Mar 28, 05 | 6:30 am
Fresh Ideas for Nursery Decor
roofing companies ilAs with all decorating, the key to style in a baby's nursery is to have an attractive focal point. Luckily, a gorgeous nursery does not require a large budget. Here Kari shares some focal point ideas for nursery decor.
* Paint a mural. A full or half wall mural captures attention and sets the theme for the nursery. The best part - paint is cheap! If you are creating the mural while pregnant, you may want someone else to paint it or make sure the room is very very well ventilated. Alternatively, you could use nontoxic acrylic paints for details on top of a water-based latex background. (Read on in the MORE section at the end of the article for more on how to paint a nursery mural).
* Hang a quilt. You can't use that beautiful quilt in the crib until the toddler years, so why not use it to decorate the wall? Purchase a couple quilt clips and display it proudly.
* Collect matching frames. You can start with cute little prints or paintings. Once the baby joins you, fill matching frames with pictures of your little one. Alternatively, display photos of friends and family whom you would like your baby to get to know. Line the frames up or organize them into a shape such as a rectangle or square.
* Personalize it. Hang wooden letters to spell out the baby's name, or paint it on the wall. Hang the baby's cutest outfits on cute hangers. Use shelves to display favorite toys or vintage baby items.
* Follow your vision. Imagine what you would like the room to look like. Make some sketches and go for it. Most importantly, have fun decorating your baby's nursery!
© Kari Edmonds. Kari Edmonds is the owner and founder of Little 101 and Spunky Turtle. Little 101 is your place to learn, share and chat about your little one. Check them out for parenting tips and interviews with different moms with different lives. Join their fantastic forum to meet other new and expecting moms.
Looking for great wall candy for your baby's room? Or maybe just looking for a great gift she'll never forget? Well look no further. Here are some ideas:
The Four Friends, a one-of-a-kind original from Fernhouse Studio's Fine Art Animal Series
These whimsical watercolor and mixed media paintings brighten up children's rooms, bedrooms, nooks and any place that needs a bit of color.
In our modern world of mass-marketing and syndicated characters, it’s especially delightful to receive a gift that is fresh and original. Fern House Studio’s whimsical and colorful animal paintings are the choice of design-conscious parents for nurseries and children's rooms, baby and shower gifts. These bright pieces offer a unique, one-of-a-kind remembrance that will uplift and bring smiles for years to come.
Baby Mechanic Print from Spunky Turtle
This vintage print shows a little toddler tuning up his parents' car. He's got all his tools out and his little puppy is there to help. Marked "Making it Safe", copyright 1937, Litho in U.S.A. This is a vintage (old, not reproduction) print originally intended for use in calendars. Hurry over; there is only one of these available!
Fill-in-the-Blanks Family Tree Print by The Small Object
Trace back your family tree for the newest member of your family and share the rich history of your parents and grandparents. This family tree is printed from an original drawing by artist Sarah Neuburger. What a great idea for wall decor! Not only is it a steal at $18, but personalized gift wrapping is free!
This article is sponsored by:
Dream Nurseries by babystyle.
Shop Baby at Target.com
How to Paint a Nursery Mural
A mural can be a wonderful focal point for your baby's nursery. It can also make the baby's room look larger, which is great if the nursery is on the small side. What a special way to express yourself and make your little one's room just right.
1) Choose your artwork. You can use a favorite children's book, a print, or your own design. Choose something with definite outlines. Painting your mural will be easiest if the artwork has strong outlines and solid colors instead of shading.
2) Copy it in grayscale. You can copy or scan your artwork and print it onto a transparency.
3) Buy your paints. Match the main colors in your artwork with paint swatches at the paint or hardware store. Matte paint is more forgiving, but may be harder to clean. There are some new washable mattes that would be perfect for a child's room. For painting tiny details, you can use acrylics.
4) Paint the background. To give the background more texture, you can mix the paint with water and swirl, sponge or stipple it onto the nursery wall.
5) Use an overhead projector to project your image on the wall of the nursery. If your baby's room is small, you may have to split your artwork into several transparencies. For example, you may need four transparencies: one each for the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. Make sure you do not change the scale of your artwork on the computer before printing so your mural will be proportional. Keep your projector the same distance from the wall and line up the edges of the artwork with what you have already traced.
6) Trace your artwork on the nursery wall with a pencil. Don't draw too dark or your marks will be difficult to erase later.
7) Fill in with color. If you need to do some shading, start with the main color, then dry-brush lighter and darker versions of the color where needed. Remove a small amount of paint and add a small amount of black to get a darker color. For a lighter color, add your base paint to white a little at a time. For best results, don't go too far from the base color or there will be too much contrast. Depending on how detailed your artwork is, you may need to keep the projector on to show where the shading is. Don't worry if it doesn't look right at first. Just keep working and start over if you need to. Remember - it's just paint!
8) Outline with black if appropriate for the artwork you are using. Use a small brush and take your time!
9) Sign that baby! You've earned some credit.
10) Show off the nursery to family and friends.
© Kari Edmonds. Do not reproduce without permission.
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