With Baby Girl I thought she would be my only girl, since we felt certain she was our last. I decided to go with what I absolutely love-Disney Princesses. My hope here was that again, it was age with her. I realized that she might not be a 'girly-girl' so I decided to make the Disney Princess theme subtle with a few decor and accent pieces, instead of over the top princessy-ness. The colors were grey and pink, that I thought could easily adopt different decor later. So, with that all being said, my first tip for a Nursery on a budget is:
Use a Theme and Color Scheme that Grows with Baby
This way you are only having to change out bedding and a few things here and there, rather than having to re-do the entire room, every couple of years.
Think outside the Nursery Box
For us that was letting Baby Girl share our bedroom for the first couple of years. We have a large bedroom that I portioned off for her, and let that be the nursery space. If you have a smaller master bedroom, you could easily make a nursery nook. This means less decor and equipment that needs to be bought, as well as being able to keep it simple for the first little bit as you discover your baby's personality.
We devoted a bedroom to Little Man (that he still uses, so no regrets really) but he didn't sleep in there for the first 2 years of his life. It's actually recommended to room share with a newborn, and with me nursing up until 2 with little man, and 15 months for Baby Girl (had to stop sooner due to being pregnant), it makes sense for them to sleep in our room until they are weaned. This time around I let Baby Girl stay in our room and it allowed a couple of years to save up money to redo our guest room now into a beautiful little girl's room.
Our newest addition will still be sleeping with us for a while, but I won't be decorating a separate space for her. The bassinet, then crib will be in our room until time to transition, and the remainder of her nursery things will be with Baby Girl. This is also saving us money, as we aren't buying for a new theme.
DIY's
This is one of those 'no-brainers' but for a non-crafty person, it might seem daunting to create decor, paint furniture, or sew curtains. You definitely don't want to buy supplies for something you are unable to do (thus wasting money), but as you scour Pinterest, Etsy, or wherever, be thinking about ways you could recreate something on a budget! I found this mobile on Etsy and decided to recreate it. I saved about $20-$30 and it's now very special to me, since I made it. Sometimes more creative people in your life will create things as shower gifts. I have a very talented aunt who painted these canvases to go with the Disney Princess theme, and my husband's grandmother made beautiful quilts for both kids. My husband's aunt not only has created canvases, but also made beautiful clothes for my kids. I am surrounded by wonderful, talented people!
I also looked up how to best paint furniture (for me it was chalk paint. I am not super talented, and it was an easy choice. Be sure to look up methods and materials for painting with chalk paint, to help it hold up. I've had no problems so far!). I was able to transform a free changing table, and an entertainment center that had been my in-law's into pieces that would hold Baby's girl's things!
The best advice I can give on DIYing things for baby, is to be honest with your creativity level (and it may surprise you how creative you actually can be!), find what it is you are aiming for and research, research, research. Pinterest and YouTube are my favorite places to learn how to do things. Be sure you look at several websites and YouTube videos before attempting, as it will help your confidence level and success!
Next week, I'll be sharing budget saving tips on a room redo! We are transforming our guest room into a little girls' room on a small budget. New paint, flooring, rugs, mattress...you name it! Be sure you follow my Instagram and Facebook page to see when that post is live!
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