Nursery

Shopping for nursery furniture on a budget can be incredibly frustrating. Every new parent needs lots of brand new stuff they've never shopped for before, and no one wants to skimp on their baby. Most retailers know this, and will exploit your devotion to your new child. But you don't need to empty your wallet to fill your nursery with everything you need.

A crib is usually the most important piece of nursery furniture. You might find baby stores selling lovely cribs for thousands of dollars that you would be proud to hand down for generations. Always remember that your baby doesn't care what kind of wood something is made of, and choose a sleeping solution based on size and cost. There are lots of excellent cribs under 200 dollars, like the Dream On Me Portable folding crib, which is not only inexpensive but also can be made very small if your nursery is small.

If you're shopping for nursery furniture on a budget, one great idea is to combine multiple pieces into one! Graco makes the Pack 'n Play series of portable cribs that fold up very small, don't cost much, and are probably something you're going to want even if you have a regular nonportable crib. Why not make it your baby's primary sleeping place? For added savings, most models also come with a built in changing table, so you won't need one of those either!

Speaking of changing tables, they're really a luxury for the parent buying nursery furniture on a budget. Almost everything in your nursery isn't strictly necessary, but changing tables are really just a place to set your baby down to change a diaper. Most homes already have places that will do just as well, such as the top of a dresser, a countertop or, well, a floor. If you're going to go that route, though, make sure to get some extra blankets to keep things sanitary; packs of swaddling blankets work well. Keep these blankets separate from your actual swaddlers.

In addition to nursery furniture, you can also save a lot on decorations and play space. Consider making your own artwork or hanging impressions of your baby's hand/footprints; not only will it save you a lot of money, but it will make the space much more personal. When your baby is older, you can have him or her help you make things to brighten up the space. One inexpensive personal touch you can consider is chalkboard paint; this turns any paintable surface into a chalkboard, so you can let your kids draw all over the wall!

Certain major life events: marriage, buying a home, and having a baby, can make the participants lose all perspective on what's really important. Regardless of your resources, you might consider buying your nursery furniture on a budget to maintain perspective and focus on what really matters: love, health, and happiness.

The princess theme is one of the most popular for baby girl nurseries, and the centerpieces are often ornate cribs, fit for a princess. Princess cribs generally range from around $400 to $5,000 and up--plus bedding. Royal luxury isn't cheap, but it can fit into a range of budgets. Whether your taste runs towards frills or fairy tale toile, there is a princess crib out there to fulfill your dreams--or at least to make your little girl's nursery really, really cute.

Here are some of our favorite cribs fit for a princess-themed nursery:

Country French Round

Truly a nursery centerpiece, the Country French Round Crib is part of the ultra-luxurious Princess of Monaco Suite by Martinek BeBe. The elegant round shape is a traditional French design that's been updated to meet all US Consumer Product Safety Commisson requirements. Dress up these cribs with silk and tulle bedding and bows for a full-on fantasy nursery. Call for prices and ordering.

Scrolled Iron

Crayon Castles offers a wide array of adorable nursery decor, including The Princess Crib, featuring scrolled wrought iron canopy in a Corsican design that's topped off with a crown. This would fit well in a home with a Gothic-style interior, or for those looking to do a princess theme that's more Renaissance than Cinderella. $1999.95.

Disney Bows and Laces

For more budget-conscious princess parents, the Disney Princess Bows and Laces 4-in-1 Crib is a relatively simple yet regal cherry finish crib that converts into a toddler bed, day bed, and full-sized bed for lifelong use. The style is elegant -- no Princess decals, just a feminine design that will grow with your daughter, even if she outgrows the princess theme. Other pieces in the Disney Princesses Cherry collection include a chest and changing table/cabinet. Crib is priced at $469.99 at Babies "R" Us stores.

Corsican Magic Garden

The too-cute-to-be-true Corsican Magic Garden Cradle is an whimsically designed newborn princess crib featuring intricate details from top to bottom, including birds, plants and animals. Bent iron is finished in white, antique white or black. Drape with netting for the full princess look. $1,499.95, available through Shower Your Baby.

Cinderella Carriage

For the ultimate in cribs fit for a princess, look no further than the Cinderella Carriage Crib. Part crib, part elaborate pumpkin-shaped carriage sculpture, if this doesn't fulfill your princess fantasies, nothing will. At $5,950.00, this serious princess decor; retailer I Am the Princess assures that its quality construction will last for generations of tiny princesses to come.

Setting up a nursery can be costly--there's the crib, the changing table, the chest--and everything seems to have extras tacked on that can nearly double the cost. Baby bedding is one of those necessary extras that can easily tack on $100-200 to the cost of the crib. Baby bedding on a budget is a matter of smart shopping and deciding what you really need. With a budget of $50 or less, you can find the right baby bedding for your baby's nursery.

The Necessities

While matching crib bedding sets are cute, all you really need are fitted sheets and baby blankets; the decorative bumpers included in most sets are not only unnecessary, they're dangerous. Dust ruffles are purely aesthetic, and pretty quilts are not really as functional as simple baby blankets, especially if they're so cute you don't want to get anything on them. Also remember that you'll need more than the one sheet that comes with most baby bedding sets, which can add even more to your expenses. Instead, purchase three fitted crib sheets, such as this cute "Jungle Friends" sheet by Tiddliwinks from Target, retailing for $9.99, which should ensure that you always have a clean sheet on hand. A plush Tiddliwinks blanket retails for $12.99 and will keep baby warm and cozy. Total: $42.96

Bargain Sets

If you have your heart set on a set of matching 3- or 4-piece baby bedding, there are options under $50. Wal-mart offers the 4-piece Pooh's Playful Day and Disney Princess Happily Ever After sets for $49.50, including sheet, comforter, bumper and dust ruffle. Or choose this basic 3-piece Seed Sprout Gingham set that retails for $30, including sheet, quilted coverlet and bumper--at that price, you can throw in a couple of extra sheets, too. Walmart's online store also usually has plenty of clearance items in baby bedding.

Discounts

Search retail sites like Amazon.com and Overstock.com for baby bedding sets and separates on sale. Browsing Amazon, you can find designer sets on sale for 75% or more off of the original retail price. This Soho 10-piece set dropped from $169.99 to $39.99, including window valances, a toy bag, bib and diaper stacker. These kinds of deals turn over quickly, so search the baby bedding sections of these sites for current discounts once you have your budget money ready.

Second Hand

You may not want to buy used baby bedding, but there is plenty of nice secondhand bedding for sale out there that has never been used. It's not uncommon for parents to receive baby bedding sets that they can't use or that don't match their chosen decor, and they can often be found for a steal. Check local consignment and thrift shops, your local Craigslist, or eBay for high quality sets being sold at a fraction of retail prices.

It's easy to find baby bedding on a budget if you know where to look, and keep a constant watch for deals.

Have you been fighting with your significant other about which unused spare bedroom to turn into a nursery for your new baby? Yeah, me neither. Everyone has that friend with more money than they know what to do with. They've got a beautiful crib, changing table, toy chest, dresser, wide open playing space, three kinds of Boppy pillows, and a rocking chair in their baby nursery. But those of use with smaller spaces need to closely examine the purpose of each of these items and see what smaller substitute might meet your baby's needs and fit your budget.

With 1200 square feet of space AND a five year old running around, finding a place to put my second child found me struggling for baby nursery ideas for small spaces. Fortunately, babies have one thing going for them in this regard: they're really small. Graco makes a series of products called the Pack n Play that are huge money and space savers. These can serve as a crib for both infants and older babies. As an added bonus, they come with a built in changing table which can be used either on top of the crib or on its own on the floor.

As nice as having a changing table is, it's more of a luxury for your tiny baby nursery. Ideas for small spaces can be as simple as some extra swaddling blankets and your floor! Be sure to keep these blankets separate from the ones you use for bedding or swaddling, and wash them often.

Babies might be small, but they sure do accumulate a lot of stuff, particularly toys. If you don't like stepping on things, you'll need somewhere to put them all. Wall-mountable storage boxes look great, can often accommodate slide-out canvas boxes, so it's easy to get everything in and out, and can be either stacked on the floor or mounted to a wall, getting toys up off the floor. In general, getting things off the floor is a great space saver in your small baby nursery. Install shelves anywhere you can; you'll be really surprised at how much vertical space you really have, even if you're building your baby nursery inside a closet. These can get as fancy as you want!

Toys do seem to multiply, and kids outgrow them frustratingly fast. One baby toy my girls both loved for longer than most is a play gym; it's stimulating, soothing, and best of all, it folds up to almost nothing, letting you stow it away almost anywhere in your home, or right in the baby nursery. Ideas for small spaces may seem complicated, but the most important thing to remember is that what babies need most of all is love, not stuff, so when in doubt, you don't need it!

When it comes to baby furniture, few pieces are as impressive as a sleigh crib. The basic design, based on the shape and curves of a Victorian horse-drawn sleigh, is a popular choice with new parents looking for something different from the boxy cribs that dominate the crib market. Sleigh cribs can evoke an aura of royalty or of simple, rustic living, depending on the style -- there's even a sleigh crib for the modern art nursery. While sleigh cribs aren't the cheapest option, they do come in a range of prices to make adding one as the centerpiece of your new nursery possible even on a modest budget. Even better, all of these sleigh cribs can be converted to day beds, toddler beds and/or full-sized twin beds, making them pieces that (with conversion kits) can grow with your child.

Cottage Chic

Pottery Barn's Sleigh Fixed Gate Crib, with its old-fashioned simplicity, fits just right with a country-style decor. As is common with sleigh cribs, there are no hinges or mechanisms, just sturdy wood construction that comes in honey, espresso, and white finishes. Complete the decor with heirloom quilts on the wall and an antique-look rocking chair and chest. $599, plus mattress and optional conversion kit to turn this sleigh crib into a toddler bed. Too simple? Pottery Barn also offers the more extravagant Larkin sleigh crib for $999.

Regal

The Madison Sleigh Crib by Natart, with its rich cherry finish and bold shaping, is both opulent and whimsical in style. This is the kind of crib that works with a princess- or royal-themed nursery. A true centerpiece, surround this piece with muted colors and pretty fixtures. At $1,035 plus mattress, this crib is an investment -- spend the extra $330 for the conversion kit, which turns it into a full-sized bed that can be used for years to come. With the high quality of this piece, it should be ready to convert back to a crib again for the next generation.

Budget

If a thousand dollar-plus price tag is panic-inducing, the Bethany James Secure Reach 4-1 Sleigh Crib offered by Wal Mart is only $149, and converts to a day bed, toddler bed, and full-sized bed -- mattresses and rails for the full-sized bed sold separately. No one will mistake it for the Madison, but this cherry-finish sleigh crib is a beauty for the price, and will fit in with a princess, country or contemporary decor.

Modern

Sleigh cribs are usually old-fashioned -- that's part of their appeal. The Pod Sleigh Crib by Tulip, however, is decidedly modern, its traditional curves and fixed slats put together in a design that's part Victorian, part modern minimalist. The eco-friendly espresso-painted bamboo veneer gives it a fresh feel, with stainless steel feet that pull it together as an almost scupltural piece. Surround this piece with swashes of color and modern art decor, or go for simplicity and decorate in brown and white. $1,999 plus mattress, with optional Pod toddler gate to convert the crib into a day bed.