Decorating a Nursery on a Budget

Furniture

We think that every baby room needs a safe place for the baby to sleep (a bassinet and/or a crib), and a comfortable chair for nursing or bottle feeding. Other furniture pieces you should consider getting for the nursery include: a dresser, a changing table, a night stand, and a book shelf or toy shelf.

If you decide to get a bassinet for your baby, remember that your child will likely outgrow it within a few months. Bassinets seem expensive to us because the baby will only be sleeping in it for a short time. You might consider getting a mobile play yard that has a bassinet attachment. This way, when your baby is too big to fit in the bassinet, you can still use the play yard for having your toddler play in, or sleep in on vacations.

A crib is more of an upfront investment than a bassinet, but your child will get more use out of it because the child will use it for several years. You should select a crib that confirms to all of the US safety codes. When choosing a crib, you should pay attention to the finish and style of the crib. A nursery will look the best if all the wood finishes coordinate. Several cribs will convert into a toddler bed and even into an adult sized bed. This kind of bed will save you money down the road.

A comfortable chair will be a wise investment. In our "mommy research," our moms reported spending about 6-8 hours feeding a newborn per 24 hour period. To save countless backaches, we suggest you get a chair that the primary baby feeder will be comfortable in, and consider installing a back massager to the back of the chair for added comfort.

The color and style of the chair is not nearly as important as its comfort. Just think of all the time you will be spending in the chair feeding your baby. Your body will be under enough stress without having to deal with an uncomfortable chair. If you get a chair that doesn't match the overall color scheme of the nursery, you can make or purchase a chair cover. Make sure that it is washable, because with a baby around it, it will definitely need to be washed periodically!

A dresser to store baby clothes in is also nice to have. Keep safety in mind and attach it to the wall so that baby can't pull it on himself. If you come across an inexpensive, mismatched dresser, you can refinish it to look new, or paint it to match the rest of the baby room's color scheme. You can also replace the knobs on the drawers to add a special touch. Hardware stores, or catalogs generally have a good selection.

A changing table is also nice to have. We liked the idea of getting dresser with a top that could be used as a changing table. We purchased a changing table pad and two pad covers, secured them to the back of the dresser, and we were all set. That way, when the baby is no longer in diapers, we will still be able to use the dresser. Please make sure that the pad is safely attached before sitting baby on it!

A nigh stand placed next to the comfortable chair is a great place to put the lamp, a bottle of water for mom, and newborn feeding supplies (nursing pads, breast pump, bottles, formula, etc).

Baby will likely receive dozens and dozens of toys and books in the first year of life. To help the room stay organized, you might want to invest in a nice shelf to store the baby stuff. We prefer shelves over "toy boxes." That is because baby can easily look at the shelf and easily pick out what he or she wants. With a toy box, the baby might have to empty the contents of the box before finding what he or she wants.