Budget Nursery Decorating
by Dan Calderwood
When putting together a nursery on a budget, the first thing is to think about safety. While it is much less expensive to borrow, or buy used baby items, they don’t always meet the most current safety regulations, so be sure to check out safety guidelines before buying or borrowing nursery furniture. But with that said, one of the best ways to do a nursery on a budget is to buy gently used items.
To find a great collection of slightly used furnishings, look at swap meets, tag sales, and garage sales as soon as you know you’ll need baby things. This will give you ample time to collect, and to find items that go nicely together. Buying secondhand items is a great way to save money, and it is smart. It is especially smart for the items like a bassinette, walker, baby bath, or jumper, as they are only used for a short period of time. They will generally be in great condition, even if they are used, and your child will grown out of them quickly, so it makes no sense to spend a ton buying something new that they will only use for a short time anyway.
The next thing to consider when putting together a nursery on a budget is the longevity of your purchases. Chances are if you are on a budget now, you may be on one later as well, so why not look ahead and select furniture and furnishings that will convert to good use as the child grows from infancy to the toddler stage. By planning ahead you will really be able to justify your purchases, and that planning will pay off in the future. You’ll only have to buy once, so even if you spend a little more, in the long run you spend a lot less!
Another great idea for decorating a nursery on a budget is to choose colors for the nursery that will coordinate with the colors of toys. That way the toys you purchase will become decorative items themselves, which saves you money, and makes the room coordinate well.
When it comes to a nursery on a budget, the best way to save lots of money is to do as much of the work as you can yourself. Paint furniture, sew curtains and quilts, paint the walls, and put up wallpaper. One of the biggest expenses in decorating is the labor, so the more you can do yourself, the more you’ll save. Also, if you will consider painting a crib, it opens up the possibilities of which cribs you can purchase; you may be able to purchase a less expensive, or used crib in the wrong color, and paint it to go with your décor.
Use the largest portions of money in your nursery budget to buy things that will last through childhood, or at least for the first few years. Invest in a good bed and chest of drawers, but borrow or shop at discount stores for everything else, as they quickly become unnecessary. Another great idea for decorating your nursery on a budget is to register for the items you need to decorate. People use registries for weddings, and some use them for baby showers, but not many. So take advantage of this useful tool, and let your friends know that you have registered for some things that will enhance your chosen room theme, they will be more inclined to use your registry if they know you are really excited about the things on it.
Think longevity in all your purchases, including paint colors. Use baskets, drawers, and shelves to store toys, clothing, and other infant essentials, as these can later be converted to store books, coloring and drawing tools, and other items your child will have as they grow and their interests change.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Great tips on decorating a nursery. I will need them.