Nursery Update: Curtains

The nursery is really starting to come together now.....and it's about time!!  My due date is fast approaching (2.5 weeks left), so the urgency is really starting to kick in!  The most current change to the room is the addition of some curtains.  I am a creature of habit, so I went with the same IKEA Ritva curtains that I've used in all my other rooms.  1) They are SOOOO affordable (at $19.99 per window, although I've seen them advertised anywhere from $14.99 to $24.99, so check online before heading to the store to see if they are running a sale); 2) Being a not-so-savvy sewer, they are SUPER-EASY to hem with included hem tape, and 3) They have a linen-like feel and touch, but are oddly sheer enough to still let some light into the room (although I'm planning to put some blackout shades on the windows as well, since light + sleeping infants = BAD NEWS.....or so I'm told).  I would highly recommend these curtains to ANYONE that is in the market for something simple and affordable.  And since I may not keep the curtains in his room forever (since I can just envision our little one tugging on them as soon as he is able), it is a totally affordable short-term solution.  And who knows, maybe he will steer clear of them and they will last up through his toddler years.....here's hoping!

So here is what they look like at the moment: 



This room gets a lot of light in the morning (when I'm always trying to take pictures for the blog, coincidentally), so I apologize for the washed out photos.  Despite the grainy-ness, you can still totally see what I mean about the light seeping through the curtains. This is lovely in all my other rooms, where I wanted a light and bright feel, but I think it will be troubling when I am trying to bribe convince my little bean that he should be napping.

So all in all, it was a super easy project for the nursery....which is probably why I kept putting it off.  I'm really glad they are done though, so that I can move on to some more DIY artwork projects.  Next on my agenda is to create two frames with the lyrics to "You are my sunshine."  I saw this idea on etsy the other day (check it out here) and was totally inspired.  I already have two frames from IKEA, that I talked about here, so I think I'm going to cut out white letters with an exacto knife and paste them onto yellow paper.  I tried designing and printing them on my computer, but I couldn't seem to get the right yellow to print out with my printer.  So, I picked up a piece of yellow and white cardstock from Michaels and will hopefully be making progress tonight after work (although, I have to admit that it has become harder and harder in the last few weeks to be productive after working and then commuting back home....all I want to do is lay on the couch and pass out).  But since baby could arrive any day now, I suppose I need to get my act together!   I'll keep you updated on my progress....

Oh, and before I forget, I received a comment the other day asking about the crib bedding.  I ended up just using yellow crib sheets (Koala brand from Babies R' Us) and will be making a crib skirt out of Serena and Lily's Slate Goldenrod Mosaic fabric.  It was a little price-y at $40/yd, but I loved it so much that I thought it would be worth it in the long run.  I will probably only need 1 yd when all is said and done, but you can only buy it in 2 yd increments, so I plan to make a cute pillow or something else for the room with it.  I'm also planning on doing some bunting above the crib (instead of a mobile) so I will be able to use some of the leftover fabric for that as well.  And I also purchased a striped blue crib bumper a few months back (before I even had the crib in my possession) and later learned that it doesn't fit properly in there.  My one requirement for using a crib bumper at all was that it would be perfectly snug all around to avoid potential suffocation.  So, in the end, I'm not going to use it (and since the crib is so chunky, I really don't need to either).  I have posted it up on craigslist and am crossing my fingers that it will work for someone else's crib!!  Wish  me luck!

And again, I'll definitely keep you guys posted on those projects as well. 

Have any of you done DIY-artwork projects lately???  Any nursery ones?  I would love

to see and hear all about them!!  Any extra ideas or inspiration would be great!!