Nurseries and Baby Gear
Trying to think of a DIY project...
very recently I have started getting on the whole "nesting" and creativity kick, and have decided I want to start a DIY project for the baby. I'm just wondering if anyone else decided to do some DIY baby projects and what kind of stuff did you do? mobiles, door knob signs, furniture, ect???
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Re: Trying to think of a DIY project...
I just got into this as well. The few ideas I've had so far include...
DIY letters for Baby's name, DIY closet dividers, and swapping out the knobs on the dresser and nighstand for ones that incorporate our nursery theme...
I'm still looking for more ideas, so if you get any, let me know!
What about a momento board (fabric covered with the criss-crossing ribbons) out of the same/complementary fabric being used for bedding? A lumbar/boudoir pillow for the glider?
For DD room I did -
* Wall letters (for her name)
* Clothes dividers
* Drawer tags - her drawers aren't see through so it helps DH know what is in each drawer.
I did closet dividers, a bed skirt, and the window covering so far. I was going to make a quilt but my mom did that. She also made a carseat canopy. I will make a pillow for the glider and I think I'll cover a lamp shade. If we ever come up with a name then I might do something with that. And, I was thinking of making a bow holder of some sort.
You can see our son's nursery here: https://mikeandmcgee.blogspot.com/2010/03/alexs-bright-nursery.html We pretty much did all of the artwork and most of the accessories ourselves. I also made his curtains.
The very first DIY project I did when I got pregnant with our daughter was to decoupage an unfinished wood picture frame with scrapbooking paper and modge podge. It's pretty easy.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
Very Nice! the only issue I have is, there is no real nursery for the baby AND I'm moving into a new place as of July 1st....bad news is my due dates the 27th soo I dont have alot of time for baby decorating in the new home, So i decided me and baby will share a room. SOO I think I'll do some of the smaller things that are easy to pack! I like the scrapbooking, and wooden frame ideas and I think I will start on a baby mobile soon! I hope I have room for all the ideas that are flooding to me! haha
Our Girls nursery is almost all DIY projects
you can check it out on my blog feedthebelly.blogspot.com
When you go, check out the month of February b/c it has most of the nursery pics- and then in March has the finished artwork picture
to give you an idea of what we DIYed- bedding, mobile, pom-poms, artwork, curtain rod cap, curtain tie backs....and not pictured I refinished a dresser which is our dresser/changing table
Good luck and have fun!
Our Girls nursery is almost all DIY projects
you can check it out on my blog feedthebelly.blogspot.com
When you go, check out the month of February b/c it has most of the nursery pics- and then in March has the finished artwork picture
to give you an idea of what we DIYed- bedding, mobile, pom-poms, artwork, curtain rod cap, curtain tie backs....and not pictured I refinished a dresser which is our dresser/changing table
Good luck and have fun!Almost my entire nursery is DIY projects!
So far I have painted the walls (with help), painted the dresser and closet door knobs to match our theme (owls and flowers), painted letters for Finley's name, and painted hooks to tie back curtains and hang diaper bag or coats.
I still need to finish the mural of a tree and woodland animals above the crib, the valance for window, cover a lampshade to match theme, a crocheted blanket I've been working on, and maybe paint an old nightstand if I can't find a new one I like. I hope I can get it all done!
Mother in law is making the bumper, skirt and quilt for the crib. Mom is covering a photo album with scraps of fabric. I picked out all the fabrics and designed the room to be what I wanted. Just couldn't find anything I liked as-is in the stores.
Try the Martha Stewart website, they have awesome projects, like paper cut-out nightlights, nursery lamp, and lots of wall art like these great animal prints:
https://www.marthastewart.com/article/petit-collage
And I love these baby clothes sun prints:
https://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/baby-clothes-sun-prints
I feel kind of dumb asking, but how do you all make your own closet dividers?
I'm painting, making curtains, a valance, curtain ties, artwork, wooden letters (once Baby is here and we know which name to use!), a quilt (with help from my auntie), probably a crochet blanket, a crib skirt, covering the glider cushions, some fabric squares (fabric stretched over frames that is).... maybe a pillow....
Crochet hats, booties, maybe stitch some cute onesies...
I'm in huge nesting mode for this baby and I've still got three months left so I've got to keep myself occupied. Now how I will get all of this done with a wild toddler boy running around is another matter altogether!
If you are really motivated, you can even build your own furniture, bookshelves, picture frames, and other accessories. Have you heard of or seen knockoffwood.blogspot.com? They are also on facebook. They have plans for train tables, changing tables/systems, dressers, desks, play kitchens, etc. I am so excited to start my first project - a bed w/ storage for books and toys (my first child is 2).
Have fun!
i made letters, which if you buy already made they are $20 a piece i made them for only $20 total for 7 letters! and they are cuter than if i were to buy plain white ones, i also made a clock and light switch panel, i saved alot of money but i did it because it was fun! my parents went to hawaii so i had them write his name in the sand and i made a really cool picture frame for that also, walmart is a life saver i made the pic frame for $3!
Hello
I'm wanting to put my baby's name above her crib when she's born and am wondering how you made your lettering. I was just going to use the vinyl lettering but I think what you've done is far nicer.
Thank you
I'm a bit of a craft geek so here it goes:
1-I made the linens for the bassinet that got handed down to us. I couldn't find ones at BRU that fit such an old style one.
2-I knitted and crocheted several blankets-both 'crib size' and 'stroller size.' If you're new to either there are many many sites on the web that have patterns and directions and it can be quite relaxing to just sit and knit a bit.
3-I have knit several kinds of hats, mittens and booties. I also knit a kimono style wrap, two sweaters and a pair of pants (won't do that one again!)
4-I've sewn several dresses, onesies, swaddlers, pants(so much better then the knitting), and now some little tops.
5-I couldn't help paint the nursery-it was DH's major project :-) so I painted a bunch of ceramics (little figurines, as well as a pitcher and bowl which I plan to put on her dresser like the Victorians' cleaning kits.) and some wooden toys-cars,flowers etc.
6-Some projects I've had in mind but haven't been able to get to include a tummytime mat which is really just going to be a shaped quilt with some add-ons, some knit or crochet stuffed toys, and summer hats. If I can find a smaller dresser (right now she has my old one and its half the room) I would like to match it to the rest of the furniture whether through distressing or some other method.
All in all I've got to say there is a heck of a lot of choices out there and even the least crafty person can find something .Good luck with whatever you get into :-)
My OM had mentioned some DIY show where they did a nursery using the foam sheets (like felt, only craft foam its getting really popular) they had done large shapes, tied them to ribbon then hung them along the window instead of a valance- the part that caught my attention was it was like a silent chime where they moved when the wind blew.
When I wandered into Micheals to check out the foam section we found Large thick foam letters for about 20 cents a piece (they were on sale- usually 50 cents) My husband thought it would be cool to get his name then hang it randomly over the ceiling as a type of mobile. I think total for the Entire project we spent 5$ and we can reuse the letters later for a plaque or sign!
love love love your little girl's middle name- Florene. It has passed through our selections for names (Its in DH's family)
I'm going to mod podge our baby's name or initials. I also plan on using vinyl to create a mural on the wall since my DH dislikes colored walls :(I'll get him away from that soon enough:) I am also going to make a simple scrapbook/baby book.
good luck with all our DIY projects
Oh wow, I spent hours last night looking at that blog! Thanks so much for sharing! And my best friend (has an 8 month old) is now obsessed too! They have a great plan for a china hutch/changing table thing...it's like a dresser, changing table, and bookshelf all in one!
Also, I couldn't find any nursery sets that I totally loved so my best friend is sewing it for me. I found an amazing Asian-themed set of coordinating quilting fabrics, it's gonna look awesome!
As far as DIY goes, there's a lot I want to do but I'll be satisfied with just having these two projects done first.
I have lots of ideas but here are a few:
1. You can create a family tree, either by painting a tree on the wall and then hanging pictures with each family members' name (just purchase wooden frames from Ikea or a Michael's-type store and paint them to match your nursery theme, or the tree and hang with decirative ribbon or flat on the wall).
2. Family tree #2: we are actually hanging hanging a branch from outside and then hanging the small picture frames from the branches with ribbon and hotglue, so it is more like a mobile- and obviously don't hang anything over the crib! It is going over the glider so he can look up and see smiling faces while feeding if he wants to.
3. I made a butterfly mobile for my friend's little girl's nursery. Just buy "Stencil paper" (thin plastic) and cut into the design/shape you want (it is very sturdy and can hold anything you want to attach to it with hot glue). I bought beautiful decorative papers and tissue paper from Paper-Source but you could buy fthem rom any hobby store. I tore the papers into different shapes about 1/2 inch to 1 inch in size they make the butterflies look fuzzy and textured, and then hotglued fuzzy pipe cleaners for the bodies. We used fishing line to hang the butterflies so they look they are floating and attached beads with wires and glue, to make sure they can't fall off. It is sooo chabby chic pretty and the light comes through the papers.
4. I made over-sized frames for the baby artwork by cutting decorative pictureframe and crown molding from the hardware store, and then spray painting them puter (metal paint from Michael's) so they match the picture frames and trim in the room. We mounted them to the wall and hung 3-inch wide ribon with big bows at the top, a few feet up from the top of the frames, so they appear to be hanging by the ribbon but aren't. It makes a big statement on the wall and showcases the artwork.
5. You could buy a plain, chid-size, wooden set of table and chairs (for future crafts and drawing on) and then paint the top of the table to match any element of the nursery. We are buying one from Ikea and then painting the world/globe with animals local to their countries. And the painting the chairs a light color to match. Make sure you shellac the table or gloss with a low VOC gas paint so the table doesn't leak fumes and the picutres stay intact.
6.You could stencil basket tags for baskets that hold: toys, animals, books, etc. to help with pretty organization for the closet or under a table.
7. There is a website www.Blurb.com , where you can make beautiful coffee table books out of your own digital picutres and custom design the backgrounds for each page...Obviously you can't do this til the after the baby is born and you have some pictures. I made our wedding book there and we gave them out for christmas presents to close family members- this would be great for your baby to look through as he/she grows, because you won't have to worry about small pieces from scrapbook coming off and going into little one's mouth, and none of your valuable pictures can get destroyed either.
Hope these ideas help spark others,
Christine
Oooo I have another few:
1. you could paint a growth chart/ruler on the wall to match whatever your nursery theme is. And then mark on it as he/she grows. Like a beanstalk or a flower vine, and your child's name in the flower faces etc. And leave painted places for his/her age at each mark, so you can paint them in.
2. This one is for when they are bigger kids: you could buy picture molding and make a few kid-size empty frames at the correct height on the wall. And then spray one with chalkboard paint, and a few other with magnetic paint so you can display any other artwork with magnets. OR make a decorative clothes line to be able to hang artwork with clips or clothespins.
Christine