You love the idea of a nursery that’s not standard or heavily planned. While having a baby is an in-depth experience and you’ve probably planned everything you can, the nursery should look like an organic and free space, so you’re trying to find ways to make it feel that way. These whimsical Nursery Ideas should make a good starting point.
1) Clouds
Clouds are common nursery decorations, but that doesn’t make them any less appropriate for a whimsical nursery. They’re ethereal, changing shape and fading or appearing from nowhere making them the perfect representation of what you want in this nursery. You can get cloud decals or wall decorations like these that are made from natural materials. Such materials create a more natural look that’s better for a child’s natural intelligence and gives them a feel for the outside world.
2) Hot Air Balloon
How many people wish they could float away in a hot air balloon? It’s the ultimate symbol of adventure, appearing in so many adventure films and books. People don’t think of the restrictions of airports and landing strips when they see these balloons but of infinite possibility and flying away to wherever the wind takes them. You can use them as nursery decorations to promote that impression; we even found a hot air balloon decoration made from natural materials for you.
3) DIY Door Hanger
The stars and the moon are good choices for creating a whimsical impression because people often look up at the stars and daydream. They try to trace constellations and imagine the stars forming the shapes of hunters and spoons, then turn to the moon to say hello to an old man made of cheese. Many tales have been told about the moon and stars that create an instant sense of whimsy. If you’d like to include them, you can use these directions to make a Twinkle Twinkle Little Star door hanger with the moon and stars on it.
4) Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
Dr. Seuss is probably one of the best-known authors out there when it comes to well-planned stories that give the impression of being pulled out of a hat. They’re colorful and exciting and appear whimsical, making them ideal for this nursery. You can get cutouts like these ones for Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, which is one of the best stories about traveling and exploring one’s own mind. The story has a more whimsical quality than most of his works since it explores places one goes mentally as well as physically.
5) DIY Mosaic
Mosaics are interesting and appropriate for a whimsical nursery because they’re ever-changing. A mosaic can look one way in one light and another way in different lighting, and they’re made from the broken bits of other materials, creating a story of how an object was used, taken apart, and repurposed. You can create mosaics out of anything, but reflective ones tend to be the most interesting, so we found a tutorial for a mosaic birdbath made from CDs. You can make a birdbath and add bird stuffed animals to it or make something else from old CDs.
6) Pom Pom Canopy
Canopies create a whimsical, fairytale look that’ll be good for a nursery. You can use them to set aside a place for your little one to play or to hide the crib away so that your twins don’t distract each other. This canopy hangs from the ceiling so that it can go over a crib, changing table, or floor area, and it has an elegant look with decorative pom poms that help give it a whimsical look. Your child can use it as a reading nook or fort as they get older.
7) Crystal Knobs
One of the fastest, least expensive, and easiest ways to transform a space is to replace the knobs on your dressers. This, possibly combined with some paint, can transform an old wooden dresser into one that looks like a princess would have it in her room. You can get crystal knobs like these from Amazon to make all your dressers and closet doors seem like something out of a fairytale, provided the closet doors are the type that have small knobs like these.
8) DIY Egg Waterfall Diorama
An egg waterfall diorama probably doesn’t sound very elegant or whimsical, but when you see this final product, you’ll see why it’s so breathtaking. You can use this video to create the illusion of a flowing waterfall using resin, and it doesn’t have to come out of an egg. You can design something similar using teacups or other decorations to make it seem like there’s a real waterfall in the nursery and make solid objects seem to defy gravity.
9) Seuss
Dr. Seuss is known for whimsical stories in which animals and trees and all aspects of nature and cities aren’t what they seem. He tells tales that feel like they’re going everywhere and nowhere at the same time, making him the perfect author to represent in a whimsical space where nothing quite makes sense or needs to. You can get decorations like this bedding set with the full cast of characters or build Dr. Suess-style trees out of pool noodles and plant them in planters to create the illusion of a strange and whimsical place.
10) Bed Bell
If you’ve never heard of a bed bell before, it’s basically like a mobile. It dangles above your little one’s head and helps them fall asleep with gentle and soft decorations. This one from Amazon has cotton balls and the light, airy and natural appearance helps create a whimsical impression. This would go well in a light, airy nursery with minimal decoration or many items made from natural materials designed to promote a love of nature and natural intelligence.
11) DIY Butterfly Installation
Have you ever had a butterfly land on your hand, or walked through a meadow filled with endless and multicolored butterflies fluttering about with no care for your presence? These creatures are some of the most beautiful in existence, with a presence and vibrancy that makes some of them seem otherworldly. You can use these properties in a whimsical nursery by making a butterfly installation like the one in this video. Using these instructions, you can make it seem like the nursery is a meadow filled with these lovely insects.
12) Mushroom Lanterns
Mushrooms have many fairy tales around them, from fairy rings to stories with forests made from giant mushrooms. While some mushrooms look gross to many people, others are vibrant and interesting-shaped, and these ones inspire the imagination and awaken the desire to tell fanciful tales. You can get mushroom decorations like these with the most common depiction of a mushroom and hang them like paper lanterns. They’re designed to hold an electric power cord and bulb, and you can adjust the length to make the light shine through correctly.
13) Vintage
Vintage items often look fantastical to younger people since they grew up without those items, and may never have seen them used correctly. Vintage decorations teleport people to another time when things were slower and family was more valued, creating a happier and simpler atmosphere. You can design a vintage room with ruffles and other whimsical-looking decorations like the ones in this youtube video. Handmade dolls and sewn decorations are also wonderful ways to create a room that’s out of time.
14) Rainbows
Rainbows are another aspect of the environment that inspires the imagination, causing visions of leprechauns with pots of gold and making people imagine themselves becoming fabulously wealthy. People love to watch them and get excited when one comes out after a storm, so they’d be a beautiful part of nature to include in a nursery. If you want them to look realistic, colorful, and natural, you might try painting them in a boho style like the ones in this nursery.
15) Dandelions
People are inspired by dandelions, though many people just think of them as weeds. As children, though, they’re made of infinite possibility as we wish on them, hoping for fantastical things to come true. Even as adults, many people will pick one and wish on it despite the inevitable damage to their lawn. You can paint dandelions on the walls using stencils, either handmade or from a store, to create an incredible effect like the one this nursery has. The dandelions look like their seeds are flying everywhere, and their size creates a fantasy effect.
16) Floral and Flamingo
Flowers are common decorations, but they’re still a good choice for a whimsical nursery because they’re some of nature’s most beautiful decorations. People love to pick them as they walk by and enjoy the sight of wildflowers and garden flowers alike. This nursery has an interesting twist, though; it has both flowers and flamingos. If you have a pink nursery for a little girl, flamingoes are certainly a unique way to add that color in the same way it appears in nature. This creates a pretty and unique space.
17) Llama Bedding Set
Llamas aren’t the most common nursery decoration, but they’re pretty and soft animals just as sheep are. If you want something soft and pretty with a cloudlike look, but don’t want to include the standard image of a sheep, then llamas could be a good addition to your nursery. You can include quite a few of them, but you probably don’t want so many that it looks like a theme since a cohesive theme would take away from the whimsical look. You can get things like this bedding set and one or two other llama decorations, instead.
18) DIY Birds and Clouds Mobile
Birds and clouds create a whimsical look together since people love to look at clouds and imagine things in them. One cloud might look like a house while another looks like a sleeping bunny rabbit. Birds are nature’s musicians, and they appear in many fairytales during nature scenes. You can use these instructions to combine the two whimsical aspects of nature into a mobile for your baby to look up at each night and fall asleep to.
19) Alice in Wonderland
Another way to create a whimsical look is to include stories with whimsical or fantastical themes, such as Alice in Wonderland. For example, you could get this decal of a keyhole with scenery behind it as if one could walk through and visit a new and strange land. The concept of being transported to another world from one’s bedroom is perfect for a whimsical nursery since it’s a free and unusual concept and something most people would only do on a whim. Most children would love it, though.
20) DIY Seaglass and Shell Decoration
Seaglass is a lovely decoration that many people have never even seen. It’s interesting to find bits of colored glass out in nature, and when people find these pieces they love to make decorations out of them. It reflects light, so it’s a good decoration for outdoors or in front of a window. In this case, you can make a decoration from sea glass and seashells using these instructions, then hang it in the window to catch the sunlight and inspire your baby’s imagination.
21) DIY Doily Dreamcatcher
Dreamcatchers are mystical decorations that catch dreams and ensure that children have a good night’s sleep. If you want to make one with a more delicate look that’ll fit into a whimsical nursery by both concept and appearance, you can use these directions to make a doily dreamcatcher. This will add a European touch if you’re not of Native ancestry while still maintaining the unique look and adding a sense of delicacy that’ll improve a whimsical nursery.
22) Elegant Butterflies
Butterflies are some of the most brilliant, beautiful, and dainty creatures alive, and if you want to create a room that feels whimsical and ethereal, then butterflies are an ideal choice. You can even choose an elegant design like these white butterflies that look like they could fade from existence any second. These are almost magical in that they look white at first but have hints of gold glitter at the tips that are perfect for creating a whimsical look.
23) Owls
Owls are nocturnal, making them ideal decorations for a nursery since they give the impression of nighttime and make the room more restful. If you want to create a whimsical look, you can get owl decorations with light, fluffy feathers or pastel colors like the ones on this bedding set. These colors and textures that tend to come with owl decorations have a soft and whimsical look to them and combine with owls’ cute look and wide eyes to make an adorable decoration.
Is there an item that we should have included in this list? What kind of things could add a little whimsy to a nursery? Please let us know in the comments below.