Making the transition from a nursery to a toddler’s room can be daunting. Decorating and furnishing your baby’s space is an exciting task, but it doesn’t last very long. All too soon, you’ll need to redecorate for their new stage in life: toddlers!
But there are many ways to make this process simpler and more enjoyable.
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Here are 11 tips that will help you get started on your journey.
1. Start with a Plan
Moving your baby from a nursery to a toddler’s room can be stressful if you have no plan of action. So the first step in making the transition easier is to create a plan before you begin shopping for new décor.
You should consider what kind of bed your child will need at his or her new age since this will determine not only what you purchase but also how much space it takes up (i.e., twin vs. full-size beds).
You probably spent lots of time picking out the perfect mattress for your baby’s nursery, so why would you change it now? Well, even though it might seem crazy, you will want to get a new one once your little one becomes a toddler.
There are several reasons why, but the best ones for you to know about right now are related to safety and comfort. For instance:
- Older crib mattresses often sag in the middle, creating a dangerous gap where your child’s body might get stuck and suffocate (even if they’re only six months old).
- Many cribs come with thin mattresses that are best suited for babies, not active tots who like to run around and play freely in their rooms.
I would recommend checking out Nolah Mattress as they’ve some of the best children’s mattresses in their new collection.
2. Create a Schedule for Shopping
Creating a schedule will help you stay organized during this hectic shopping time. You may find it best
Also, think about any storage needs that might arise during this time and incorporate these into your design accordingly.
You may even want to refurbish their existing furniture, rather than buy all new items; whether you decide to keep things as they are or completely overhaul them is up to you.
3. Keep it Simple
During this stage of your child’s life, simple and neutral décor is the way to go. Your toddler will be more drawn to bright colors and bold patterns as he or she gets older, so why bother with them now? The idea here is to keep things calm and soothing for a little one who needs a lot of sleep!
Keep decorations on their walls few and far between, ideally no more than two at a time. This way they won’t have too many clashing patterns going on in any single area of the room – another lesson that can wait until later.
4. Cut the Clutter
The main difference between decoration for an infant vs. decoration for a toddler is that you don’t need any of it. As a general rule, try to avoid clutter entirely in your child’s new bedroom.
If there are too many items on the floor, that only invites your little one to play with them and create more mess. If there are too many things mounted on the walls, they may close their door for privacy – not exactly conducive to your desire to keep an eye on them at all times!
This is an early lesson in self-care, something you can teach later through negotiation rather than force.
5. Think Big
Toddlers have become much more mobile over time, which means their rooms have also gotten smaller! To compensate, buy furniture that takes up as much space as possible so they have the room to play.
This is especially important when it comes to their beds since they’ll be spending so much time there. Buying a twin or king-size bed for your child lets them stretch out and have more space to sit up, play, etc.
Also keep in mind that smaller furniture looks cuter than larger pieces, so if possible opt for smaller items rather than large ones.
6. Make It Fun
If you are just redecorating without changing any of the existing furniture, use wallpaper or fabric to create patterns on walls or simply paint stripes!
Other fun ideas include painting murals on their walls, either yourself or hiring a professional artist, using toy blocks to spell out words on the floor (i.e., their name), and adding other unique decorative touches like mobiles or ceiling hangings.
7. Speed Up the Process
If you’re impatient like most people, take the easy way out and use wall decals to add patterns and designs to your child’s walls. Plus they come in a variety of different themes and styles (i.e., sports, animals, vehicles) so there’s something for everyone.
You can also find very cute ones that contain matching wall stickers for their furniture! One word of caution: make sure you put these up yourself while your little one is at daycare; otherwise they’ll try playing with them and it’ll be twice as hard to get them clean after!
8. Hang it High
One of the best ways to keep your child from going into their closet is by hanging a curtain in front of it. This also helps make organizing their clothing more manageable, as they can simply reach for items on hangers instead of digging through piles on the floor.
9. Accessorize!
Give your little one’s ornaments and other decorative items a fun twist and let them see how cool they can look without you needing to shell out major bucks on new merchandise! Buy some plastic trophies at a toy store and let them be proud of all their accomplishments (no matter how minor).
If they’re scared of the dark, get glow-in-the-dark stars and put them up on walls or hang them from the ceiling so they can see where they are at night.
10. Buy Multiples
When it comes to wall hangings, paintings, etc., always buy multiples of the same thing so there’ll be no surprises! You can also use two or more similar pieces together as a bigger piece to create a big statement on the wall without having too many individual things cluttering up an area.
For example, you could attach three different-sized canvases using either glue or small nails to create one large picture! It’s best to do this before hanging them rather than trying to glue them together once they’re already mounted on walls.
11. Get the Right Tools
To properly hang items on walls, buy a hammer and some nails as well as a measuring tape so you can measure out where to place everything.
This is best done with two people since one of you can hold up the item while the other person hammers it into the wall. Make sure that all items are level before putting them up – no one likes crooked pictures (or crooked kids for that matter)!
Read: Birthday Wishes for Daughter from Dad
Conclusion
The best way to keep your child’s room kid-friendly and organized is by making it fun! You can use wall decals, hang curtains over the closet door, accessorize with plastic trophies or glow in the dark stars – whatever you need to do to make their space feel like home.
We hope this article has given you some ideas for how best to transform your baby’s nursery into a toddler’s room that they’ll enjoy spending time in.
Which of these tips have you already implemented?
Let us know about them so we can help spread the word on what other parents should try out as well!
