1. The first thing to consider when decorating your nursery is safety. Be sure to check out safety guidelines before buying or borrowing nursery furniture. You can also look up product recalls on government websites. This is a good thing to do before you start shopping for furniture.
2. Start visiting swap meets, tag sales, and garage sales as soon as you know you’ll be needing baby things. Use any secondhand sources you can think of, particularly for items that you’ll use for a very short time, such as a bassinette, walker,  or jumper.
3. Select furniture and furnishings that will convert to good use as the child grows from infancy to the toddler stage. Planning ahead now will really pay off in the future. You’ll only have to buy once.
4. Choose colors for the nursery that will coordinate with the colors of toys. Then the toys become decorative items themselves.
5. The best way to save lots of money is to do as much of the work as you can yourself.  Paint furniture, sew curtains and quilts, paint the walls, and put up wallpaper.
6. Use your money to buy things that will last through childhood - or at least a few years. Invest in a good bed and chest, but borrow or shop at discount stores for everything else.
7. If friends will be having a baby shower for you, this is a great time to get some things that will enhance your chosen room theme. Register for some things to decorate the room, such as bedding, furniture, and accessories.
8. Select a paint color for the walls that will “grow” with the child. Pale pink or baby blue are adorable for an infant, but may not last long.
9. Use baskets, drawers, and shelves to store toys, clothing, and other infant essentials.
10. Expand storage space by building shelves and adding extra clothes rods for the closet. You can buy simple do-it-yourself kits at home centers.
11. Instead of trying to wallpaper the whole room, paint the walls and decorate with a simple border or stencil a design around the windows, ceiling, and doors.

Tracy, Mary and Brian,

Thank you all so much for the wonderful job you did in my son, Jackson’s room. Your creativity and imagination are incredible. The surfboard on the wall was a great idea. He loves his room so much he can’t wait to show it to all his friends. I can’t wait for the next decorating phase. I look forward to the day when my entire house is by “Style On a Shoestring.”

Thanks again,

Heather and Fred Hanover

Want to give your kids free rein to decorate their rooms without the wall looking like something from a swiss cheese factory? Now you can with the creation of a new wall covering that is a magnetic primer, which contains non-toxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats of this special primer under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, including posters. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures, either daily or monthly, there won’t be a trail of holes left behind in your newly painted walls. 

Where To Buy:

Does it feel challenging sometimes to any of you to find bedding you love at the stores out there?  I definitely feel challenged by that alot.  I am so excited about a company I have found who makes custom bedding at a great price.  It’s fun to pick out fabrics of all kinds and create a one of a kind look in the bedroom.  If you’re careful and choose some inexpensive fabrics you can create a great look and it’s not out of this world.  There are really some great fabrics out there.