21 Jan 2012 FUNKY FRUGAL: Jacob Owen's nursery

by Tanner Cangelosi

We are so blessed and excited because this month we expect the arrival of our son, Jacob Owen. You’re probably wondering why such a “normal” name after names like CoCo and ZuZu, and the answer is – it’s family – and double names are so sweet.

So as you guessed, as soon as I found out the gender, I went to work creating a nursery just for him.

I took the colors I used for our middle daughter’s room and reused them. If you have a tight budget and are planning for kids, choose your core colors (big items) based on gender neutrality. Then you can always throw in a little pink and purple if you want. 

The theme I chose was “vintage boy.” I love vintage things, and I also knew that I already had some things that I could repurpose for free. 

The bedding was where I started. My sweet friend from church gave us a Jenny Lynn crib and changing table that she had painted brown. I then distressed it with a sage green paint and used a red sheet with white bumper that I already had. For the bed skirt I used old fabric that I had purchased years ago and saved, and it matched the wall color almost perfectly. I attached it with safety pins and fabric glue!

After scooting the crib to the side, my neighbor came over and helped me paint one accent wall a deep red. I love the drama of one accent wall. I then taped off three large stripes and used metallic paint that I already had to create a faux finished stripe look.  Above the crib I like to paint on the wall to prevent anything from falling on the baby. I painted a sail boat that matched my room colors. Around the boat I hung frames (from the Dollar General that I already had) with pages torn from a vintage sail boat book.  

On the opposite wall I used old frames and painted them the same accent red that I used previously. I then measured each one, took the measurements to Home Depot and they cut for me a thin piece of plywood for each frame. After bringing the thin pieces of wood home, I painted them chalkboard and inserted them into the frames. I painted one like a vintage scoreboard (an idea I got from Pinterest.com). I hung all the frames and then put old family photos, which I had enlarged at Crossman Printing, in them. 

I used the same bedding with a motorcycle pillow that my mother-in-law made for my husband when he was young. I hung a football and an old golf club from my husband’s office above some photos.  

Overall this was a cheap project that just took a little time and thinking outside the box. I sure hope that Jacob Owen Cangelosi enjoys it, because I know that I will enjoy him!

Rock-a-bye

Crib and Table FREE

Fabric $3
Old photos $10
Paint $35
Plywood $20

Vintage books $2

REPURPOSED: Golf club, motorcycle pillow and 

football

TOTAL $70