My first pregnancy was one of the most exciting and life altering events that I have ever experienced. I remember the rush my husband and I felt when the doctor confirmed our expectancy. We were overcome by extreme joy and an overwhelming desire to shop. Eagerly waiting to capitalize on our emotions with over priced but cute little gadgets, toys, and frilly things was a booming industry of retailers and merchants. And its know wonder, according to Alan and Denise Shields, authors of Baby Bargains, the average cost of having a baby in the first year of life is $6,200 . A third of that figure accounts for nursery items and toys. Wow! Now that’s not small change. While some of us may have it to spare, we should think twice about giving it over so easily. Especially since we are facing times of financial uncertainty with rising inflation, increasing job losses, and corporate downsizing. We must become wiser with our spending: we must be down right frugal. Now, don’t frown at the word frugal! Fortunately, my definition of frugal does not mean low quality and blah. In fact here are seven tried and true tips, from my home to yours, to help you outfit your nursery with unique and quality merchandise at fabulously low prices.
#1 Seek Inspiration Before You Buy
Before you embark on your decorating journey, explore the wealth of resources right under your nose for designing a fabulous nursery. First stop, your local library. Most libraries have a huge assortment of decorating books and magazines with hundreds of pictures of top-notch nursery décor in a plethora of colors and themes. Check out some of these magazines and books so you can browse through them in the comfort of your home where you can make notes of your likes and dislikes. Better Homes and Garden and Parents magazines are prime examples of publications that feature decorated nurseries. Next stop, specialty baby stores. During your trip, jot down manufacturer’s names and items so you can conduct an Internet search and do some comparison-shopping. Final stop, an around the world tour of nursery décor, on the World Wide Web. Using one of the major search engines such as Yahoo! or Google, conduct various searches using different word combinations for nursery décor and decorating for baby. This search will yield sites such as Distinctive Nurseries, WallNutz, and Baby Super Mall where you’ll find hundreds of manufacturers and retailers such as Glenna Jean that have a wealth of items to drool over.
Set up a schedule over a few days or weeks to complete this search. To keep from becoming overwhelmed, I recommend at least two weeks to complete this exercise. Be sure to make color copies of things you love and record any other ideas you may think of along the way.
#2 Organize Your Findings
Create a notebook for your findings. Use color-coded tabs for the following categories adding or taking a way as necessary: colors, themes, bedding, accessories, toys, furniture, and a consolidated list of desires. Sort the color copies gathered during your search by category and insert them in your notebook. By completing this exercise you can develop a list of wants for your room. Also go ahead and create a sketch of the furniture placement and wall décor in your room and include this behind the tab with your list of wants. You don’t have to be an artist to do this, the main objective is to create a written plan. If you want assistance, Better Homes and Gardens has a program on its web site titled Arrange-a-Room to help you.
#3 Select Basic Colors
While organizing the items from you search, I’m sure you noticed similarities in the items and colors. Now it is time for you to go a step further and determine exactly which colors will be suitable for your room based on the mood you are trying to create for your child. Perhaps you were drawn to cool colors such as blue or pastels? What ever you decide, make sure that your color selection is not too difficult to match up with items outside of a particular manufacturer’s line. This will allow you to mix and match inexpensive and expensive items to create a custom, breath-taking look.
#4 Choose One Decorative Piece to Build Your Room Around
Once you’ve selected your colors, look for at least one special piece to build your room around. Perhaps you loved Clifford the Big Red Dog, Strawberry Shortcake, or Winnie the Pooh during your childhood or may be there is a floral or plaid pattern that you just can’t get off of you mind, what ever it is, use this as the basis for your room.
#5 Think Outside the Box
Hit your regular department stores with a good attitude and time to spare. Look for unique items not necessarily made for baby but suitable in color and from a safety standpoint. Window valances and sheers, and storage containers can be obtained for low cost at department stores rather than baby stores. Stores like The Container Store are also a good option for containers, wastebaskets and shelves.
#6 Personalize Your Space
Personalization appears to be the trend these days. Stores ranging from Target to Pottery Barn Kids carry pre-painted wood letters from A to Z that you can use to spell out your baby’s name or a cute little phrase. I know these letters are irresistible but pass on them any way. I’ve got an even better option for you. Take a trip to your local Wal-Mart and purchase unfinished letters for 99 cents each. Then select a tube of craft paint ranging from 50 cents to $1 and a pack of foam brushes and make your own. By going this route, you have an advantage over the expensive pre-painted letters. Because you have hundreds of colors at your disposal, you can get the perfect match for your décor. Talk about a customized look. You can also go a step further, depending on the size of the letters, and stencil small flowers or circles on top of the base coat for an even bigger punch.
If you use wallpaper, border or roll, consider covering your light switch covers, garbage pails, and other small items with remnants. You could also frame some of the characters from your wallpaper for inexpensive artwork.
#7 Shop Flea Markets or Consignment Shops
Don’t frown at this tip. I know your new bundle of joy is your most precious possession and you can’t bare the thought of buying a used crib comforter or bumper. But think about it, just how much will the average infant use all of these items in the first few months? The truth is in the beginning infants have very limited mobility such that bedding, crib bumpers and mobiles are barely used. In fact all of these items will pose safety risks at some time during your baby’s first year. So why not pass on them all together? If you are dying to have them for the “look,” it makes a lot of sense to check your local flea market or children consignment shop for a bargain. Be frugal, be smart.
The most important things to remember in decorating your nursery are to be creative, think outside the box, and take your time. If you do the results will be so stunning that even a high-end baby boutique would be envious.
Monkey Baby Bedding
