Decorating an Animal-Themed Nursery
I’ve written about my need of changing my “gun room” to a nursery, and the time has finally come. My wife is a few months pregnant, so it’s time to clean the room and whip it into shape. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a before photo, so just imagine this room with boxes, and in the middle, there’s a rifle and shotgun. On the same page? Perfect. Moving on.
I’ve put together a store-bought crib and changing station, but I have a long way to go. Walls need to be painted. Decor and some toys need to be made. I can’t take credit for that fancy “C” – my wife did that for our gender reveal (We’re having a girl – Charlotte). Without further ado, here’s the upcoming weekend projects for my wife and I.
- Toy Nessie
I am surprisingly good with a needle and thread (years of having to sew back on buttons to button-down shirts), so I want to make a stuffed Loch Ness monster. It’ll provide a nice seat and a toy, all in one, for my soon-to-be-born daughter. It will be something she can latch onto and play with for years to come.
(Photo courtesy of We Lived Happily Ever After)
- Fox lamp
Look, a grown man who built his own rifle can still appreciate cute things, especially when they are being made for a daughter. So the next cute thing is a fox lamp. This builds on the same skills as the toy Nessie – sewing and stuffing. Then, some fabric stiffener and a string of LED lights. LEDs are best for a nursery as, unlike incandescent bulbs, they don’t get hot. Wandering hands can’t get burned. The fox lamp is also much more resilient than a floor or desk lamp, as it can fall and not cause any damage – it’s stiff fabric and stuffing, which isn’t exactly heavy.
- Elephant doorstop
You are probably sensing a pattern by now. The next project, an elephant doorstop, is a bit trickier, as it could pose a potential danger to a new little one, being heavy and literally filled with rocks. Pebbles, technically, but it’s still a solid object. While I’m not too worried, it’s still something to be cognizant of.
- Giraffe art
The last animal-related project, giraffe art. I love working with wood, and my wife is pretty talented when it comes to drawing and painting. I’ll handle the woodwork (it won’t be hard – a few planks, some nails, sawtooth hangers). She can do the actual art.
(Photo courtesy of Make It & Love It)
- Suspender curtains
The window of the nursery is fairly wide,so rather than buying curtains, I would rather make my own. Plus, this way, I can use whatever pattern or fabric I want. If I’m being honest, it will probably either be animals or just plain colors. What I like about these suspender curtains is that I can pull them up and let sunlight in without them being in reach of tiny hands, and might accidentally yank down the tension rod.
- Table art
Washi tape makes it incredibly easy to spruce up something like a table. But I’m combining two of the tips for a washi tape table: First, I’ll cover the table in some sort of pattern. The jury is still out on what, exactly. But, the second part, on top of that, I want to design a play area. Maybe, as at the link it will be roads for toy cars. Given the animal theme, it’ll probably have animal print. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to make it look like a tea set for stuffed animal tea parties.
(Photo courtesy of Momma.Poppa.Bubba.)
I’ve already faced down the biggest hurdles of the nursery – the furniture – so with these projects, I should be able to add some flair to the room. It’s certainly a far cry from the “armory” that the room has been since we moved into the house. Time to go get a bunch of felt and brush up on my sewing skills.
This article was written by Cole Mayer. A former professional journalist covering crime, court and fire stories, Cole spends his free time freelance writing, playing video games, doing yard work, and slowly writing a crime novel. He can be reached on Twitter or Facebook.
