DIY nursery decorations and crafts

Planning and decorating the nursery can be a fun way for parents-to-be to keep busy while everyone waits patiently for the baby's arrival. You’ll find plenty of décor items in stores and online. However, adding a few handmade accents will help the space feel more special and infused with love.

Creating hand-crafted nursery decor is a great idea for a baby shower or first birthday present as well. If you’re afraid you don’t have a creative bone in your body, don’t worry! Our list includes projects for beginners and advanced crafters.

Keep reading for some of the most Beautiful DIY nursery decor ideas.

1. DIY Door Latch Cover

Babies are notoriously light sleepers. Nothing is more frustrating for new parents than their child waking up right after they closed the nursery’s door. With these easily DIY-able door latch covers, closing the nursery door without waking your baby will no longer be an issue.

The elastics on the doorknobs make sure the door shuts quietly. The cover is thin so the door will still close, but the latch will not click. These also help prevent your child from accidentally locking themselves in even after they learn how to turn the doorknob.

2. Silhouette Artwork

You can easily transform any picture, animal, or cartoon character into cool silhouette art using Google's search engine power. Simply print your image on coloured paper, trim the outlines, and glue it to a white sheet of paper.

Finding the right images can get difficult, so here’s a tip: try searching for "free colouring pages" for results. For this beautiful DIY nurse décor idea, you'll find everything from simple line drawings to cartoon characters.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to printing on bright colours. You can have fairies and unicorns all on one wall for a fairy-tale theme. Or you could have a wall with different farm animals. What a fun way to introduce your baby to animals!

3. DIY Family Handprints

This is a fun family project that everyone can participate in. It will also serve as a priceless memento for years ahead. The process is a piece of cake. You can use drawing paper or a pre-hung canvas from a craft store. Then you'll have to decide on a few colours. Acrylic or craft paintwork well because they are both water-based and easy to clean up.

Next, call a meeting of all your family members. Apply your first coat of paint to your father's hand and stamp it onto the paper. Let it air-dry. Next up is Mom's hand. Coat it with her favourite colour, stamp, and let dry.  Repeat this for the rest of your little ones.

Once all the hand stamps are dry, you're all set to begin framing. Simply hang your one-of-a-kind work of art in a prominent spot in the nursery where you can admire it every day!

4. DIY Pom Pom Rug

Every day, your house is there for you, with walls, a roof, and heat. A squishy, textured floor rug only adds to the homey and cosy feel and if we’re being honest, a DIY pom-pom rug is as much of a gift for the feet and eyes as it is for the floors.

Nothing beats sinking your bare feet into this homemade pom pom rug as you lay your baby on the changing table for a midnight diaper change. This rug adds a lot of texture to a nursery – making it great for babies to squirm around on and stylish moms to use as home decor. Learn how to make this beautiful DIY nursery décor idea right here.

5. Hot Air Balloon Paper Lantern

Is there anything cuter than a paper lantern hot air balloon in a rainbow of vibrant colours? In addition to looking great in a nursery, these would also be wonderful party decorations! Make multiple in different colours and hang them in front of a cloudy backdrop for added pizzazz.

Hot air balloons are one of our favourite DIYs because they don't take up much space. Close the lanterns by removing the metal part on the inside and putting it back together the same way you found it. In case you have a lot of craft and party supplies, they won't take up much room. Here’s how you can make these yourself.

6. DIY Cloud Garland

How about a cloud garland to go with your paper lantern hot air balloon? Here’s how to make soft, dreamy clouds that your baby will love waking up to.

To begin, sketch a few cloud shapes. Create two cloud shapes by folding the fabric in half and then cutting. Using them as a template, you can trace and cut out more shapes. Attach the two halves with a little fabric glue. You'll want to leave a gap of about two inches after the glue has dried so you can stuff each cloud. Repeat this for the rest of the clouds.

Once the clouds are full of stuffing, glue them close. To weave the clouds together, cut slits in each clouds' upper back to allow the yarn to pass through. Place the clouds however you desire and voila! Your garland is ready to be hung up on your nursery wall.

7. Floating Box Shelves

When hung among picture frames, gallery wall nooks and crannies add a great deal of visual interest. These floating shelves are super simple to make (15 minutes tops!). This beautiful DIY nursery décor idea is very versatile and easy to customize. You can use vintage cigar or wine cases, or any old box you have lying around.

You can easily switch and change the items on these shelves. While these are for a children's room/nursery, you can use any paper and trinkets you want to make them fit your decor.

8. DIY Wall-Mounted Baby Mobile

You can keep your child entertained and stimulated with a baby mobile for hours on end. However, there aren’t many that are small enough to be hung over a changing table. And using toys isn’t the same because you don’t always have them at arm’s reach.

This beautiful DIY nursery decor is made with only a few common household items. To complete your baby's mobile, use some of their favourite toys or ones you already have around the house.

No more looking for toys or flapping of hands! This easy-to-make baby mobile will do the trick. It will keep your baby occupied while you change his or her diaper and the toys will last for a long time. 

This hand made macrame nursery decoration from The Green Mumma is a beautiful example of what can be made, or you can cheat and purchase it from The green mumma nursery decoration 

9. Homemade Rustic Nursery Décor

One of our favourite DIY nursery decor ideas is to make a keepsake sign for your child to enjoy for a long time to come. Rustic does not have to be boring just because you're going for a simple nursery without a lot of bright colours. This baby-welcoming wall art can be made and hung right above the crib to greet new parents.

You don't need any tools to complete this easy and inexpensive DIY project. Although we adore these huge wood signs above the crib, you can use them anywhere in your house or office. Pick your favourite quotes and put on your painting shoes because it's DIY time!

10. Baby Wardrobe Shelf

What your new-born isn’t wearing, put it on display!  Make the most of your limited storage space by utilising those teeny-tiny outfits in this inventive way. This beautiful DIY nursery décor idea is very inexpensive to make, so you'll have more to spend on...cuter clothes, of course! The tutorial can be found at Fresh Mommy.

Begin by screwing a Bygel Rail to the bottom of an IKEA Lack wall shelf, and then mount it as usual. Your books and decor items will stand on the shelf, while clothes will be hung on the shelf below. Add some nice wooden hangers and you'll have a place to hang baby things while also adding some style to the space!

11. Baby Card Artwork

When you're expecting a child, your heart fills with so much love that you wish you could bottle it up and give it to your new child. With a little help from Veronika of Veronika's Blushing, you can turn your baby shower cards into affordable nursery wall art.

All you need is some poster board, scissors, glue, a picture frame, and all the baby cards you have received. Cut your desired shape out of each card. Veronika went with hearts, but you could have little ducks, clouds, stars – the possibilities are endless.

All that’s left now is to stick these onto the poster board, and your baby card artwork is ready to be put up!

12. DIY Keepsake Shadow Box

A shadow box is a great way to show off special mementoes such as the baby's hospital ID bracelet or birth announcement, as well as their first dress or cap. Baby shadow boxes take just three steps to put together and look great in your nursery.

You'll never forget how tiny your kid was, or how thrilled you were to have them in your arms when they were firstborn. This project lets you put your treasured mementoes and photos on display instead of storing them away. Check Tinybeans to find out how to execute this beautiful DIY nursery décor idea for your baby.

13. DIY Baby Gym

You can create your own Scandi-chic baby gym for a fraction of the cost of buying one. Designed by Empty Handed, this DIY wooden gym is just as stylish as any store-bought version, but it also doubles as a play tent frame, allowing you to swap out the toys.

It's an affordable and beautiful DIY nursery decor idea if you have a few basic tools and are comfortable using them. Here’s a quick run-down of the process:

The length and direction of your gym's legs will depend on how high and wide your gym will be. Mark the point where two of the legs cross each other on your work surface. Cut out the crossing part of the legs with a smooth finish using a handsaw and chisel. Do the same with the other pair of legs.

Each set of legs should be angled slightly so that they rest flat on the ground when assembled. Assemble your joining legs, then drill a hole for the cross beam dowel, glue them together, and clamp them together. Sand the gym after the glue has dried completely, and seal it with a layer of danish oil.

14. Decorative Woodland Animals

Why not use handmade forest creatures as a centrepiece for a child's room, a toy, or a cake topper? It's easy to make an entire forest of adorable creatures with Shrimp Salad Circus's recipe. As a bonus, you can use this DIY nursery decor idea as a cute baby shower gift!

You don't have to be an artist to make these woodland creatures come to life. Learn how to make four distinct animals with Shrimp Salad Circus' step-by-by-step directions.

15. DIY Mobile Crib

When it comes to DIY projects, the simplest ideas are often the most adorable, and this ribbon mobile is no exception. All you need is a circle hoop and some gorgeous ribbon pieces to hang from it over the cot or change table for you and your baby to enjoy.

Using ribbon in the nursery adds a whimsical touch, and it can be dyed to match the room's decor colours. This tutorial follows a baby girl design, but it's totally doable for a boy. Save for a few burns from the hot glue gun, this is a fairly straightforward craft to put together!

The Cutest Nursery for the Cutest Baby!

Even on a small budget, you can create a beautiful nursery with the ideas discussed above. With a few low-cost materials and a little DIY imagination, you can transform the house's most crucial room into a fashionable retreat full of creative design touches. The above simple nursery ideas are excellent if you're seeking new inspiration or a strategy to save money without losing design.