Expecting? Nursery Décor on a Budget
Are you expecting a bundle of joy in 2014? With all of the excitement and planning (and future spending. Gulp!) you may want to begin your parenting journey on a frugal foot.
Beyond all the necessities, like diapers and equipment, you may be longing to convert your future baby’s room into a dream nursery. Redecorating can be very expensive- or it can be a frugal adventure that can produce some snazzy results.
Set a Budget
It’s easy to go stark raving mad when decorating a nursery, simply because everything is so darn cute- and because you are likely excited about the impending arrival.
Decide from the outset what you’d like to do. Decide on a theme, and then list specific to-do items that fall under that theme. Also, prioritize. If your budget is tight, you may not be able to accomplish everything on your list, so what do you think would have the greatest effect? Furniture? Paint? Artwork?
Stencil
Adorn the walls with some of your creativity. A great DIY décor technique, stenciling is an inexpensive and fairly easy way to implement a decorative theme to a room.
Visit your local craft or dollar store to get supplies. Decide what kind of theme or scene you’d like to create.
Stenciling gives you the opportunity to create full scenes (i.e. barnyard, under the sea) or do accent pieces (i.e. borders).
Consider stenciling your little one’s name along the wall (if you already know it, or do it shortly after arrival).
Buckets and Baskets
As any parent will tell you, a nursery has as much to do with fashion as it does with function- especially as you are stumbling through, bleary-eyed for those late night feedings.
Storage is a major necessity, especially for things like diapers, creams, onsies, wash clothes etc. Stock up on pretty baskets, which are cheap and versatile.
Another option is to use large cans (like water-bucket sized) and to paint with designs in accordance with your décor theme.
If you can get your hands on a really large can, you can paint and use as a personalized garbage can.
Wallpaper
Wallpapering is a fairly quick, relatively cost effective way of adding a splash of colour or visual interest to the nursery.
Mix and match for fun, with similar patterns in the same room. Consider doing a single wall- to create an accent effect.
Get Framed
There is no need to go out and spend boatloads of cash on artwork- when you may already have super-cool, suitable items around the house; you just need to re-think what goes in the frame!
Had a baby shower recently? Get any great cards with keen photographic images? Frame them!
Print out pages or verses from well-known children’s books and frame them!
Get some thick paper, and have your friends and family jot down welcome messages and words of wisdom. Frame and hang!
Furniture
Cruise all your area yard sales and used goods websites to find pieces of furniture with potential.
Similarly, go through your own home. Are there items around your home that could be re-purposed for nursery use, like dressers, side tables or chairs?
A couple of new coats of paint (think soft, subtle colours- make furniture an accent, not a focal point) or new drawer pulls are very inexpensive ways of both changing the look, and ultimately the use of a piece of furniture.