How to decorate your baby's nursery?

I want to be the 795th person to tell you, “Congratulations!”. You are expanding your family and in a few short months, you will no longer be a family of 2. After the initial emotions even out, you can begin working on the fun stuff. Number one on the list is decorating the nursery. For me, this is the first step in solidifying the fact that a baby is on the way. So, what will you need to decorate your baby's nursery? We are going to talk about it all: diaper stackers, crib bedding sets, decorative pillows, nursery rugs, and musical mobiles. There are so many choices for each of these and it can become overwhelming. Don’t worry, it will all be fine. Ultimately your choice will be personal preference, but I hope I can help shed some light on what to look for when making your choice.

Diaper stackers are a huge help in the nursery. They help you stay organized and keep all of your diapers easy and within an arm’s reach of the changing table. I personally prefer the diaper stackers that hang on the end of the changing table. Most of these choices also offer an area on top to hold wipes and diaper cream. You will need these and other items to take care of the dirty work. All joking aside, these may seem like a funny looking tent to hang on the changing table, but they are a very handy tool to make the necessary tasks a little easier to handle.

Possibly the cutest thing you will pick out is the crib bedding. You can find almost any pattern, color or theme that you could dream of. I have to admit, some of the chevron print material is to die for. However, there are the traditional baby animals, nautical themes, and trains to choose from as well. A fitted sheet is the best kind of sheet to put in the crib. The crib bedding sets simply do not come with flat sheets anymore.

Keep the sleep space simple. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends a crib, bassinet or play yard that meets federal requirements, with nothing added to the sleep space except a fitted sheet. Place your baby on their back for sleep. Do not add pillows, blankets, bumpers or decorative accessories to the sleep space. A mesh liner or padded rail accessory should not be presented as a necessary part of crib bedding or as a guarantee of safe breathing or protection from injury. Read the CPSC guidance on infant sleep spaces before choosing bedding.

Decorative pillows and nursery rugs are for room decoration, outside the baby’s sleep space. Keep pillows out of the crib, bassinet and play yard. Use these items to really make the room look and feeling inviting and comforting. You will be spending quite a bit of time here over the next couple of years. There are rug choices that offer educational value if you’d plan on keeping it until your child is old enough to learn letters or numbers. Animal rugs or transportation themed rugs are also a great play toy for kids as they get older.

Would you like to hear the best part of all of these suggestions? The best part is that some companies offer a complete set already put together for you. This makes it extremely easy for you to buy all the matching accessories. Most come with the crib bedding set, a rug, a musical mobile, curtains and even some wall décor. Having a convenience like this is an amazing way to remove some of the stress of choosing matching products.

Enjoy planning for the arrival of your little one. This event will, by far, be the best day of your life. He or she will place a love in your heart that you did not know was possible. Planning how to decorate your baby’s nursery is only a very small part of the changes that are taking place, but make sure and enjoy each and every moment of all of them. Now go and plan and create the cutest, coziest and most adorable room you can imagine.

Grace A.

Editorial update: September 6, 2026. Sleep-space guidance updated with reference to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Plan storage as well as decoration

Decide where everyday changing supplies will go before filling the room with decorative items. For an option that uses door space, review the over-the-door hanging organizer and check its dimensions and mounting requirements against your room.