Your baby will spend many hours in his room, napping and playing. You'll spend a lot of time there, too, during late-night feedings and diaper-changing sessions, reading story books or simply admiring your sleeping infant. Make your infant's nursery a pleasant place for you both with attractive, practical decor. Many people like to choose a theme for the nursery and coordinate colors and accessories with this theme.
Step 1
Paint the room a bright color. Though baby clothes often come in pale pastels, babies actually see strong color contrasts of light and dark better, according to "Parents" magazine. So choose bold colors for your baby's room, and don't be afraid to use nontraditional shades such as chocolate brown, tomato red, orange or purple. Tape off trim and woodwork with painter's tape, then roll on two coats of your choice of color. Paint the ceiling also. Use a trim brush to fill in around the trim, floors and ceiling. Use a washable, nontoxic paint.
Step 2
Furnish your baby's room with a crib, a dresser to hold baby clothes and accessories, and a comfortable chair for you. If you purchase a used crib or accept a hand-me-down, make sure the slats on the crib are no more than 2 3/8 inches apart, that there are no cutout designs on the head- and footboards, and that corner posts don't stick up more than 1/16 inch. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has established these standards for baby beds. Place a changing pad on top of the dresser and use this instead of a dressing table. You can continue to use the dresser as your child grows older. Position the chair so you can sit in it and nurse, or soothe your child to sleep after late-night feedings.
Step 3
Add artwork to the walls. Choose bright, simple shapes and drawings to catch your child's eye. You can hang quilts or colorful posters, or cut simple shapes such as stars or alphabet letters from wood. Paint the shapes a bright color and hang on the wall with picture wire and screws.
Step 4
Cover the windows with light-darkening shades. This will help your child sleep during the day or on long summer days when it stays light well into evening. Make sure the shade cord is out of reach of your child's crib. If necessary, screw a small cup hook high on the window frame and loop the end of the shade cord over this, well out of reach of little hands.
Step 5
Hang shelves, baskets or bins to store stuffed animals, toys, books and accessories. Or suspend a shoe bag on the back of a closet door and use it to hold baby lotion, extra wipes, baby powder and other accessories within easy reach. For a built-in solution, Parents.com recommends purchasing prefab kitchen cabinets from a home supply store and painting them to match the room.
Things You'll Need
- Paint
- Painter's tape
- Paint roller
- Paint brush
- Crib
- Dresser
- Chair
- Changing pad
- Artwork
- Room-darkening shade
- Cup hook
