DIY Nursery Art

When designing Henry's nursery, we really didn't have a ton of money to spend (um, hello. we still don't). I wanted to fill his walls with colorful pictures but do you even know how expensive those can get? Before he was born I got really into making these framed prints. Easy, cheap, and fun? Yes, please.

Start looking for cute pictures that catch your eye and/or match the theme of your nursery. Pull out old storybooks from your past, search the thrift stores, and visit the library. With so many amazing childrens artists, the possibilities are endless! Images with less busywork happening around them work best because a) they are easier to cut out/paste and b) they stand out against your background color.

I chose this cute little marching bear because I love the colors, they match Henry's room so perfectly. Scan and print your image (for better quality or larger prints go to a copy store).

If you want to add text to your picture there are many awesome font programs available for little or no cost (I use Picnik). Play around with colors, placement, and size until you find something that works well with your image. You could also pick up some letter stickers from your local craft store!

Cut and paste your prints onto a background of a different color. I suggest using a thicker paper like cardstock and you can find a rainbow of these in the scrapbooking section of any craft store. I use cheap glue sticks which seem to do a pretty good job, but you might want to use a scrapbooking glue stick so that your image doesn't bubble or peel up over time.

Your paper will look something like this (almost done!) Now all you have to do is frame it! Frames can be pretty pricey so I buy most of mine from thrift stores. I love that you can always find vintage wooden frames for under five dollars.

Of course, these look cute unframed too. Because this was a smaller image I ended up displaying it on Henry's knick knack shelf.



Have fun!