Tutorial Tuesday: Design your baby's Nursery Bedding

I've talked about Kristin (she gave away two adorable onesies from her Etsy store, Peaches and Palm Trees) and Kelly (who made me my original Monkeys on the Bed! header image) and their mom, Sandy (who, after planning two gorgeous weddings, jumped into the wedding industry as a very knowledgeable first-hand wedding coordinator!)

Well, Kelly is pregnant and due with the first grandchild on her side! Talk about exciting! This creative family is going to have that baby surrounded by so many unique, creative, and beautiful handmade items!

One thing that the grandma-to-be is all over is the nursery design. She mentioned a nifty design-your-own nursery bedding website on her blog and I promptly spent three hours on that site! I wish they made one for adult rooms!

It is pretty self-explanatory once you go on the site but I couldn't help but take you through a step-by-step guide of nursery-bedding-design!

1. Head on over to BabyBedding.com and go to their Custom Design Studio (or click here!)


2. You'll find a blankslate crib, just screaming to be decorated with fabrics of your choice



3. Pick a bedding item to start on--you can choose the bumper, skirt, quilt, or sheet. I always choose the bumper first because i think it sets the theme {special note: many parents choose NOT to use a bumper to ensure a more breathable crib. I like them and i used them but do your research first!}



4. Check out the fabric selection. I usually choose by color but you can choose by theme, too!



5. Also, if you want to see a wider variety, make sure you UNCHECK the "Guided Design Guide"--it is a handy tool because it tells you what colors and fabrics coordinate best with each other but it also limits the variety of fabrics that you see.




6. The fun thing about these bumpers are that they do not have to be all the same fabric! If you want a really fun bumper with alternating fabrics on the inside AND the outside, ONLY check the "Inside 2" and "Outside 2" when you choose your fabric. Then, ONLY check "Inside 1 "and "Outside 1" for the next, coordinating fabric--that way, it will alternate and not match up...{does that make sense? If not, try it for yourself and you'll see what I mean!}




7. Once you are satisfied with your bumper, designing the skirt should be easy! Most bedskirts match the bumper so go off your last design...or be radically different and change it up a bit!


8. The sheet is also crucial but it will be the one thing that you change the most! So keep in mind that you may or may not want a designer fabric sheet...I like to buy nice solid colored crib sheets from Target or Babies 'R' Us--cheaper, made for babies sleeping on them, and often softer (some designer fabrics aren't the softest!)


9. And don't forget one of the best features of this fun toy--it keeps all of your current used fabrics on hand at the bottom so you don't have to keep rifling through fabrics to find what you've already used (and want to use again!)
   




10. If you want to see what the finished fabric looks like with the railing up, just check the "Toggle" key and it will raise the railing:
    




11. I'm thinking about doing a Red Poppy theme if Baby #2 is a Girl and a Red Travel theme if Baby #2 is a boy...so this is what I came up with for the girl:



12. Of course, they do have a Sock Monkey fabric so you just never know....