When we first mentioned converting our third bedroom into a nursery, we admitted we loved the asymmetrical gallery wall too much to remove. Instead, we decided to swap out a few of the random prints for more kid-friendly, cheerful art that suits a little girl’s room. Here’s what the wall looked like before our art refresh:
And here’s the same gallery after the swap:
Zooming out puts the wall in context with the rest of the nursery—soft blues, pinks, and greens play nicely with the patterned curtains and the pale aqua ceiling. The mix feels playful and slightly mismatched, but everything reads cohesive without clashing.
We didn’t want to overspend on this refresh, so we shopped the craft aisle at Michael’s for decorative paper. Many sheets were priced under a dollar—most around 60 cents and some as low as 99 cents—making it easy to experiment without breaking the bank.
All the sheets pictured above cost just $4.99 total. We framed some patterns on their own—like the little house-illustration sheet—and used others as backgrounds to highlight sentimental items, such as a paper placeholder for the baby’s future hospital bracelet.
John suggested taping pink heart-printed paper behind a glass shadow box filled with faux butterflies we already owned. The change took the butterflies from a specimen-style display to bright nursery decor in seconds.
We also refreshed a black cut-out silhouette of Burger that John had given me. We removed the white backing and replaced it with pink-and-white striped paper to make it more playful and appropriate for the nursery — all for about 69 cents in scrapbooking paper. We framed another patterned sheet and made a temporary silhouette for Baby P that we’ll replace with a real one someday.
The “Feel The Love” print started as inspiration from a magazine ad we liked. We scanned the ad, edited it to remove the ice cream bar and reposition the little lovebirds, then printed the result. It’s an easy way to create magazine-inspired artwork for a frame.
We also shopped Etsy for small, affordable prints that matched our palette. We found a limited-edition aqua-toned print of a girl and her dog with hearts that seemed perfect for the nursery—playful and reminiscent of the bond we expect between Burger and Baby P. It was only $12, and we were glad to grab it before it sold out.
Another print we couldn’t pass up features peas in a pod made up of the letter P—a subtle monogram for Baby P that fits the color scheme. We purchased it from Wall Blank for $25. The personal touch felt worth the price.
Altogether, we refreshed the asymmetrical wall using inexpensive craft paper and two affordable prints. Instead of spending well over $100 to fill 15 frames, our project cost just $42 ($5 for craft paper, $12 for the Etsy print, and $25 for the Wall Blank print). The room feels much happier and more playful now; we keep walking in just to admire the wall. We’re excited to hold the baby up to the art and compare her face to our baby pictures—John insists she’ll inherit his chubby cheeks.
Under the gallery sits a celery-toned upholstered bench we found at a thrift store for $7. We painted and recovered it previously and placed a large toy basket beneath it for storage. The bench fits the nursery’s palette and adds useful seating and storage.
We’re closing in on finishing the nursery and plan to share a full reveal soon. In the meantime, we’d love to hear what you think: have you ever framed nontraditional items like magazine ads or hospital bracelets? Have you used printed craft paper to create inexpensive wall decor? Or purchased any great Etsy art lately? Let’s talk about cost-effective DIY or handmade art solutions for decorating.