5 Simple Tips to Decorate Your Nursery on a Budget

Ameena Aliyu-Beighton

Setting up your baby’s room does not necessarily have to put a massive whole in your pocket. The trick is to be creative and think outside the box as you focus on the doing the things that are most essential to you and your baby.

Follow these simple tricks:

1. Recycle

Give old stuffs a new lease of life such as refurbishing an old piece of furniture. That old cupboard or shelf can be sanded down and repainted into a nice soft colour of your choice. I had an ugly pair of brown shelving that was ready for the skip. Instead of throwing it out, I took off the wood vanish and painted it a nice white. It was perfect for my children’s books and toys and the white looked beautiful once filled with all their colourful junk.

2. Slap on the Paint

Wallpapers are beautiful but can be really expensive. So, in place of wallpaper, use soft coloured wall paint of your choice to make patterns. To save on labour cost, get your partner to do the painting. It’s really not difficult but remember to tape the edges using a masking tape.

Make sure you paint your nursery at least 4 weeks before baby to avoid any harmful fumes. See YouTube videos for ideas on how to paint a  nursery.

3. Second Hand Furniture

Save cost on buying completely new furniture by sourcing for fairly used ones from friends, relatives or from the market.

4. Flooring

If your floors are tiled, rather than carpeting the whole room for soft landings, go for centre rug pieces. Place rug strategically in a play corner of the room, ideal and safe for tummy and story time, to give a nice cosy effect.

5. Storage

You don’t want your nursery looking cluttered. Do this cheaply with storage bins or woven baskets. Paint the cane or woven baskets to go with your colour scheme. Also consider seats that have storage underneath. Vertical shelving is also a good way to save space and huge costs of building a wardrobe.

Create a room that will last as your child grows to save time and money. Buy an adjustable cot that can grow with your child, so you won’t have to spend on a new bed for at least the next 3 years.

To reduce cost, go for a moses basket or travel cot.