Outstanding Blue and Taupe Nursery with DIY Copycat Baby Bedding

by AKC

My baby boy’s blue and taupe nursery is filled with affordable finds, thoughtful storage and copycat DIY projects that even a beginner could adapt. The finished room turned out better than I imagined, from the custom crib bedding and painted curtains to the fabric-covered ottoman and compact furniture arrangement.

The soft blue, taupe and white palette keeps the small room peaceful and coordinated. Every project was chosen carefully so the nursery would feel comfortable and complete without wasting any of its limited floor space.

Blue and Taupe Baby Boy Nursery Pictures

The room is less than 100 square feet, but careful planning allowed us to include the crib, chair, storage furniture, book display and decorative projects without making the nursery feel crowded.

I give some credit to the hours I spent playing Tetris as a child. Every piece of furniture had to be properly scaled and placed where it could serve a useful purpose. The arrangement leaves the center of the room open while using the walls for storage and display.

The arrangement leaves the center of the room open while using the walls for storage and display. After working with similar space limitations I researched small nursery layout ideas and found some great tips.



The color palette was inspired by the fabrics selected for the crib set. Soft baby blue, warm taupe and clean white created a calm foundation that made it easy to coordinate the curtains, rug, baskets and painted furniture.

The texture of the baskets coordinates with the woven window shade, helping the practical storage feel like part of the room’s design rather than something that had to be hidden. I found solutions for closets, baskets, walls and double-duty furniture among these nursery storage ideas on this very site.

More decorating combinations can be found among these baby color schemes. The blue and brown nursery ideas collection also includes rooms that use similar warm and cool color pairings.

Copycat DIY Baby Bedding

The crib bedding was inspired by a designer set that cost approximately $600. That was more than I wanted to spend, especially when my very talented mother-in-law could sew a custom version especially for her grandchild.

She selected coordinating blue, taupe and white fabrics and created a one-of-a-kind crib set that suited the room perfectly. The handmade bedding became the foundation for almost every other decorating choice in the nursery.



I have very little sewing experience, which makes me appreciate her work even more. The finished set has the polished appearance of expensive designer bedding but also carries the sentimental value of being handmade by the baby’s grandmother.

Projects like this show how DIY nursery decor ideas can make a room more personal while reducing the cost of decorating.

Hand-Painted Nursery Curtains

The window treatments were another copycat project. I already had Martha Stewart fabric medium in my craft supplies and had been waiting for the right reason to use it.

I painted the curtain design in colors that repeated the crib fabrics. The decorative border is subtle in photographs because of the bright sunlight coming through the window, but it is much easier to see in person.



The curtains make the window feel finished without adding another busy pattern. They also demonstrate that plain curtain panels can be customized with fabric paint when purchasing designer window treatments is not practical.

Nursery Storage for a Small Room

Storage was especially important because of the nursery’s size. Baskets in the closet hold blankets and other frequently used supplies, while small chalkboard labels make everything easy to locate.

The texture of the baskets coordinates with the woven window shade, helping the practical storage feel like part of the room’s design rather than something that had to be hidden.



The fabric-covered ottoman also provides useful hidden storage. It began as an inexpensive Goodwill find and was transformed with fabric that complements the crib set. The finished ottoman adds seating, pattern and storage without requiring another large piece of furniture.

A Reading Corner and Personal Wall Decor

The nursery library is stocked and ready for story time. Books are displayed where they can become part of the decor while remaining easy to reach from the nearby chair.



A map on the wall adds another personal detail. The countries connected to our baby’s ancestry are marked with red hearts, giving us a way to introduce family history as he grows.



The finished room proves that a small nursery can hold plenty of style, storage and personality. A limited color palette helped the handmade bedding, painted curtains, secondhand furniture and organization projects work together as one coordinated design.

More inspiration for decorating a little boy’s room can be found among these baby boy nursery themes. The main collection of nursery ideas also includes color palettes, room layouts and decorating projects for nurseries of many different sizes and styles.

I hope our blue and taupe nursery encourages other parents to look at ordinary furniture, plain fabrics and inexpensive storage pieces with fresh eyes. A few carefully chosen DIY projects can turn them into something both useful and special.