Decorating your baby’s room doesn’t need to cost a fortune. There are plenty of ways you can create your dream nursery on a budget – all it requires is a little creativity and some upcycling inspiration. With just a little love, you can reuse and repurpose old items and give them a new lease of life in your tot’s room. And don’t worry if you’re not feeling full of ideas – we’ve got plenty of inspiration for you.
Best ways to decorate your nursery
1 of 16Spice rack as a shelf
Give that dusty spice rack a facelift with a lick of paint. Fix it on your nursery wall and use it to display your baby’s objects.
2 of 16Shelf as a clothes rail
Baby clothes are just too cute to hide away. Keep them out on display by hanging them from a shelf. Instant showroom glam.
3 of 16Garden baskets for storage
If you’ve given up with trying to get plants to grow in wall baskets in the garden, clean them up and bring them inside for clever storage for your tot’s soft toys and books.
4 of 16Cot turned into a desk
Toddler outgrown her cot? Brandish your DIY skills and take off the side and raise the base to transform it into an art and craft desk for your little one’s room.
5 of 16Tires as storage bin
Clean and disinfect some tires, paint them up, put a bin lid on top and ta-da! You have yourself one very cool storage bin for your small person’s worldly goods.
6 of 16Plate racks as bookshelves
If you come across a bargain plate rack at a car boot sale or find an old one in the loft, paint it up and fix it to your tot’s wall (at a child-friendly height). It’s great for displaying books and you can even attach hooks on the base to hang his coats and bag from.
7 of 16Cot as a day bed
This is another genius idea for an unused cot. Simply chop off one long side, sand and repaint. Voila! You’ll have yourself a child-sized daybed.
8 of 16Ladder as a clothes rail
We love this rustic repurposed idea for hanging clothes. And as long as the ladder’s wooden, you can paint it any colour you like to co-ordinate with the room’s décor.
9 of 16Pillowcase as a toy bag
Make yourself a pillowcase from fabric of your choosing or simply give an old one a new purpose with this hanging toy bag idea. Hang it out of reach of your little one so there’s no risk of suffocation
10 of 16Crayon wall art
This is one seriously fun wall art idea. And all it takes is a pack of crayons. The perfect project for you and your tot to do together.
11 of 16Pegboard for storage
Lacking in space? A pegboard could be the answers to your storage stresses. Fix it above the changing table and use it to hang baskets filled with baby wipes, nappies and all of your other baby necessities.
12 of 16Crates as shelving units
There are quite literally dozens of things you can do with wooden fruit or wine crates. And they look amazing. We love the idea of using them as shelving units and you don’t even have to drill in the wall, you can simply stack them on the floor. It might be worth sanding them down first to avoid getting a splinter.
13 of 16Tent as a reading haven
Tents don’t have to only make an appearance in the good weather – you can bring yours indoors and use it as a reading nook for your toddler. And they make perfect readymade dens for sleepovers, too.
14 of 16Chalkboards as wall art
Chalkboards are great way to spruce up your tot’s room – and mean she can get all artistic whenever the mood takes her. Just remember to hang them at a toddler-friendly height!
15 of 16Suitcase as a toy box
While old fashioned carry suitcases aren’t very practical for holidays, they make great storage areas. Attach some small wheels or short table legs to the bottom and use it as a toy box or to store your little one’s clothes.
16 of 16Ladder as a bookshelf
If you’re renting and can’t drill into the wall to put shelves or just don’t want to, a ladder is a genius way to store your books. Position planks of wood across the rungs and fill it up!