It’s natural to get excited for your new baby. There’s a lot to do and the nine to ten months it takes for your newcomer to join you actually aren’t that much. One of the best ways to distract yourself, especially during the middle period, where there’s not a whole lot to do just yet but wait, is to prepare the nursery. For anyone who has an eye for design and a passion for DIY, you may be wondering just what you can take on as a project, and what’s better left for the pros. The answer is quite simple: as much as you want, depending on how well you can do it.
If you can create well-crafted, safe furniture, sew, knit, paint – you can do it all, so long as you have the time and the space to do it. For those who want to scratch that DIY itch without taking on more than they can handle, however, use this guide:
What You Should DIY
One of the first things that you should DIY in the baby’s nursery is to update the colour. This is important if you have any bright or bold designs, or loud wallpaper – even if it was just an accent wall. Babies do best when their space is a true neutral. What this means is that they’ll be happier in a beige room than something that is bright pink, blue, or even yellow and
green. There’s a reason why the go-to for infants is pastels. If those pastels aren’t for you, then choose a true neutral instead to keep everyone happy.
It’s also a wonderful idea to take on a few knitting or crochet projects. You can try your hand at making a baby blanket, for example, or you can get started with amigurumi to create hand-made toys. When creating textiles, try to choose organic, 100% cotton for your materials, as these will be the softest and best materials to keep near your baby.
What You Should Buy New
When it comes to things you shouldn’t DIY, you have the obvious of furniture, a baby monitor, and so on. What may surprise you is that you shouldn’t make certain textiles. For example, even if you can sew, creating crib sheets or changing pad covers is going to be a waste of resources. This is because fabric by the yard can be expensive, and then you will also need multiples in order to quickly change out the sheets as needed.
You also shouldn’t stress yourself out about taking on projects that you don’t have the time or skill to complete. Say you absolutely love the idea of painting your own mural on the baby’s wall. Unless you are an artist, this is going to take a lot of time, effort, and energy when you could simply get some wall decals when shopping for nursery decor.
It is always a better option to buy what you need fast and have to use regularly, and then DIY what can be carried on through as an heirloom. A baby blanket that was made by hand is a keepsake; a set of diaper stackers is not. This doesn’t mean that a set of diaper stackers isn’t important; it just means you’ll likely sell it on or donate it when you are done rather than
pack it away to be kept in the family.
113
