How to Organize A Baby's Nursery (+ Pretty Nursery Inspiration)

Organize your nursery so it is a comfortable room for you and for baby! Here are tips on how to organize a nursery, as well as some pretty nurseries so you can ideas on how to organize your dream nursery!

Your baby might not care about the nursery organization you’ve done or the handmade quilt that adorns their rocker. Babies don’t notice all the aesthetics of their nursery, but setting up certain things will help them—and you—feel more comfortable and organized.

Having a home for all your baby’s stuff will make dressing, diapering, and feeding much easier. Here are some tips on how you can organize your baby’s nursery as well as some must-have items for your baby’s nursery!

When Should you Start to Organize A Nursery?

Start organizing your nursery while you’re in your second trimester. Hopefully by that time, you’re past the morning sickness and fatigue, but don’t feel too uncomfortable to move around and decorate. The closer you get to your due date, the harder it will be to get things done!

There may be items that you’re planning to register for and might not receive until later. If that’s the case, organize as much of the nursery as you can and fill in additional items after your baby shower. Try to set up the big pieces of furniture while you’re still (somewhat) comfortable.

How Do I Organize Baby’s STUFF?

Each family will have unique needs for their nursery. Here are the things I used for Evelyn’s nursery organization, as well as some tips from other moms! Also check out these gorgeous IKEA nursery hacks for even more inspiration!

How to Organize Nursery Sleeping Area

Your baby will spend a lot of time sleeping in those early days (even though it doesn’t seem like it). You can organize your nursery to create an optimal sleep environment that is safe for baby.

Keep all toys, pillows, bumpers, and stuffed animals out of baby’s sleep area. You can use a crib right away or a pack and play or bassinet until you’re ready to transition to a crib. Use a firm mattress and tight fitting sheets.

Use a swaddle or sleep sack instead of a blanket to keep your baby warm. Keeping loose objects out of the sleep area helps reduce the risk of entrapment or suffocation, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

See how there are no loose objects in this gender neutral nursery from Kathy Kuo Home? This is how you want your crib to look when baby is ready to sleep.

photo of gender nuetral nursery orgnaization

Layer your bedding with a waterproof mattress pad and then crib sheets. If you ever have a late night blowout or throw up, it will be a lot easier to pull everything off. Also, keep an extra waterproof mattress pad and set of sheets nearby for said late-night changes.

Another tip for getting your baby to sleep? Use blackout curtains to help baby sleep a little bit longer. You can even make your own with this tutorial from Two Twenty One.

blackout curtains as part of nursery organization

One more thing for setting up a good sleep environment, use a sound machine! It helps muffle outside noises and keeps the environment loud, which is what babies are used to from the womb. My favorite sound machine, is this Yoga Sleep one. My husband and I love it so much that we bought one for ourselves!

How to Organize Baby’s Feeding Area

You will spend a lot of time feeding your baby, so get comfortable. A comfortable chair or glider is one of the most important pieces of nursery furniture. Put it next to a small side table (you can also use a nightstand). Use this area for smaller items like your coffee, water, and other necessities. I always had a few extra burping cloths nearby as well for the spit up that was bound to happen.

I wouldn’t mind rocking a baby for hours in this pretty glider area that Loverly Grey has set up. Okay, maybe hours would be a tad too long. But this set up looks comfortable and functional!

how to organize a nursery - feeding area

This comfortable breastfeeding station from Healthy Little Mama shows you how she organized everything for breastfeeding. That little basket for mom is so smart!

how to organize nursery breastfeeding station

Look how Best Friends for Frosting organized this corner of her nursery for nursing, rocking, and reading. This area will grow with your baby. You can use it for feeding and rocking now and storytelling and snuggling as your baby grows. The shelving unit is perfect to hold things like books and toys.

how to orgnaize a nursery with recliner and bookshelves

How to Organize Baby’s Changing Area

Get ready for fun diaper changes! They really aren’t so bad. Use a dedicated changing table or a changing pad on top of a dresser.

I liked using a changing pad with a cover. Whenever we got poop on the pad, it was easy to pull it off and throw in the washing machine. Keep your diapers, diaper wipes, diaper cream, and a diaper genie near this area as well.

I also like having a hamper nearby. Whenever there is a blowout or spit up, it’s easy to throw the baby’s clothes in the hamper. Without a hamper nearby, I’m much more likely to leave dirty clothes sitting in piles. Save yourself the sanity, and buy a cheap clothes basket.

Everything with Emily walks you through exactly how she set up this simple baby changing station. I love her organization idea of using little baskets to hold things like diaper creams and burp cloths inside the drawers.

Add Details and Accessories

Don’t forget little details like shelves or a bookcase to hold books, figurines and other decorative elements. I love the gold mirror on the wall and the gold curtain rods to really glam up my friend’s nursery.

How to Organize A Nursery in A Small Space

What about if you need to organize a baby nursery in a small space? The good thing about babies is they’re small, and so are the things they use! Here’s some great ideas for setting up a baby nursery in a small space.

A diaper pegboard is perfect for keeping everything organized and accessible in a small space. You can paint the board and your baskets to match your nursery’s colors.

Utilize closet space to fit all the essentials for baby. Check out how the Avid Appetite added a ton of storage space to a small area and kept her closet organized.

It seems like you’re always looking for a baby blanket or burp cloth with a newborn. Store them in a hanging shoe bag like Remodelaholic did so you always know where they are.

How to Organize a Nursery Dresser

Store and organize baby clothes that currently fit baby in drawer dividers to help break up tiny baby onesies, socks, and diaper covers throughout all of your dresser drawers.
Use closet dividers to store seasonal clothes such as coats and special occasion outfits in the closet.
Store clothes that don’t fit in space saver bags to save space or bins to stack.
Go through everything every few months to organize your baby’s clothes and make sure things stay organized.

Other Essentials for Baby’s Nursery

Now you can add a little nursery organization to drawers and closets, as well as some pretty decor! After all, you will be spending a lot of time in this room so you may as well enjoy it!

Create a little wall collage that is easily customizable for your baby.
Install a ceiling fan in your baby’s room to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
A soft night light keeps you from stumbling around in the dark during those middle-of-the-night feedings, and keeps you from turning on bright overhead lighting.
A little pretty sign like this free printable makes cute and simple decor.

Enjoy organizing your baby’s nursery! It doesn’t have to look like a Pottery Barn catalog for you to love it. You can create a baby nursery on a budget as well! Just include some cozy elements that you and baby can both enjoy!

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Amy Motroni

I'm Amy and I'm so glad you've stopped by! As a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant, my goal is to walk you through the process of getting your baby to sleep, so your whole family gets the rest they need!

My blog is full of things to help you celebrate motherhood including baby nursery ideas, sleep schedules and sleep tips, fun printables, baby registry must-haves, and so much more.