How to Make a Chic Nursery on a Budget

Decorate your newborn's nursery with style on a budget.

With a baby on the way it’s time to set up the nursery, where you'll soon spend many hours of rocking and countless diaper changes. There are just as many themes and decorative options as there are baby names. Most newborns enjoy a neutral pallete, which changes considerably as they grow, so consider going chic on the cheap. According to Fox Business, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to spend money on your kid, about $475,680 by the time they’re 18, excluding college, according to 2010 statistics. Set up your baby’s nursery on a shoestring but with style.

Things You'll Need

• Salvaged furniture
• Paint
• Area rug
• Fabric
• Antique door knobs

Instructions

1. Frequent antique shops, estate and yard sales to find vintage picture frames and accent furniture pieces. Repaint the furnishings with a color to match your nursery’s decor.

2. Paint one focal wall of the room for a custom look that requires less time and expense. Also, you'll only have to repaint one wall when it’s time to update the decor.

3. Use decorative accents like an antique sewing machine repurposed as an end table in the nursery.

4. Choose classic patterns like polka dots and stripes in neutral colors to serve in either a boy or girl nursery.

5. Add a pop of color and texture to the floor with a decorative area rug.

6. Frame swatches of fabric in bold colors or patterns for an inexpensive but effective way to dress up the walls.

7. Repurpose antique door knobs to serve as wall hooks for a timeless look.

References

• Parents.com; Cheap and Chic Nursery Picks
• Parenting; A Chic (But Cheap) Nursery; Patty Onderko
• Fox Business; How Much Does It Cost to Raise a Kid?; June 9, 2010