How to Set Up a Baby Nursery in a Single Wide Trailer

Add color to the walls to give your baby nursery some personality.

Preparing for a new baby is always a challenge, but setting up the nursery can be especially difficult if you live in a small space. Single-wide trailers usually have two bedrooms, and neither of them is very large. This means that you'll have to prioritize your needs. Trying to fit too much into a small nursery will make it feel cramped and difficult to organize.

Things You'll Need

• Baby furniture
• Rocking chair
• Bedding
• Storage containers
• Window coverings
• Clothes hamper
• Trash can
• Nightlight
• Decorations or toys

Instructions

1. Make sure that the room you'll be using for a nursery is safe. Single-wide trailers are often poorly constructed, and there may be safety hazards if you live in an older model. It's easier to take care of any problems now rather than waiting until the nursery is set up and filled with furniture. Pay special attention to electrical outlets, windows and flooring that may need to be repaired.

2. Set up a place for the baby to sleep. Cradles and bassinets take up less space than cribs, but newborns usually outgrow them within a month or two. They're good options in a single-wide trailer if you want your baby to sleep near you in the master bedroom during the first few weeks. Plan to purchase a crib eventually, unless you're going to sleep together.

3. Choose the rest of the furniture for the nursery. Measure the dimensions of the room before you shop. Pick a changing table that has useful storage space underneath, or go without one if you don't mind changing diapers on the floor. Get a rocking chair to help soothe your baby to sleep. Consider installing a closet organizer with shelves for clothes, shoes and blankets instead of using a dresser. Assemble furniture inside the nursery, because single-wide trailers usually have narrow doorways.

4. Add cute accessories to the room. Set up the bedding, hang curtains or blinds, and get a small rug if the floor isn't carpeted. Get a small clothes hamper, a nightlight and a trash can for dirty diapers. Hang inexpensive artwork or photos of family members on the walls. Decorate the nursery with toys and gifts from loved ones to welcome your baby home.

5. Come up with creative storage solutions. Organize bath supplies and other small baby necessities in baskets or plastic containers. Use the space under the crib to hide items that you don't need to use often. A bookshelf can store baby gear and transition to holding toys and books when your infant becomes a toddler.

Tips & Warnings

• Save money by purchasing baby items at garage sales, thrift stores or Craigslist.com. Make sure that used cribs meet current safety standards.

• Infants should not sleep with stuffed animals, pillows or other items that could cause suffocation.

References

• Epinions: Setting Up a Nursery--The Basics
• ParentsConnect: Setting Up the Nursery

Resources

• Parenting: A Chic (But Cheap!) Nursery