Description
A bright nursery with lots of interesting artwork that mainly focuses on giraffes and elephants.
**We were keeping Harrison's name a secret. So, when I took these pictures I didn't have the button letter H canvas up by the changing table. Instead, I put a blank canvas up to hold it's place. That's why there is a blank canvas there- the H canvas is now there.**
Design Inspiration
I went to Kenya for 5 weeks on a volunteer trip this past summer and absolutely fell in love with the country, people, and wildlife! While there I visited an elephant sanctuary and bought some water color prints that were painted by the founder's wife. I bought them with the intention of using them in a future nursery. In addition to the elephant sanctuary I also went on safari, and took a ton of pictures of the animals. I knew that I would print some of them out and also use them in the nursery. I became pregnant shortly after returning home and was so excited to start the nursery. I've always loved giraffes and elephants and decided to focus on them for the nursery.
Decorating Style
I'm not really into themes and didn't want the room to "scream" anything in particular. I just wanted something simple, bright, and fun. My husband and I are currently renting, so we weren't able to paint. I wanted to add color through the artwork, fabrics, and furniture. I absolutely love Etsy, and really wanted to support small businesses as much as possible, so I bought almost all the art work from shops there. There are so many amazing Etsy shops, and I think everyone can find something they love on there. And, the best part is that you can normally find something great for way less and of way better quality than you would find in a big box store.
Project Details
-Crib, changing table, and tall, skinny dresser were bought second hand from someone I babysit for. So, I'm not sure where it was originally from.
-Rocker is from Babies R Us
-Bookshelf is the same one that was in my nursery. It was white, and my mom stenciled rocking horses and teddy bears on it. I painted it yellow to add a pop of color. However, I did use painter's tape to tape off a heart around one of the stenciled rocking horses. That way I can show my children what it looked like before, and how Nana had originally painted it for me.
-The cloth bookshelf was made using a template from this blog; http://pennycarnival.typepad.com/penny_carnival/2009/02/tutorial-hanging-book-display.html. I made it three feet long instead of four so that it would fit better in the space I had. The fabric I used was from Fabricworm.com and can be found here; http://www.fabricworm.com/jadeforbifam33.html
-The white table, set of white cube shelves, clock, set of white flat shelves, and green lamp are all from Target. The cube shelves were on clearance, and I don't remember the price. The table and lamp were under $20, and the clock was $6. The white flat shelves were originally $30ish but they were on sale for $20.
-I picked out three pieces of scrapbook paper from Michael's and stapled them on the back of the cube shelves to give them some color. I also bought the giraffes, elephants, and small globe at Micheal's for about $10 total.
-Giraffe print with the butterfly is from the Etsy shop; collageOrama and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/listing/61407690/giraffe-art-print-giraffe-with-butterfly
-All three prints behind the crib are from the Etsy shop; trafalgarssquare and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/trafalgarssquare?ref=seller_info
-The alphabet print is from the Etsy shop; popheartpress and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/listing/79334457/alphabet-animals-art-print-boy-11-x-17
-The orange giraffe with the mustache print is from the Etsy shop; PaperLlamas and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/listing/85221232/giraffe-art-jungle-safari-animal-art
-The rules to being a true gentleman print was also from Etsy, Dapperpaper, and can be found at http://www.etsy.com/listing/90873147/gentleman-rules-print-11x17
-The two elephant water colors are from the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, but originals (if you want to really splurge) can be bought on their website; http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/asp/shop.asp. Mine are not originals and came in a set of four (I'll be using the two others elsewhere in our apartment). I bought them for about $40- I think. I'm not sure if they will be offering prints on the site, or if just originals are sold online. The trust does amazing work, and you can also donate money via the website. :)
-I made the H button canvas. I saw the idea on this site and on Pinterest, but I don't have a link to the exact instructions- I just did it from memory. Basically I used a ruler to make a uppercase H on a piece of computer paper. I cut it out and lightly taped it to the canvas (I ripped off really small pieces of scotch tape and didn't press very hard so that it wouldn't leave a mark on the canvas), and lightly traced around it with pencil. Then I glued buttons on using fabric glue. After all the buttons were on and it was allowed to dry I filled in the gaps between the buttons with brads. All supplies were bought at Micheal's for around $20-25.
- All small picture frames were bought at Target for $7 or less a piece.
-All big picture frames were bought at Micheal's. The three above the crib were $20 each, but I used 3 50% off coupons and got them for $10 each. The rest were about $10 a piece.
The round lanterns above the crib were bought from Lunabazaar.com's No Frills (aka budget/cheap) line and can be found here; http://www.lunabazaar.com/paper-lanterns-cheap-bulk.aspx. The star lantern was also bought from the same site except it was a little more expensive and can be found here; http://www.lunabazaar.com/paper-star-lanterns-white-24-inch.aspx
-The rug is from Pier One and was $16. I turned it over so that the back/underside is showing. The top is too red for me, and you can't see the red as much from the back. I cut the tag off from the back and carefully pulled it out from where it was sewn on so that you can't tell it's the underside that is showing.
-Changing table pad is from Babies R Us
-Window Valance, crib skirt, changing table pad cover, and sheet are from Babies R Us and are the Carter's Sunny Safari collection. But, it has been discontinued. :(
-The orange and white basket under the table was hand made for me in Kenya by an HIV+ woman living in the IDP camp I was volunteering at.
Favorite Items
It is so hard for me to pick a favorite! I would have to say, though, that all the items brought back from Kenya are my favorite. Each one represent great memories!
Advice
My advice would be to take your time to find things that you really love to put in your baby's room. It took me a long time to find everything I wanted, but it was worth it. I also love to support small businesses as much as possible, and that is why I bought many of the things from Etsy shops. Also, consider hand making something. It gives a personal touch to the room, and it's a great feeling to look at the finished product and know that you made it with love for your child. :)