Quantcast

Bower Power

· 44 Comments

Nursery News – Bedding

OUR 1st HOUSE

I thought it was high time for a nursery update.  Who’s with me?! 

Yeah – I saw a hand in the back.  (sucker!)

So let’s get to it.  Here is an update on what we did for the bedding.  Fortunately, our crib was equipped with a mattress platform that could be moved to an upper level (which comes in handy for those of us Bower’s with c-section incisions!).  Unfortunately, our crib was equipped with a mattress platform that could be moved to an upper level (leaving a huge space underneath that a standard crib skirt would not cover.)  BOO.

With the option to just buy a standard crib skirt out the window, I knew that the next best option would be to whip together something homemade for our cabin-turned-clean&modern themed nursery.  That’s when I found a plaid navy and white fabric at my favorite Scandanavian super-store. 

   

The accent fabric was spied at Ikea and all I needed was two yards to add a little country splash to the skirt I had in mind.  I could have made the entire skirt out of the navy & white plaid fabric but I didn’t love how the pattern looked underneath the bars of the crib.  The vertical lines of the wood bars seemed to compete with the cheap ikea fabric…so I decided that I could make a two panel skirt.  The first panel would be plain navy and then the second panel (the fabric that would graze the floor) would be the plaid. 

Seven hours later (when it comes to sewing, I am not the brightest star in the galaxy), the crib skirt was finished.  I loved how it grazes the floor and the solid navy creates a background for the vertical crib bars to basically fade away into. For the last layer, we just bought a cheap solid white crib mattress sheet and threw it on for a complete bedding arrangement. 

Now you might notice that we didn’t create a bumper.  Everything we researched told us that it wasn’t necessary for newborns and in fact, could be a hazard for those little people who can’t control their rollin-over skills yet.  We did snag some additional plaid fabric for a future bumper when Will heads into toddler-dom. 

We did however, pick up a little something to add a little cush to the crib – one was this pillow cover from Ikea.  We gave the crib a little accent by adding two throw pillows (the solid navy pillow is from Ikea and the navy & white pillow was from TJMaxx) which are easily removed for naptime and are actually super comfy for supporting my shaky arm during nighttime feedings.   

The best part about the homemade crib skirt (besides the clean lines and the cabinesque feel) is the fact that it increases my storage space in the room.  Hidden underneath the panels of fabric, I can fit up to SIX (as in one more than FIVE!) 40 QT plastic bins!  One hundred points who can calculate the total quartage 🙂

That amount of storage is perfect for all our too-big or too-small baby clothing.  And with my fixation of Baby Gap clothes, extra storage space is really used! 

So that’s the update of how we added a homemade crib skirt while adding storage and the modern cabin-y feel all in one simple twenty buck move.  For a few dollars more, the cushions pulled double duty (heehee…doodie!) as elbow-supporter & adds a little design aesthetic that makes me happy.  And that is priceless 🙂

Anyone out there with me on the frustrating too-short crib skirt issue?  Or maybe you found the perfect length crib skirt online?  Maybe you are a fellow under-bed storer?  Spill those baby Gap clothes…err…details on your hidden storage secrets. Man…I gotta get baby off the brain 🙂

0 Shares

Comments

  1. Love your end result and all that added storage! We don’t store anything under our bed, but we do have the Ikea bedframe which hides storage in the headboard with the pull-out units.(I think it’s the Malm style.) Hiding our clutter is great. Hope you’re getting into the swing of things!

  2. 200 quarts!

    I am so happy to hear someone else takes a ridiculously long time to sew. My mom and I whipped together some curtains last weekend and it took 8 hours for two tab-top basic rectangle panels. the worst of it is that I didn’t even sew the panels (bought them on the cheap at BB&B) – all I did was add a black grosgrain ribbon border in a basic rectangle shape and it took FOREVER. But now they’re done, hanging in my bedroom and looking fab. Sewing is worth it so good job!

  3. You had a c-section! I’m dying to hear the rest of the birth story so that was just a little insight into what happened next. I just rearranged our bedroom & now the open space under our bed is very visible from the doorway to our room. We can use a bed skirt because of the style of bed we have so we can’t hide much of anything under there : / Any ideas on how to hide stuff & still make it look nice & neat? Someone should make really wide, short baskets (like your 40 quart bins) to slide under beds.

  4. My crib skirt was too short, but I put baskets that I loved seeing, filled with extra baby blankets underneath. Neat, tidy and functional for me.
    Your crib skirt looks awesome!
    Hope you’re LOVIN’ that gorgeous baby!

  5. Nice! Probably wouldn’t be an issue if Will is at the other end of the crib, but pillows and stuffed animals are supposedly one of the biggest sids risks… up there with the bumper. They are so easily moved, though, and this looks so beautiful!

  6. Hey Katie! I’ve been wanting to add my own CONGRATULATIONS!!! on the birth of Will. But it took awhile because our own baby Jonathan arrived the 10th – only two days after Will! I made my husband check your blog Sat morning while we were walking around the hospital in labor (just me in labor, not hubby) 🙂 I was pretty sure he was already born (and he was!) but you hadn’t announced it yet. I’m still mad at your doctor, whoever he was, that made you labor for 36!!!!!! hours before deciding a c-section was necessary. Not cool. So sorry you had to go through that. I went from 20 hours of labor with our first to only 11 with Jonathan – pretty cool cutting all that time out! Anyway, to answer your question, I didn’t use a crib skirt for the crib when Sophia used it because I could never find anything I liked. So I’m not sure I’ll do anything for it now that Jonathan’s here either! But yours looks great, and that’s great storage under there. It’s amazing how many clothes those little ones have! Hope you’re recovering well. I feel GREAT now that I’m not pregnant anymore. Gotta work on the weight now. Second one messes up your body more than the first (at least for me, that’s what I’ve found). Have a great evening! LauraC

  8. Loving that basket next to the crib!! Is it to carry the baby around? I’m only 14 weeks along and so curious about all of this gear I’m supposed to be getting. Where is the basket from?

  10. Hey, I work for a company the publishes information for mothers-to-be and new moms. All of our research and experts say that cribs should be entirely bare – nothing in the crib but the baby. Here’s the link to the source we use http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/Safe_Sleep_2009_Eng.pdf I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see it but it gives you a lot of advice about the safest sleep environment for your baby. I hope this helps!

  11. yay! so happy to see a post from you today. Although I was hoping to see a pix of lil Will. I vote for a pix of Will on every post you make! Babies do change a lot!

  12. I love your blog (started from Day 1 after discovering it, read through the archives over the course of a month, and now check back daily for the latest) and have really enjoyed reading about your adventures in pregnancy/motherhood. I’ve never commented before, but as a pediatrician to be, I’d have a funny feeling in my gut if I didn’t say something. Renee is right – as super cute as those pillow are, they (along with stuffed animals, fluffy blankets, bumpers) are a big risk factor for SIDS. Your boy is too beautiful to risk it.

    Can’t wait for the rest of the birth story!

  13. No worries Katie! Like I said in the body of the post, I definitely take out the pillows and the stuffed animals before putting Will down for a nap. I wouldn’t want to risk it! Right now, he has only actually slept in there once during an afternoon snoozer but once he permanently moves in, I will be sure to remove the pillows full time! Thanks for saying it though – many mom’s need the reminder!
    Xo – kbub

  17. I LOVE the extra storage under that super-cut crib skirt! My crib is lower to the ground, so find a skirt that was too long was what I ran into. Now that we’ve lowered the crib for our older baby girl, the skirt doesn’t fit. I’m going to need to make a skirt now.

  19. Very nice job! I do gotta say, though, that I am in need of more Baby Story! Even though I know I how it turns out (duh), I can’t wait to hear more!

  20. Yep, another post exactly like the one over at YHL, just a few weeks removed. I don’t know why I keep stopping by…

  21. Hi Beth,
    I know. It’s a shocker how both of us are fans of underbed storage. In fact, I haven’t seen her post (I’ve been a little bit preoccupied lately with the new guy in my life) so your comment is just a great reminder that I need to check out Sherry’s post! Thanks!
    XO – kb

  24. It looks great! I love the solid navy at the top and am now wondering if I should do the same. Our crib skirt fabric just arrived in the mail a few minutes ago, and it’s a vertical stripe pattern.

    If you’d still like to have something covering the rails, several of my friends recommended breathable bumpers, which are mesh. We plan on using one. Babies R Us carries them.

  25. We have 4 large under bed storage baskets from ikea. They are made to fit perfectly under your bed.
    This is the link to the Canadian site:
    http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/30039586
    They look great because you can store lots under the bed and no one can see what’s in them – they just look nice.
    I didn’t pay full price but found them all on craiglist or kijiji.

  26. Looks great! Will will (hehe) love his crib when he moves into his room! I hope you are enjoying every second of being his mommy and that those hormones are tapering off now (I was a ball of tears for the first few weeks!).

  28. Good for you for not using a bumper pad for the crib. I have been on a one woman campaign against these since I had a scare with my own child. Ugh!! Most new moms assume that bumper pads are a must…..NOT!! Hurry for you!
    Laura

  29. Super cute as always, Katie. And it looks like your routine is getting better – two posts in a week 🙂 No rush, though. Here’s hoping that Will is an agreeable baby!

    We got our crib skirt online from Target. It has brown corduroy at the top and green leaf print at the bottom. Our base isn’t adjustable, so we just went with the standard trusty bed skirt.

  31. Hi, I’m a brand new fan of yours and I just love your blog! But I can’t believe you are already writing after just having a baby! I have a 1.5 year old and can tell you, you are in for the best year of your life–congratulations! Your lil Will is super cute too!

  32. So cute and not the ‘prepackaged bedding’ that you see everywhere. I can’t find the post but where did you get your crib? Was this another craigslist find?

  33. Ok, I’m commenting again…to stick up for you! I read the comment from Beth and found it rather harsh and not cool.
    Anyway, I don’t see anything wrong with having similar posts as YHL…because you ARE both doing something VERY similar…having a baby (and all of the subsequent prep for it!). And it’s been fun ride watching both blogs get ready for the new addition in your own way. Keep on, I say!

  34. I’m sorry, but I have to say that Beth girl was incredibly rude. Bower Power and YHL are my two f a v o r i t e blogs for many different reasons. Obiviously you will be doing similar posts about nursery items, seeing as your due dates were about a month apart.

    Katie, you did a great job of deflecting her rude comment.

    -Liz

  35. Ok, so I just saw your blog yesterday and started glancing through it. I loved your love story, those always draw me in like a moth to a flame! You just had a baby, and I love babies!! And don’t think I’m weird, please, but if I could just clone your house and transplant it to MO, I totally would! I even forced my poor husband to peruse through some of your before and after photos to show how close your style is to what we like. So thanks for having a cute love story, house, and baby! I think it will brighten my day from time to time.

  36. that looks great! love the two toned skirt (i agree that the bars would’ve competed with the fabric too much) and love the extra storage space. and it’s actually 240 quarts (which i HOPE someone’s already guessed correctly).

    glad to hear that your purchases are not just pretty, but also practical too! (as in the pillows in the crib and whatnot)

    take care!

  38. I think the cribskirt looks great right now but I do have a question for you. Won’t the skirt be too long once you have to lower the mattresses? Will you just shorten it? Or fudge it by tucking the extra fabric under the top mattress? I make custom bedding and my solution was to make a cribskirt that sits on the ground (about 1″-2″) when the mattresses are down. This means that you can see under the crib a little when they are at the highest point so I put some baskets under at the visible parts so the storage looks okay. Once it is lowered to the mid range the storage will be completely hidden. Yes, it is a tricky situation but that was the best I could come up with. Also, I like that you acknowledge how long it takes to sew. I spend about 40 hours a week sewing and I don’t think people realize how much goes into it…

  39. Love the storage boxes under the crib. We have a crib with a pull-out drawer and it’s just hard to use. You make me wish I could go back again (my kids are 5, almost 4, and 21 months–I guess it’s a little late, huh?)

  40. I LOVE this! I actually love your entire house! Where did you get your duvet cover on your bed? I love it and it looks so cozy!!! Please let me know 🙂

  43. Hey, I have been drooling over Will’s nursery for the longest time and now I am expecting a baby boy in Feb 2012 and have used this nursery for inspiration!!!! I am having problems finding navy and white gingham (plaid) fabric!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve gotten so many swatches of the different size of checks and none of them seem to big enough except for the 1 inch, and that is very hard to find!!!!!! Online Ikea doesn’t have the exact accent fabric you used, but it does shoe the red and white check! Guess I’ll have to make a trip to the store to check and see if maybe it’s just not listed on the website!!!!! Could you tell me if that accent fabric is the 1 inch check or not??? Thanks!

  44. I have no idea if it’s 1 inch check but I do know that it is EXACTLY like the red except for the color – so if the red is 1 inch then yes, it is.
    xo – kb

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the latest via email!