How do you organize a small nursery when you have limited space to put all that baby gear?! Whether you live in a small apartment, a tiny house, or rooming with family, the nursery of your dreams is possible even in a small space. Trust me, I organized my baby’s room in our tiny house! Through trial and error, I have found a way to have a room that works for us and our baby. I’ll walk you through ideas to organize a small nursery.
I spent countless hours researching tips and tricks to living in a tiny space, and I’m here to help you save that time. Do what you will with those extra hours, but I highly recommend a sexy date night with your partner.
When my husband and I first moved into our tiny house, we did not know I was pregnant. Our plan was to make our extra room into a game room. My poor hubs only got about 10 days before his game room dreams were swapped for sweet baby dreams.
The first thing we did was tear out the old built-in bed and lay down the carpet. I highly recommend carpet for baby spaces or a very large rug. Once your little one starts moving, you’re gonna want that soft space for him or her to land. Next, we tore down some collapsing shelves, painted an accent wall, and started measuring for furniture.
Figuring out the furniture placement was like trying to beat the most difficult level of Tetris. It felt impossible, but I put pencil to paper and found a setup that worked for us. So here’s how to organize a small nursery like the wonderful ladies of The Home Edit and get back to spending time with your precious baby.
Start by making the space feel bigger.
Neutral colors make a space feel open and airy.
Neutral colors are the best option for a small nursury to make it feel bigger. White, beige, gray, and brown are typical neutrals, but you can also use soft greens, blues, and lilacs to create the same airy feel.
Paint the ceiling to draw the eye up.
Choose a color for the ceiling that matches your accessories to add dimension to a room. This will draw the eye up, making the space feel bigger. Avoid colors that are too bold or too dark as these can do the opposite and make the space feel smaller.
Stripes aren’t just for cute onesies.
Paint stripes on the wall to make a small space look bigger. Vertical stripes will make the nursery seem taller, while horizontal stripes make the nursery seem wider. Again, you don’t need bold, dark colors for this to work. Choose two neutrals, like a white wall with beige stripes, to achieve the effect.
Ditch the closet door and hang a curtain.
Do your closet doors take up a lot of space? Or does it open up into another door blocking access? Then ditch the door! Hang up a beautiful curtain in its place to match the room’s decor. This small change will add to your space and encourage independence as your little one grows. (Parenting tip: Be sure to baby/toddler proof the entire room from the very beginning. I can’t tell you the number of times we said, “oh he can’t do that yet,” and then the next day he does.)
Next, organize the nursery furniture for maximum space.
Mini Cribs are adorable and functional.
I wish I found a mini crib when I was setting up my nursery! These are so cute and functional. This nursery done by Chaoswiththecals makes great use of the space with a mini crib and floating shelves. The toy baskets at kid-level are great for independent play and encourage kids to put their toys back after playing.
You can change your baby anywhere, so get a portable changing tray.
Save your space for other necessities and skip the changing table. Babies can be changed anywhere, so I really like this portable changing tray. We put ours on top of the dresser which has worked great, and eventually, we can use that space for other things when he’s out of diapers. (Parenting hack: Keep a toy or fun object at the ready to keep them occupied and prevent a roll away baby).
Convert the closet for a crib, changing area, or play space.
If you own your own home, you can maximize space by repurposing the closet into a crib, changing space, or play space. Check out this crib closet transformation by Adventures_of_Miss_Hope! She took off the doors and took down the shelf and the hanging rod. Then she turned a vintage mini crib into this beautiful, modern space-saving crib nook!
Floating shelves work great to organize a small nursery .
So much baby furniture is big and bulky, and bookshelves and dressers are no exception. Opt for floating shelves instead to keep the room open and airy. Place shelves up high for items that are for parents only, like baby monitors, lamps, or an organized container of diaper creams and lotions. Place shelves down low for kid-friendly access to toys, books, and other safe playthings.
Double your closet space by adding double closet rails.
Kids’ clothes are so cute and tiny that you can add an extra closet rail to instantly double the amount you can hang in the closet. For even more storage, add drawers below. This tip is a necessity for families with multiples or two under two.
Finally, to organize a small nursery it’s all in the details.
Hanging organizers for a tiny nursery door or wall space.
Vertical real estate is your best friend because every square inch counts in organizing a small nursery. I repurposed a hanging mail organizer into storage for hats, socks, burp cloths, towels, swimwear, blankets, and more. Baby stuff is so tiny and can easily get lost in a drawer, so having it easily accessible and in view is a serious time saver.
Personalize your small nursery needs with peg boards.
Pegboards are no longer relegated to the garage! I love them for the home office, nursery, or anywhere you need to maximize the use of a tiny space. Paint it to match the rest of your color scheme, choose the containers and hooks to match your needs, and you are set. They work great to keep pacifiers from getting lost!
Wall hooks are a necessity to keep baby gear off the floor.
Get yourself some sturdy wall hooks for your diaper bag and baby carrier. Often these items just get tossed willy nilly, but you don’t realize how important it needs to up and out of the way until the bag you just packed gets unpacked by your baby.
Keep books organized and accessible with book ledges .
Book ledges are great to keep books at the ready and double as cute home decor. To encourage reading and independence, hang the ledges at toddler height. My toddler loves grabbing his favorite books off the shelf to bring to me. If you’re limited on wall space, place the shelf in a corner nook like mine pictured below. (Parenting Tip: Teach your baby to sign ‘book’ so you know when they want to read. To sign ‘book’, place your palms together and open like you’re opening a book.)
To keep a small nursery organized utilize baskets wherever possible.
Baskets or buckets are great for storing all kinds of items that you need at hand. I reused a bucket to store diapers, wipes, and baby cream. This way I have all the things I need in one container and I can carry them around the house where ever I need to change him. The dollar store also has an array of baskets in all shapes and sizes to fit your personalized needs.
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