room look clean, neat, and well decorated without spending a mini fortune on new flooring or carpet installations. Throw rugs are functional, decorative, and can make an old floor look new. Also, because there is no installation, you can easily swap rugs out and change the look of your baby's nursery if you ever wanted to.

Use embellished curtain panels as your window treatment. Some parents spend a lot of money on window treatments in order to complete the look of their baby's nursery. However, if you’re watching cost, it is possible to create window treatments that look expensive, without breaking your budget. Plus, using them couldn’t be easier!

1. Take an ordinary pair of curtain panels to create an adorable tieback curtain panel instead. Purchase the curtain panels of your choice, colored ribbon or lace, and two small cup hooks for each window.

2. Hang the panels, cut the ribbon or lace to the appropriate length, and tie a small loop at both ends of each section. Wrap them around the panels to find the best level in advance for attaching the cup hooks.

3.After you’ve determined the most appropriate level for the tiebacks, attach the cup hooks next to the window frame. Wrap the tiebacks around the closed panels, and attach the loops to the hooks.

In a short amount of time, you’ll have beautiful tieback panels for the fraction of the cost of the store-bought variety, and you did it yourself. Kudos!

Lastly, sew your own valence. Simple rollup blinds are a great choice for those decorating on a budget, and they’re great for a baby’s nursery. Rollup blinds have the ability to let enough light in the room when wanted, but can also leave the room dark for a baby's nap time. 

Pink Twiggy Caden Lane Fabric

In order to spice up the look of a plain blind, create your own valence. It is not only great on a budget, but you have a wider selection of fabric and possibilities to chose from. Find a free-flowing fabric that matches your baby's nursery. Get a length depending upon the size of the window and how big you want the valence to be. In addition, you can choose a trim for the valance. This can include silk flowers, lace, or a small patterned fabric to match the theme of the room. Purchase chenille stems for attaching the embellishments, and make sure you have an iron, fabric scissors, and a curtain rod [of appropriate size] in your household.

1. Prepare the fabric to prevent it from fraying by ironing raw edges. Simply fold over raw edges approximately ¼ inch while pressing with a warm iron. The folded and ironed edges will look neat, and they won’t ever unravel.

2. Begin by hanging the curtain rod, and drape the fabric evenly over the top of the rod. Pull up one end, and securely attach it to the rod with a chenille stem while creating a scalloped section. Do the same on the other side.

3. Cover the gathered and draped areas by attaching embellishments of your choice.





Caden Lane Londyn Crib Bedding



Check out AnnaBean's selections of customized boys and girls crib bedding and exquisite designer bedding such as New Arrivals and Maddie Boo. Hopfeully all these tips and tricks for decorating on a budget are useful to you, and that you feel you can now create a baby nursery that you, and your wallet, can be happy with!