How to Decorate a Baby's Room on Budget

Fix up a baby's room on a budget.

A limited decorating budget for a baby's room does not have to add up to a boring or empty-looking space. Choose from a variety of inexpensive decorating ideas for a baby nursery when money is an object. Implement these projects for just a few dollars each. Most of these decorating projects are very simple, and can be completed in just a few hours.

Things You'll Need

• Old children's books
• Scissors
• Paint
• Cheap picture frames
• Canvas
• Acrylic paint
• Paint brushes
• Tarp
• Wall decals
• Unused baby blankets
• Safety pins
• Ceiling hooks
• Lightweight chain
• Stuffed animals
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Choose a color scheme for the room. Three or four colors make a good mix of colors. Traditionally, blues are used for boys, and pinks for girls, but don't shy away from your own decorating pattern. Any color scheme can work for any baby. If you have a bedding pattern that you like, use it as a color guide.

2. Paint the walls of the baby's room. Paint is the easiest and cheapest way to change the look of any room. Bold, bright colors reduce the necessity for many other decorative objects. For small rooms, consider painting one wall a bold color, and the other walls a lighter color for balance. Allow paint fumes to disperse for 48 hours before having a baby sleep in the room.

3. Hang an fresh or unused baby blanket from the wall if it is impossible to paint the room because of rent restrictions.

4. Cut book illustrations out of old children's books and place them in inexpensive frames. Choose this as one of the cheapest ways to hang decorative art in your child's room.

5. Paint one or more canvases with acrylic paints. You can pick a design matching the baby's bedding pattern, or just paint anything that strikes your fancy. A popular decorative theme incorporates the use of alphabet letters in paintings.

6. Screw two different ceiling hooks into the ceiling and string a chain through both hooks. Use ribbon to hang unused stuffed animals from the chain. Other stuffed animals can be used to decorate dresser and shelf tops.

7. Fold the edges unused baby blankets over low-cost curtain rods for inexpensive curtains. Pin the blankets over the curtain rods with safety pins.

8. Stick some wall decals over the walls for inexpensive decorations. Decals can be placed on furniture, too, if you aren't worried about later removal.

9. Decorate plain lamp shades with your child's handprint or decorative ribbon. Paint the lamp shades with acrylic paint in any design you want.

References

• Design Dazzle: Girl Decorating Ideas
• Frugal Baby: Fun Nursery Ideas