“Where the Wild Things Are” is a journey of empathy for children who feel lonely and unappreciated, if only for a moment. It teaches them an important lesson, and it’s a fun story, making it the perfect nursery theme. Whether you loved the book as a child or love the movie, or both, you’re thinking about modeling a nursery after the book, but you need some Where the Wild Things Are Nursery Ideas. Hopefully, these will help.
1) And They Named Him King of All Wild Things
In the story “Where the Wild Things Are,” the wild things name Max king of all wild things. You can name your son king of all wild things, too, with this decal from Amazon. You can customize it with your child’s name, so it’ll say “And they named him king of all wild things,” with your baby’s name in the center on a crown. If you have a color scheme planned, you can change the colors in the decal to match, too.
2) Leafy Garland
“Where the Wild Things Are” is a story about a boy who spends time in a make-believe wilderness, so your decorations will have wild things and wilderness. You can use garlands of faux leaves like this to make the room look more like the jungle that Max traveled to in his imagination. You can wrap this garland around the ceiling and let it drape down in places. Try combining it with jungle imagery on the walls or furniture to create a comprehensive theme.
3) DIY Wild Things Drawing
If you don’t intend to paint all over the walls to make this dream come alive, wall art is the next best thing. We found this tutorial for drawing a wild thing that you can follow even if you’re not a skilled artist yourself. Then, frame it and put it on the wall. You can even try using the same method and the pictures in the book to create the other wild things if you want a few pictures to place around the room.
4) Wild Things Baby Blanket
A child’s baby blanket is often something that sticks with them for years, long after they’ve outgrown it. Like throw blankets for adults, they make lovely decorations when draped on a chair, blanket ladder, or over the edge of furniture like a crib. Then, they become a cozy comfort item to help your little one sleep at night. Blanket ladders may be a nice way to display a Wild Things blanket like this because they’re a vintage-style item, and so is the book.
5) Wild One Banner
This banner from Amazon is designed for a “Where the Wild Things Are” birthday party, but it’d be a perfect decoration for a thematic nursery, too. You can hang the banner above your wild one’s crib or on an accent wall to show that they’re a wild one, just like Max was in the story. Since it’s designed as a birthday decoration and not a permanent one, it doesn’t cost much, and you can just throw it away when your baby is too old for the nursery.
6) Wall Mural
Murals would be a wonderful way to transform your nursery into the wildland Max imagined in “Where the Wild Things Are,” but if you’re like most parents, you’re probably thinking that they’re too hard for you, or that they’re expensive. While you can definitely hire somebody to paint one, you can also use this tutorial to make a wall background that fits the story with step-by-step instructions. The article has written instructions and there’s also a video you can watch.
7) Growth Chart with Arrows
Growth charts are valuable ways in which we measure our child’s progress. Each mark as they grow taller symbolizes their progress in many ways, not just their height. These childhood symbols are wonderful things to have in a nursery, and if you get a tall enough one, it can measure their height almost all the way to adulthood. For your “Where the Wild Things Are” nursery, we found this tree-shaped growth from Amazon with wild animals climbing it. This will make it feel like you’re in a wild place, but without cluttering the room with too many wild things.
8) I’ll Eat You Up I Love You So Wall Sign
When Max leaves, the wild things don’t want him to go. They say “we’ll eat you up, I love you so” as he gets in his boat and sails away from them. This quote is symbolic of all the love Max felt in that wild place and of the love you want your baby to feel, so we found this wall sign from Amazon with a crown and that quote on it. This way, your baby can feel the love you have for them.
SEE ALSO: 23 Peach Nursery Ideas
9) DIY Wild Thing Letters
People love to put letters in their baby’s room. The letters can spell the baby’s name or a cute or thematic message, adding character to the space and sometimes teaching the child their first letters. You can make Wild Thing letters like these for your nursery using colors that are common in the book, such as the brown, green, and orange tones of the forest and wild things. This fits the theme, and it doesn’t take much artistic expertise.
10) Three Popular Quotes Wall Art
If you have a favorite quote from “Where the Wild Things Are,” by all means, create decorations with it. Try finding a printable or use a photo editor to add the quote to a picture of a wild thing. If you aren’t a DIYer, you can also grab something like this with three of the most inspirational, fun, and popular quotes from the book. The quotes proclaim your baby king of all wild things and tell him you love him while encouraging him to have fun. This trio of messages truly captures the nature of the book.
11) 36-Inch Wild Things Poster
The scene in the book where Max and the wild things hang from trees like monkeys is probably one of the most fun scenes, and it’s the perfect one to add to a nursery. We found this large 36-inch poster of that scene on Amazon so that you can hang it on a wall as a centerpiece. It’ll take up enough room to become a pronounced part of the room, adding a fun element to the decor.
12) Green and Sky
If you like the idea of a mural but aren’t an artist and don’t want to hire one, you can do some simple things that mimic the effect of a mural. For example, you can use sponges to create a sky effect like the blue and white sky in this nursery, then paint the bottom half green. Make sure that the lines between colors blur together, and try using sponges to add texture. Then, your posters and other decorations will look like they’re in a wild place like the setting of the book.
SEE ALSO: 25 Black and White Nursery Ideas
13) Birch Tree Growth Chart
It’s easy to lose track of just how much your little one is growing when you’re there every day. Growth charts are popular because they allow you to see that hidden growth on a year-by-year basis and realize just how much was going on. We found this birch tree growth chart with leaves on it that’d work well with a “Where the Wild Things Are” theme. Since it doesn’t have animals on it, you can imagine that it really is a tree from the book, and a wild thing could be just around the corner.
14) Start With Nature
In a thematic nursery, you shouldn’t go overboard with the theme. You’ll want to start decorating with a neutral or non-thematic base, then add a handful of decorations and characters from the book or movie. In this instance, the best base is earthy neutrals that create a nature-themed nursery like this one from Practical and Pretty. Then, add the wild things in the form of toys, posters, statues, or anything else you can think of.
15) Printables
Printable decorations are a quick and easy way to make free or cheap wall art for a nursery. They look nice but don’t break the bank, making them ideal for a room that won’t have the same theme as your child grows up. We found these printables for a “Where the Wild Things Are” party, so all you need to do is download and print them, then frame them to make them look more permanent. You can also print them on cardstock and not frame them.
16) Book Wall Decor
If you’re a fan of the “Where the Wild Things Are” book, you’ll probably love this next idea. You can buy book-themed wall decorations like this to hang up. In this case, it has a dictionary page with a book quote and pictures of the story characters over it. The page it’s printed on is vintage, so the entire print will have a vintage look that’d be perfect for a vintage “Where the Wild Things Are” book-themed nursery.
17) I’ll Eat You Up I Love You So Vinyl
The book quote “we’ll eat you up I love you so” shows the wild things’ love for Max, and something that says “I’ll eat you up I love you so” will show your love for your baby the same way. Like the wild things love Max, you love your baby and want to give them a happy life, so we found this vinyl wall decal with that quote on it. The nice thing is that it’s peel and stick, making it easy to use, and it should come off without damaging the wall later on.
18) Bright Colors and Thematic Decor
When you design a thematic room, you don’t want to go overboard with the themed furniture and decorations. A good trick for keeping things in check is to start with non-thematic furniture like this family did and then get decorations that fit the theme. Since only the decor is thematic, you won’t have an overabundance of wild things, but it’ll still be a distinctly themed room. You can take inspiration from some of the decorations in their room and from our list to fill out your decor.
19) Woodland Base
One way to create a cute childish nursery that still fits your chosen theme is to start with a woodland base. You can buy adorable furnishings like this woodland bedding set that has orange foxes and brown creatures that match the “Where the Wild Things Are” color scheme. Then, add stuffed animals and wall art with the characters from the story. This way, you don’t end up with five of each character as you would if every piece you bought was “Where the Wild Things Are” themed.
20) Tent
In the book, Max sent the wild things to sleep and sat in his tent feeling lonely. While your child should never feel lonely, you can buy or make a tent like Max’s to add to your “Where the Wild Things Are” decor. Try making a simple tipi like the one in this article from Kara’s Party Ideas. This can become your go-to spot for tummy time and a place for your baby to play. Then, as your child grows up, it’ll become a cozy space for them to snuggle up in with a book.
21) Tree Stump Bins
Since the wild things live among the trees, it only makes sense to make the nursery feel like it’s in a wild forest or jungle. One way to do that’s to get tree stump storage bins like these. The bins look like tree stumps, and they’re the perfect size for toys or baby clothes. These types of bins are also convenient because they work for young kids, too, so you won’t have to get rid of them right away as your child grows up.
Did one of these ideas spark your imagination? Do you have a few ideas of your own? We can’t wait to hear your thoughts about these nursery ideas in the comments below!
