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6 Ideas to Decorate Your Baby’s Bedroom Without Going Over Budget

As time starts ticking down to your baby’s arrival, you’re starting to think about how you’re going to decorate your nursery. But there’s one problem: You’ve already bought a lot of baby supplies and your pockets are starting to feel a little lighter.

If you’re on a budget, there’s good news: It’s still possible to have a beautiful nursery without shelling out. In many cases, your baby’s room will even feel more unique and personalized.

In this post, we’ll show you 6 areas in a nursery where going cheap won’t sacrifice style.

Color Schemes

Painting your baby’s bedroom walls is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to liven up the space. Gendered colors like pink and blue are traditional but consider some modern shades, too.

• Spring green— A light spring green color will bring life to a baby’s room whether you’re having a girl or a boy. Check out this spring green shade.
• Muted yellow— Yellow is another color that is gender neutral and screams happiness. Be careful choosing a shade though—the wrong one could brighten up a room in all the wrong ways. Choose a calm yellow like this one or one with more white, like this.
• Dull pink— If you’re obsessed with the idea of having pink everything for your baby girl, you can also incorporate that theme into your nursery. It can be difficult to choose a pink shade that isn’t too overwhelming and bright. We suggest trying out a muted salmon pink color instead. You can also try a more whitish pink.
• Light Blue— If you’re having a boy and want to stick with blue paint, you can modernize it by changing up the shade. You can choose a light blue-grey tone or a muted but happy blue-green color.

Another option using paint is to select a darker or more vibrant color and use it for the accent wall. For example, if you’re using this light spring green on three walls, you can use this darker green or this sage green on your accent wall to add a focal point.

Accent Wall

Speaking of accent walls, there’s another even easier way to add a focal point without using paint: Contact paper!

Contact paper is similar to wallpaper except for that it can be removed easier. This is a great option if you’re renting or if you plan on redesigning the room as your child grows (a teenager isn’t going to be happy with baby designs and colors). It’s also cheaper!

Here are a few contact paper accent nursery wall ideas:

• Beach wood— If you’re going for a nature or beach theme.
• Chalkboard— This contact paper can be written on the same as a chalkboard. There are so many options with this idea. You can use it to track baby related stuff such as feeding or development. It can also be used as a giant drawing board as your child grows older (no scrubbing crayon marks off the walls!).
• Solid pastels— If you just want to add a pop of color, consider a solid contact paper in lighter hues. This brand comes in a light blue, pink, grey and yellow, all of which would add a nice focal point to a white or muted-color room.
• Grey wood— If you’re going for a minimalistic vibe, this tree branch contact paper would fit right in.
• Patterned Quatrefoil— This pattern comes in 4 light colors that add a sense of tranquility to the space.

Hanging Decorations

Once you get the base of your room down using paint or wallpaper, you can move onto the more intricate decorations. A good way to add a bit of depth and interest to a room is by using hanging decorations. Whether you’re on a shoestring DIY budget or are willing to spend $15 for an Amazon product, here are some options:

1. Paper hot air balloons— These are advertised as party decorations, although the hot air balloons would be stylish in a nursery if they match with your color scheme.
2. Tissue paper pom poms—These pom poms come in assorted sizes for each color scheme. The blue, grey and white set would look great in a baby boy room while the peach, white and ivory set would be beautiful in a girl’s room.
3. Dollar store decorations— If you’re on a very tight budget, your local dollar store may have some hanging decorations. For example, Dollar Tree has a variety of hanging pom poms and even butterflies.
4. DIY hanging floral arrangements—You can pick up some fake flowers at the dollar store and attach them with clear string to make a beautiful hanging arrangement. If you want something less girly-looking, you can try the same with fake bright green leaves for a naturalistic feel.

Consider What You Already Have

If you’re having your first child, there are some non-negotiables you’ll need to purchase that you don’t already have, such as a baby crib.

However, if you’re on a budget, consider what items can be easily repurposed. While your baby may not have expensive designer furniture, he or she will have a unique piece that you poured love into re-creating.

If you don’t have any old furniture laying around, consider checking out a secondhand store to see which cheap items you can repurpose. Here are a few ideas.

• Dresser— An old dresser can be totally revamped with a fresh coat of paint that falls into your color scheme. You can also dress it up with new hardware. For a fancier look, try diamond shaped dresser knobs. You can also choose a colored handle to match the room.
• Desk— An unused desk can be transformed into a changing table. Simply give it a new coat of paint, add some stylish hardware and lay a changing pad on the table.
• Wicker baskets— If you don’t have any laying around, hit up the thrift store for wicker baskets. These provide a stylish way to store and organize all of the baby supplies.
• Chair— An old chair can be revamped within seconds using a white or colored fur rug. You can also add a nice throw blanket or large pillow to change its look.

Plants

To liven up a nursery and add a spark of happiness, add a few plants. However, be smart about the greenery you choose. When you’re looking after a newborn, the last thing you’ll have time for are high-maintenance plants. Choose succulents that don’t require much water and are difficult to kill.

Some flower shops may sell more expensive succulents. Plants for just a few bucks can be found at some hardware or home stores such as Ikea.

Wall Art

You don’t need to sludge on an expensive piece to add an artistic vibe to your baby’s nursery. There are so many fun and personalized options that make DIY the better way to go. Here are a few ideas:

• Printable wall art— All you need is a printer and some dollar store frames! Blogger Erin Spain created some beautiful free sayings that you can print out, stick in a frame and hang on your nursery wall. You can get them here. If you’re good with design, consider using a website like Canva to make your own personalized designs.
• Monogram— If you’re into monograms, use the first letter of your baby’s name to purchase a wooden letter. These are often sold in dollar stores or for a few bucks at a craft store. The options for decorating it are endless—paint, decoupage, glitter, wood stain, etc. If you’re ambitious, you can use the letters to spell out the whole name. Similar to above, you can also create a printable design of your chosen letter and frame it.
• Paint your own canvas— Buy a few canvases and paints from a dollar store and unleash your creative side! You can use stencils to paint a quote or saying, make it pop with a simple gold design, create a geometric pattern, try something abstract, or even follow a tutorial to create a beautiful or scenic image.
• Decals— If you’re not the DIY type but still have a budget to stick to, consider purchasing some cheap decals for your walls. The decal options are endless: Alphabet, Jungle-themed, or simple gold polka dots. You can even choose a personalized name decal.
• Hanging shelves— Wooden hanging shelves can be purchased or made for cheap. It’s how you decorate them that counts! For a nursery, you can add cute miniature animals or other baby-appropriate trinkets. Other ideas include small photos, succulents or candles (make sure they’re battery-operated candles so they’re baby-safe!).

Have you started decorating your nursery yet? If so, comment below any cheap décor ideas you have. If you have any pregnant friends, be sure to share this article to help them decorate, too!

P.S. Have you checked out our fetal dopplers? These amazing at-home devices allow you to listen to your baby’s heartbeat while you’re still patiently awaiting their arrival. Check out our fetal dopplers here.