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How to Save a Ton of Money on Baby Nursery Furniture

Having to purchase a crib, dresser, changing table, and rocking chair for the baby nursery can get expensive rather quickly, and if you’re on a budget it may not be possible to buy all of these items new.  But why spend hundreds of dollars on these items when you can make find these items at a great deal, and maybe even free?  Just a little creativity and possible elbow grease is all you need to save a lot of money to make the perfect nursery of your dreams.  Consider the following ways to save a lot of money on the “big items” found in the nursery:

  1. The Crib. A crib is probably one of the biggest expenses in the nursery, and also the focal point.  With that said, if you’re going to splurge on any item in the nursery, make it the crib.  This is the only piece of furniture that we bought new for our son, but it was actually a gift from my mother-in-law so it was technically free for us.  However, if you want to buy a new crib but are on a budget, you can easily find one for under $200, even $100!  Two very cute, modern, and basic cribs for under $100 are from IKEA; the Gulliver crib and the Sniglar crib.  However, there is nothing wrong with buying a used crib either.  Scanning garage sales, craiglist, and baby consignment and second-hand stores are great ways to find quality cribs for a steal.  Or even better, ask your family and friends if there is a hand-me-down crib hiding out somewhere that you could use.  You can’t beat free!  Just make sure when considering a used crib that it will be safe for baby, meaning no drop-down sides or slats wide enough to fit their head through.  Also remember that you’ll want to buy a new crib mattress as it is a baby item you should never buy used.
  2. The Dresser. Most people probably have an extra dresser hanging around in their house or in storage.  If not, buy a cheap used one from the same sources listed for the crib.  I will mention here that using white furniture in the nursery is an easy solution instead of trying to match wood stains on used furniture.  We were able to get a small dresser for free.  It was a very dark wood stain, but our crib was white.  We simply purchased some paint for under $20 and refinished the dresser and it matches perfectly.  However, if you want to go with a wood stained crib but can’t find a dresser to match, think about painting a dresser an accent color that matches the nursery theme.
  3. The Changing Table. A changing table is more of a luxury than a necessity, so if you’re trying to save money, maybe you want to skip one entirely.  You can always change baby on the floor on a blanket or changing pad.  If you know you want a changing table, as with the other items, you can try and find a deal on a used one and re-finish it to make it match your decor.  If space is an issue, try and convert the top of a low-profile dresser into the changing table simply by placing a pad or blanket on the top.  This dual-purpose piece of furniture will be convenient and saves precious space in a smaller room.  My husband and I were lucky as we had a friend who gave us their old changing table.  When I first saw it, I must say I was extremely disappointed.  It was an eye sore!  It had the ugliest yellow wood stain with gaudy gold hardware.  However, the structure of it was great.  It was larger than the normal changing table with room to hold a basket of diapers and a diaper warmer on top with plenty of room for a growing baby.  It also had two cabinets and two slide-out drawers underneath.  We re-painted it white and bought some very inexpensive white hardware to replace the gold and lined the drawers with contact paper.  It looks brand new and it cost us less than $25 to re-finish.
  4. The Rocking Chair. Rocking chairs can be expensive.  But have you ever considered you may not even need a rocker in the nursery?  Use an extra chair that you already have at home or pick up a cheap used one.  Simply throw the baby comforter over the back of the chair and it will instantly blend in with the decor.

Here is the breakdown on how much we personally spent on our nursery furniture:

  1.  Crib. Free! (Thanks Mom B!).
  2.  Dresser. Free! (Had in storage).  Primer and white paint, $20.
  3.  Changing Table. Free! (Friend).  More white paint, contact paper, and hardware, $25.
  4.  Small Arm Chair. Free! (Already owned, but originally $99 from IKEA- Tullsta chair).

We basically got all of our furniture for under $50!

Remember to put these items on your registry as well in case someone will buy them for you new.  But if you don’t get them at a baby shower, you have to the tools to find a bargain and make the nursery look great anyways!

All you need in order to save money on otherwise expensive nursery furniture is a little creativity and do-it-yourself attitude.  Not only is it fun going treasure-hunting for great deals, but you can be proud to save money on items that are really only going to be used for a short amount of time.

For more ideas on how to save money in the nursery, read about where to find crib bedding sets for under $75 and how to paint-your own nursery art.

How do you plan on saving money on nursery furniture?  What type of deals have you found?



Some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.

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