14+ Nursery Shelf Ideas That Are Playful & Practical
Are you preparing a special space for your little one? These DIY shelving ideas are the perfect way to add extra storage to your baby’s room while fitting your nursery theme.
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Tips For Installing & Styling Shelves
Safety Over Design
It is always important to consider the weight, location, and materials of shelves and shelving decor items. You also want to make sure that you are properly securing shelves into walls and placing them in a safe spot.
Make sure that you are not putting a shelf where the contents could fall on the child or where the child could hang.
Find Studs
Anchoring shelves into studs is the best way to make sure they are completely secure. Depending on what you plan on displaying, you may be able to get away with drywall anchors. Check out this Family Handyman article for more tips on how to install shelves.
Use a level
Placing a small level on your shelf will help ensure you are hanging it level.
Eye Level Is Best
Hanging shelves at eye level is a great place to start. You can even see your plan by mapping it out with painter’s tape or a sketch of the room.
Accent With Color
Whether completely fun painted shelves or bright colored decor, these nursery shelf ideas provide creative ways to have fun with color and pattern.
Add Your Own Unique Decor
Do you have a personalized sonogram image? Or a special book for your little one? There are endless ways you can personalize nursery shelves in your baby’s room.
You can see in the examples below all the different items that were used to add style to the shelves.
Use What You Already Have
There is no need to go out and buy all sorts of new items for your nursery shelf decor. Little babies come with a variety of cute things and memories that can work as decor.
Just make sure that you are not placing anything too heavy, breakable or unsafe on those shelves. Babies can start scaling walls before you realize it.
Books Make Great Decor
Illustrations and book covers are really unique artworks waiting to be displayed. No need to just shelve those baby books so you can’t see the artwork.
It is a great idea to use them as colorful accents in your nursery. You may even instill the love of reading earlier than you thought.
Pick Your Location
Assess the spaces you may possibly put nursery shelves. Will you be using wall shelves, floating shelves or bookshelves? You could even use a combination of these to create a practical storage solution for your family.
14+ Nursery Shelf Ideas
From bracket wall shelves to homemade bookcases, this list of nursery shelf ideas has a practical DIY shelving idea for your baby's room.
Farmhouse Style Nursery Shelves
This baby girl nursery idea has just enough pink without being too much. The bracket shelves above the changing table showcase vintage treasures and important picture frames.
Adding Nursery Shelves to Baby Boy's Room
These small shelves are the perfect place for smaller items in this beautiful nursery. From the nursery furniture to the rich color scheme, we love everything about this baby room.
Hanging Rods For Bows
Create this unique wall shelf by anchoring rods to store headbands and bows. This is an absolutely genius & unique way add extra nursery storage.
DIY Nursery Bookshelves
Learn how to build your own larger set of nursery bookshelves inspired by the Ikea spice racks in the next idea. Creating wall bookshelves allows your books to act as decor as well as added storage in your child's room.
Inexpensive & Easy Nursery Shelving
These Ikea spice rack bookshelves are such an easy way to store children's books. Paint them each a different color to add a pop of color to those neutral walls. You can even store a few extra cute soft toys to complete your look.
Mixed Shelves
This boho-styled nursery demonstrates how you can mix different textures and styles of shelving for your nursery theme. There seems to be just the right mix of pops of colors with natural elements.
Easy DIY Nursery Wardrobe Shelf
Do you have limited closet space in your baby nursery? Why not make the baby clothes part of your nursery wall decor? The matching wooden hangers and classic colors add room organization and style all at once.
Repurpose An Old TV
Create a unique piece for nursery book storage. We love this neutral green color and the bright bookends. Who would have thought that books would fit so perfectly in this great piece?
Dollhouse Bookcase
A fresh coat of paint gave this dollhouse bookshelf a new life. Add your own patterned storage baskets and accessories for a fun nursery shelf idea.
DIY Montessori Toy Shelf
Are you looking for a bigger storage unit to help organize a lot of stuff? Keep those baby toys easily accessible with these DIY storage shelves. This great storage solution is functional and decorative at the same time.
DIY Tree Bookshelf Tutorial
Combine a mural and shelves for your own unique nursery statement piece. You could choose any image to make the perfect backdrop to your additional storage wall shelves.
DIY Rain Gutter Bookshelves
Repurpose rain gutters to help store all your board books. We just love that these were made for under $10.
Nursery Shelves With Blue Accent Wall
The light blue diagonal accent wall and bracket shelves create a clean look in this nursery. Adding shelving decor that isn't just baby items is also a great way to have the decor grow with the room.
Baby Boy Rustic Woodland Nursery Room Reveal
Add a basket on the wall with other baby decor items. Not only does this make a fun gallery wall, but keeps those items easily accessible.
Nursery Shelf FAQs
It depends on the purpose of the shelf. If you are creating a wall bookshelf, then you want your shelves to be low enough for a child to reach. If you are hanging above furniture then 2 feet above is a great rule of thumb. Adjust this height accordingly and make sure you are not hanging shelves where a baby could stand and pull up on. Always consider safety over design in a nursery.
A general rule is about 10″-18″ between shelves. Consider what you will be displaying to decide if that is enough room for the look you are going for.
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Related Shelving Posts
Did this list excite you to add more storage to your baby nursery? We hope this list of shelving ideas inspired your next weekend DIY project. Whether you plan to create simple wood shelves or more elaborate wall shelves, adding shelving to your baby’s room is a great way to add storage and style.