Decorating a baby's room on a budget
Posted by RachelledeBretagne on October 10th, 2010
Money may be tight when the baby is born, but that doesn't mean a baby's room cannot be made to feel like a nursery filled with all the kinds of things a baby needs. Many items which are bought by people with money to spare can be hand made, and it takes a little imagination and a lot of good intentions to get the baby's room looking welcoming. With the right tools for the job, and a good eye for detail, baby's room can indeed be decorated on a budget, leaving more money in the kitty for when the baby arrives.
*Basic decoration.
*Flooring.
*Accessories.
*Trimmings.
*Little hand made touches.
*Lighting and security
Basic decoration.
One of the easiest makeover jobs to do is the painting. This doesn't cost a lot of money, but choosing water based paints with a mat finish is more restful for baby. It avoids the complication of introducing extra reflection and hides bad walls. Preparing the walls is relatively easy, by filling all the cracks and smoothing them down to a great finish with fine sandpaper. The painting itself can be in subtle colors which are restful, and choosing pastel shades always works well, as the room can be updated as the baby grows into a toddler relatively easily. It's good to get this job done well in advance, leaving sufficient time to gather together the other items which will help to make a simple bedroom into a nursery. Ensure that all paints used are safe for a nursery environment.
Flooring
A problem area on a budget is suitable flooring. The flooring within a nursery needs to be fairly wear resistant and if you cannot afford a functional laminate flooring, see what the original flooring is. Take up old carpets as these may cause breathing problems and mites. Look to see if there are floorboards, and sanding these is a good idea, giving the floors a great finish with a suitable varnish. If this isn't possible, and you need to lay some kind of flooring, look at linoleum as these days there are superb choices for those on a budget. These are easy to clean and can be made to look great by the addition of a cotton rug. Another advantage is that these will be particularly serviceable when the child is a little older.
Accessories.
Make a list of the accessories that are needed. The basic crib or cot, place to store baby bits and pieces and a nursing chair can be made or designed fairly easily with basic skills, though if you can afford to buy a cot which allows for growth of the baby, this is a good solid investment and one which is worthwhile making. Choose a mattress which is safe for the baby, though the personalization of the bed coverings can be one area where you can save money. Sewing the blankets, sheets and a super quilt cover make that bed a wonderful place for baby to be. Involve the family and ask those who are particularly skilled at needlework to help out. The cot can be trimmed to include bolsters which keep baby safe from the wooden slats. These are relatively easy to make and can match the general color scheme of the room.
A chest of drawers bought from a second hand store will make great storage for baby items, but will also serve as a changing mat. Take the chest of drawers apart and paint it in pastel shades, perhaps changing the handles for baby style handles which suit the nursery. Then measure the top of the chest of drawers, and cut a foam pad to be placed on the top of the chest of drawers. This can be covered in plastic and then placed into a removable cover which can be washed in the machine in a similar fabric to that used for the cot padding. All the bits and pieces needed for changing the baby can be kept in the drawers, so they are near at hand when needed.
Trimmings.
Trimmings are the icing on the cake. These are little personal additions which make a bland room into a nursery area. A toy box is relatively easy to make, and can be painted in slightly more colorful paint than that used for the wall. A good idea is to buy borders for around the wall, and then to pick out colors which fall within that border to paint extra added items. The box can contain those toys baby is not yet ready for, while the top of the box can be used to sit all those soft toys on. Chances are that many people will buy soft toys so don't be too concerned about buying too many.
To place a border on a wall, mark out a line around the room using a spirit level and a pencil. Once this is marked, measure lengths of border and establish where the pattern ends on corners. This allows you to get a better feel for where to start applying the border. Remember to rinse the border after it is placed as the paste used for borders can stain the freshly painted walls if not wiped straight away.
Pictures and baby style artwork can be added as well. In the shops, there are height charts and although it's unlikely that baby will be measured for height at this early stage, making these to place against a blank wall is great fun. Ideas such as animals can be incorporated, and these don't have to be that difficult to make. Using a sheet of card, or even hardboard, mark out the design, and paint it, adding highlights with black outlines and marking the measurements in a similar way. There are loads of ideas to be gleaned in the stores. Take note of what these look like, and use your own artistic flair to produce images which are bright and colorful to add atmosphere to a blank wall space.
Little hand made touches.
Furniture for the room can be painted in pastel shades, and stencils used in baby themes. For example the back of a chair can have pretty flowers in the case of a girl, or a train or car stenciled onto the main back stretcher. It's fun to make things that no one else has, and to decorate the nursery using imagination rather than a lot of money.
As baby starts to get observant, one thing is for sure. They will need stimulation. A baby needs to see things, and a nicely colored mobile is relatively easy to make in colors that catch little rays of sunlight. These can be made with stiff wire, and little cut outs of animals or flowers, though should be hung far away enough from the cot so that it is out of baby's reach. Kits are available relatively cheaply as well, which may be a good option.
A chair used as a nursing chair doesn't have to be new, but you can use plain fabric which is relatively inexpensive to cover the chair completely. Upholstery is easier to perform than people imagine, and the new cover can be placed over the existing cover and stitched into place. With a plain fabric for the chair, this can be brightened up with cushions made to match other accessories such as the changing mat and pads.
Alphabet hangers are easy to make. Simply take squares of MDF and paint all the letters of the alphabet in nice pastel shades. Attach these to a ribbon and hang across the wall. If you have someone adventurous enough to cut out the letter shapes, these look super. Similarly blocks of wood can be made into building blocks. These should be completely cube shaped, and undercoated and then top coated with the background color. Numbers and letters of the alphabet can be drawn onto them, or you can place a whole load of them into a rectangle and paint a design, so that as the child grows, they can make up the puzzle you created.
Lighting and security.
The lighting within a baby's room is quite important and doesn't have to be that costly. Look at the available shades available for nursery areas. These aren't expensive, but are a wise investment, as the lighting within the nursery needs to be fairly good. It's also worthwhile thinking of a glow socket which is another cheap item that adds a glow to a darkened room, so that baby isn't afraid in the dark. Where you have saved money on items by making your own accessories, splash out a little on a system whereby you can listen to the baby and be alerted if there are problems. Shopping around will allow you a better price range, and certainly check prices online.
Bargains, bargains all the way.
It's always worthwhile looking for bargains. When deciding on furniture items, look at the suitability of shape and how easy that item would be to paint and upholster. A child's chair looks great in a nursery, though savings can be made simply by buying second hand and painting it, or buying those which are washable and giving them a really good clean. Family members and friends who have children may have pass on items they are happy to give you toward the decoration of the nursery. It's a time of celebration and the generosity of friends is something most expectant moms can depend upon.
At the end of the day, the nursery is ready to receive that little one. Step back and admire the work put into the preparation, and remember the real expense hasn't yet started. Fill up the drawers with clothing, diapers and necessary creams and lotions, and have the nursery ready for that baby shower, as no doubt others will want to add to that finished place made special for the new arrival.
