Woodland Nursery

My sister and brother-in-law are expecting their first baby in just a few weeks.  When they thought about decorating the baby's room, they decided on a gender-neutral woodland theme and started with dark teal walls and a bright orange rug.  Then they chose the fabrics pictured above, and my mom and I volunteered/were recruited to make loads of fabric items for the room.  When we were all together in early November, we sorted through this fabric and decided what would be used for the various handmade items.  Many of the fabrics are from the Michael Miller collections Norwegian Woods and Norwegian Woods Too; you can find links at the end of this post.  (The colors in the photo above are the most accurate - the others are a little bright thanks to the limitations of cellphone photography.)

On my mom's list were crib sheets, changing pad covers, and a crib skirt.  My list included a couple of accent pillows, the crib bumper, and a quilt for the twin-size daybed that my brother-in-law would create in his woodshop.  My mom started by making crib sheets and covers for the changing pad.  Then she sent me her scraps to include in the quilt.  After she finished the crib skirt, she sent her leftover fabric and I got to work on the bumper.

The accent pillows are from a panel print that had 4 panels -- foxes, birds, leaves, and squirrels.  I forgot to take better pictures of the pillows because I was in a rush to finish them up in time for the baby shower, which was also woodland-themed (more on that in another post to come soon).

Here's a peek at the finished quilt.  I'll share more about it soon too.

Some of the fabrics used in the room:

• Chevron
• Owls
• Hedgehogs
• Leaves (turquoise)
• Forest scene
• Acorns
• Orange posies
• Panel print
• Geometric print (quilt binding)
• Dark wood grain (quilt backing)

DIY Decorative Wall Letters

If you're like me, you may be a little suspicious of some of the Pinterest ideas out there. I admit I've looked at a few of the "Pinterest Fail" sites and laughed hysterically at beautifully styled photos next to the disastrous messes those projects became when a real-life person followed directions. Well, I don't have one of those stories to tell here. Today, I share with you a Pinterest success ... Decorative Wall Letters.

Inspirational photo from Pinterest:

Image: TopShelfLetters@Etsy

My version:

The original wall letters on canvas came from an Etsy site where they're listed as sold out (so I wasn't the only one that thought they were cute).  I decided to modify the idea a bit, and here are some notes on how I made this project my own:

• The inspiration letters use scrapbook paper and Modge Podge, and I don't like Modge Podge. It's messy and I'm always left with a half-used bottle sitting about, so I chose to use fabric stapled on the stretched canvas instead. It worked!
• I also purchased the letters. There is no jigsaw time in my life and I will happily pay for letters to save time. With a 2 1/2-year-old, my DIY threshold dictates that the project must be completed within the span of 2 naptimes or it just won't ever get done. 
• I used hot glue to glue the letters to the fabric.

What you'll need to DIY:
Fabric (pre-cut fat quarters work if you use a 12"x12"canvas)
Pre-finished letters
Hot glue gun
Upholstery staple sun
Ribbon

Steps:
1. Get yourself organized. It took me 2 naptimes to rock out 6 letters.

2. Iron your fabric and lay it face down on your work surface. Lay the canvas face down on the wrong side of the fabric. Use the stapler to attach the fabric to the wooden frame of the canvas, folding the fabric in at the corners as neatly and as flat as you can get it.

3. Measure and cut the ribbon for each of the canvases. Attach the ribbon to the canvas using the staple gun.

 

4. Attach the wooden letters with a hot glue gun (this should work whether your letters are wooden or paper). Let them dry for a few hours before hanging to make sure they're secure.

5. I hung the letters using a simple carpentry nail, but you could also use no-mark hangers. I played with the ribbon a bit to cover the nail; you could hot glue a cute button or knob to the end of the nail if you want to embellish it.

Ta-da!  These letters on canvas are a great way to incorporate coordinating fabrics into a bedroom, no matter what age your kiddo may be.

Nursery Design Plan : Red and Brown Nursery for a girl

I'm not a big fan of girlie girl nurseries. I figure as soon as our little one hits age 5 we'll be redecorating everything with pink and purple so why not do something that goes with our home's decor until sparkles and Dora dolls become top priority.

So, take a look at the design board I've put together for a baby girl.

• The lamp consists of the Red Greta Candle Accent Lamp Base and the Red Stripes and Pom Pom lamp shade from World Market.  I really disliked the black pom pom trim that was on the shade when I bought it, and luckily for me, the glue used on it allowed me to peel it right off.  The trim is now in my trim basket awaiting another life.
• The Family Rules poster came from Etsy, which I frequent just to get good ideas. The gentleman that makes these posters will make them with custom background colors for a small additional charge.
• I loved the Davinci Emily 4-in-1 Convertible Crib, and lucky for me it scored high on Consumer Reports, so win-win. It's available online and at local boutique stores in my area (sorry, I couldn't find it at the chain stores).
• I found the red cotton India Rug online at Rosenberry Rooms.  I wanted something that could easily be washed. I'm not a fan of sick kids and loose pile carpet.
• Everything else in this nursery I found around and about. Fabrics all came from JoAnn's and a local drapery store. Paint colors from Home Depot. And for a personal touch I spelled out the little one's name on the wall above her crib using creme-colored capital letters from Pottery Barn Kids, hung with red ribbons.

Any ideas or suggestions?