How to Decorate a Gender-Neutral Baby Nursery: Winnie the Pooh & More

There are three main reasons to design a gender-neutral nursery:

1. You don't know your baby's sex,
2. You don't want to foster any negative gender stereotypes, or
3. You want to save money by choosing items that'll work again and again.

Whatever your reasoning, here are some tips for decorating a cute gender-neutral nursery.

Animal themes are ideal for any baby nursery. I find monkeys especially adorable. Jungle themes, farm animals, sealife and the like are common on baby bedding and other nursery décor.

Some other gender-neutral nursery themes include:

• Celestial (planets, moon and stars)
• Dr. Seuss
• Nursery rhymes or fairy tales
• Sesame Street
• Winnie the Pooh

You can help make a nursery feel cozy by painting the walls a soft color besides white. For example, sunny yellows and pastel greens are considered appropriate for any baby's room.

Certain blues, especially turquoise or purple blues, can also be very sweet -- even for baby girls' rooms.

Relax, mama! You don't need to finish the nursery before baby arrives. You can get certain basics in white and make them "girly" or "boyish" later on if desired. For example, get a plain white lamp. Later you can tie on a pink or blue bow.

Similarly, you don't need to finish baby's walls right away. Just get the main painting done and air out the room before the baby arrives. You can add a stenciled border or adhesive wall decorations later.

What matters most? A loving touch and a peaceful environment. There's time for everything to grow :-).