When I had my daughter Londyn three years ago, we bought a new, simple black crib. I looks similar to the one pictured below.
I had a vision of updating our crib style, but as always I needed my hubby to talk through it with me and fill in the blanks with how to execute “the vision.”
I am inspired by tufting. I think it’s great, and I have NEVER seen a tufted crib before. I was enthralled by the idea of creating a tufted crib. I’m super lucky to have the husband that I do because he is soooo handy. He can always tell me right off the bat if my idea could ever work.
Do you know what tufting is? I’ll show you some example pictures.
All three of these headboards are tufted. Tufting is when you pull buttons through your upholstery to create a dimpled look in your style. š
I wanted a TUFTED CRIB!!! But, as always, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. So, the idea has been brewing on my brain for a few months.
We finished the crib over the weekend, and I could not wait to show it!
I will be posting instructions soon! š The nursery is coming together. I am excited to show you more.
Stay tuned for:
Nursery Decorating Ideas Part 3: Change your Crib for CHEAP!
UPDATE: The fabric I used is white pleather/vinyl…easy to wipe up. š
Sidenote: Wouldn’t it be cool to have a baby today…1-11-11? Just sayin’ š
Love this idea…turned out really cute.
i love love love it! Makes me ALMOST wish we wernt done!
I LOVE everything you do. The crib is beautiful. Forgive me, but I want to say a word of caution. Buttons and babies can be a very dangerous combination. I'm sure you'll do what's best for your baby, but I just wanted to make sure you've considered the safety issue. Again, the crib and everything else you do are lovely.
What a neat idea. It looks great.
My friend is in labor right now, she is hoping that baby Gavin decides today's date is cool enough, because this is day 3 of contractions…
It is a cute idea, but I'm with kathy60119. Not only are the buttons a possible safety issue, but I can see the solid, fabric covered surface as a suffocation hazard as well. A lot of people don't recommend even using bumpers any more for this reason… I hate to be a downer, but I wouldn't feel right not at least saying something.
P.S. I do love your blog!
Ooooo… that's gorgeous! I never would have thought of that!
I LOVE this idea.
Thanks doll.
Really beautiful, but the practical mommy in me wonders how you'll keep it clean? I have bumper pads on my kids' beds and they have been soaked with milk, pee, vomit, etc. I can't imagine not being able to wash them. Did you Scotch Guard or make it somehow removable? What kind of fabric did you use?
A tufted crib, now that's cool! It almost makes me want another kid…nah, but I do love the idea!! You two did a bang up job.
That crib turned out fantastic! I love the look!
Brooke- Thank you for your response. I figured you would have secured those buttons on well. š My thought about the suffocation hazard was less about it being solid and more about it being a cushy surface that a baby could get their little face smooshed into. I suppose with it being pleather/vinyl, that may not be an issue…? Believe it or not, I'm not trying to criticize you, just a thought I had that I wanted to share mom to mom. š
Brooke, Congratulations – can't wait to see the new baby & I LOVE this idea – I want to try this on a headboard I have for my son's room. Your baby's crib is beautiful! Great Work!
Very cute! Sending happy birthing thoughts to you! When you are in labor, take a big breath in at the beginning of each contraction, and keep your throat open. Don't fight the waves/contractions! Makes it much easier. (I can't help it, I am a doula!) Good luck!
Oooooo… seriously love this!!
oh my gosh! that is so stinking cute!
great job!
gail
I love a tufted bed, why not a tufted crib? Fabulous idea! I will be using this when I have a baby one day!
Love it. I don't normally comment but I couldn't just let this one go by.
I love this crib! soo cute! I think it makes the crib look very classy. 1/11/11 is my due date! Too bad it looks as if for me nothing will happen today. Maybe you'll be more lucky!
I LOVE it!
Your obviously a talented designer and this is a brilliant idea. It is beautiful, elegant, and unique. But my first thought (before I read ANY comments) was, "Wow, that looks like a suffocation hazard." Maybe you could post a disclaimer about the dangers of crib modification, and go buy some good liability insurance. You may need it.
I have 5 kids and I don't see this as a suffocation hazard. It is no different than the surface of the mattress and in fact would be less cushy because it has no mattress cover and sheet on it. The buttons would be more of the concern but if you be sure to check them every so often with a good pull. I would be a little concerned because covered buttons are made from 2 pieces, the top of which is not actually connected to the thread used to sew them on. But I imagine they have been glued with something super strong and not just hot glue or something. ANd myabe they are large enough that they are not going to fit in a babies mouth anyway. Again, I would be sure to check on them regularly and if even one comes loose I would take them all off. Maybe there is another way to have tufting without the buttons? Like with furniture tacks or something? I don't know. Just be aware. It looks amazing though!
SOOOOOooo stunning! Wow! Speechless. But drooling. May have to have another baby JUST to make this crib. lol
š
Aloha,
charlie
Oh my gosh, I LOVE you!! I'm having a baby, and was wanting to do something with the crib…yeah, think this will be what I do!! I'm so excited to see the instructions, thank you so much!!
Go you for having thought of every possible safety issue and solving it! The crib is adorable! And I absolutely cannot wait to see the nursery!
By the way, when are you due?
My first thought, was how awesome would that crib look tufted. My second thought was, oh wow, I remember my best friend giving up on baby bumpers because of the mess (I don't have kids so I don't know :-). Then I saw your update about the easy wipe up, and I am back to how awesome! I love it! (And your blog is great! So excited to try out some of your projects.)
This is amazing!
AHHHHH! I love this! What a great growing peice too! My babies are almost out of their cribs, but I am totally going to use the vinyl idea to do a tuffted headboard for their twin beds! I have been wanting to do a headboard like that, but I was afraid that little girls would get them dirty with food, play make-up and whatever else, never thought of pleather/vinyl looking so gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing! I'm so excited to get them done now!
WOW, just wow. How do you even come up with these ideas. That looks so great. I am thinking about doing an upholstered headboard for myself and this just confirmed it. If you can do this, I can do a plain one. Here is my post about it today.
http://jandjhome.blogspot.com/2011/01/headboard-inspiration.html
I LOVE it! I would love to try my hand at tufting…
Love your site! I want to do a project with blue ocean breeze by Krylon but I can't find it anywhere in stores (I live in GA.) Do you buy it online?
I love this idea. If my lil girl wasn't ready for a big girl bed I would love to do it. I was thinking about covering the headbord of her new bed but I just may wait for the tutorial on tufting and try it.
Brooke- I L.O.V.E. this look! Even more….I love the way you have come up with a SAFE, cute crib. I think some people are over-reacting and if SOME PEOPLE think there is a problem then please use an e-mail to inform the blogger…please don't do it in public! I am a blogger as well and wouldn't want someone to do that to me publicly!
http://www.abeautifulcottagehome.blogspot.com
That is so beautiful! Great work! It's very sophistocated-looking. I know baby will love it. š
What a great idea! Nesting sure gets the creative juices flowing, my list of to-do's just keeps on growing. Thank you for sharing, I look forward to the tutorial.
kathy60119 and Autumn,
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There are many cribs manufactured with either the back completely solid, or both sides completely solid. Because of this, I disagree 100% that there is a suffocation issue with this design. Three of the four sides are slats allowing air to flow freely through the crib.
As for the buttons, we took caution in this area. Each button is attached with 80 pound fish line. A baby will not be able to remove them.
Thank you for your concern, but I had to respond to your comments.
Chelley,
The white is pleather/vinyl. Easy to wipe. Again, things I have already thought of. š
I'm going to be a scrooge here but since I work in the Violence and Injury Prevention Program at the state health department, we see so many infants who suffocate because there is bedding materials inappropriate for their sleeping environment. While I love this look, it can be dangerous because babies can get their faces up against this type of material and suffocate. Just like crib bumpers, extra blankets, stuffed animals, pillows, etc… all the things that make a nursery cute.
Autumn,
No problem. I didn't take it personal. It is not a cushy surface at all. The pleather is very tight. Thanks for your concern. No worries.
You always amaze me with your creativity!! Love it!
That is gorgeous! What a FABULOUS idea!
I think it looks great, but I dont think the look is worth the risk. Maybe you dont see tufted cribs for a reason…which has already been pointed out.
One of my all-time favorite designs from you! Love love love! And all three of my boys slept with bumper pads, so I can't throw any stones. š
Love it. Like others have said, it ALMOST makes me wish I wasn't done. Five is my limit, though. š Super darling. I can't wait to see what else is in store for your nursery.
Brooke, I love it! As a mom of 4 babies, I wouldn't hesitate to put my kid in there. š I know there are so many cautions and such, and I'd never go for design over safety, but it really sounds like you've done a great job on making it safe. Pleather is a great choice as it's not soft or squishy, and it is really easy to clean. I can definitely see it as more of a problem if it were a different fabric. We've had some disgusting messes in our cribs! š I can't wait to see what bedding you've picked to go on the rest of the bed!
So gorgeous. I love how you completely transformed it so that the new baby gets something new, but you don't have to go out and shop for a new crib (because why do that when you already have one, right?) Great job! Can't wait to see the whole guestroom/nursery!
Frankly, I think this tufted crib is GORGEOUS! My chin literally dropped when I saw. Such a creative idea.
Brooke it is beyond gorgeous! It's honestly just breath taking!
That is so beautiful!
The crib is beautiful! I can't wait to read more as we are busy preparing our nursery too!
Brooke, I think the crib looks FABULOUS!! I will be looking at yard sales and thrift stores for a similar design and maybe I can convince my hubby to help me tuft one side!! I just looked at your followers and noticed that you have over 4000!!! That is sooo awesome, who would have thought?!! Anyways keep up the awesome posts, and I can't wait to see the murphey bed (as we are having a similar problem in our new house) Take care, Jamie Vakautakakala
Oh my gosh, I (like so many other commenters) LOVE this crib!!! It's beautiful! At first when you were talking about making over the crib, I thought maybe paint, but this is amazing!!
I agree with Tasha, that it'll make a good growing piece. Is your crib convertible. That would make an awesome headboard!!
Can't wait to see the tutorial.
wow, so chic!! good job and great idea to change something up!
This looks so great! I'm beginning to think about nurseries as we will try to start a family this coming summer so thanks for the idea!!!
OH MY GOSH!!!! That is amazing!!! I swear you are personally going to start the next crib craze. Tufted crib! Brilliant! Side note, I honestly can't imagine this being unsafe the way you have done it. WOW.
Stunning!! Absolutely the classiest bed I've ever seen! I've been a crib purist only because the "upscale" styles look so awkward. But this looks so sharp while not looking like a forced style (no idea if that ramble made any sense at all). And I think your thoughts and plans about safety make it absolutely risk-free. You're not only a talented mommy and daddy. But cautious ones as well! Absolute perfection!
That looks stunning! What a great idea.
LOVE!! I want tufting for my bed so I am glad you actually let me in on the technical term for this lol! I was wondering would you mind if I linked to your blog and shared this pic??
I looked at the beautiful white and immediately worried about blow outs but pleather. That is genius! What a lucky new baby:)
I LOVE that! I never would have thought to do that. I'll have to now when that time comes to have a crib!
This looks AMAZING!!! I can't wait to see it in person! For those of you who don't know Brooke…she's a great Mom who loves her kids & NEVER would put her kids at risk…EVER!!! Once again you've made something beautiful! Love ya' girl!
the crib looks amazing! just be careful…cribs have slats so that when the baby is sleeping, if they end up with their face against the side, they can still breathe and they wont suffocate themselves. š this is also why crib bumpers are not reccomended. sorry to be a downer lol…it looks fabulous!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE it! How creative. You are talented as always. Wishing you the best with your delivery and sweet little new one. I'm jeaous (but not enough to get pregnant again yet š )
http://www.LittleMissPennyWenny.blogspot.com
Brooke, I sure didn't mean to imply that you hadn't thought about a way to clean the tufted back. You were obviously way ahead of me! I love the idea of using pleather. Easy, easy cleanup! Great job!
This is BRILLIANT!! I have a 6 month old baby girl (and a 2.5 yr old boy) and this would have looked AWESOME in her glam nursery!! You are so creative! I love new fresh ideas, thanks for sharing!
And, just FYI, I don't see any risks. You are the mommy and obviously you are going to take better care of your babe than any of your commenters! š
I wish in my heart of hearts that either my husband or I was handy enough to actually make something like this! It is soooo beautiful! Will you please please please please post pictures of the whole nursery? I would love to see it all finished!
I love your idea, and I noted the safety features you were sure to include. Great job.
To the people who were quick to offer advice, please remember, advice NOT asked for is criticism.
To the people to criticized without reading the other comments, nor Brooke's responses, shame on you.
To Michael Family who oh so caustically and critically, with sad and poor grammar said…
" Your obviously a talented designer and this is a brilliant idea. It is beautiful, elegant, and unique. But my first thought (before I read ANY comments) was, "Wow, that looks like a suffocation hazard." Maybe you could post a disclaimer about the dangers of crib modification, and go buy some good liability insurance. You may need it.
January 11, 2011 12:02 PM "
Grow up and get a life where you're not such a jerk.
If you had concerns about the modification, holding your tongue until you read the actual tutorial, would have helped you look like less of an ass.
My first thought, what a neat thing to do once we convert the crib! Ours turns into a full size headboard, and right now I love it as a crib, but give me a year or two and I might want a change. Great idea! Would be a great way to transform a guest room as well! (Thinking once the baby is out of the crib!)
So cute! What a great way to transform the crib š
I just want to add my two cents, not that it's worth that much š I'm a mom (6 healthy happy kids) I've used bumper pads with the first 4 and hated them. The two concerns are suffocation, and that they can use them as launching pads for climbing over the side-rails. I personally hate putting them back on after washing. UGH! I happened to read the tutorial before the first post and as such read all of your concerns and fixes for them. I give you a virtual high five for this project! It is super cute and well planned! Or at least as planned as it can be. Babies always come with their own surprises! Each one is different from the last! š I have spent many nights unable to sleep because my baby learned how to roll over and then preferred to sleep on his/her stomach, and I feared suffocation! But, I wouldn't hesitate to use the same techniques for a tufted crib such as this one. It is amazing and the parents are obviously loving and very aware of their childrens safety, therefore taking as many precautions as possible.
As a side note, I LOVE that you can see the previous childs teeth marks on the side-rails! š HaPPY Stuff people!
Beautiful! My little guy is almost out of the crib stage but it's a Convertible one and I think this is a great way to class that boring back side up when used as the headboard for his toddler bed! LOVE! LOVE!! I'm also working on a headboard for our master bedroom and tufting is in the plans!! Woohoo!!!! Thanks for sharing!
A crib mattress should fit snugly in the crib. There should be no more than two fingers width between the mattress and the edge of the crib. A mattress should also be waterproof and firm. It is safest for infants to lay on their back on a firm surface.
Nursery Accessories