Writing on the Wall

• There is so much to say about your precious new baby, so why not spell it out on a wooden frame in your baby's room? Choose a quote to express what your baby means to you; decorate a frame with her name, birth date and/or weight and height; or choose a simple word, such as "Love" or "Daughter." Start by lightly writing your words on your frame with pencil. Do not skip this step or you risk ending up with letters that will not fit or misspelled words. Once you have your pencil outline, trace over your words with a fine paintbrush or with a squeeze bottle of paint with a very thin tip. Let dry completely before hanging.
  
  

Designer Frames

• Unless you are already an artist, painting designs or decorations on wooden frames might seem difficult to do without looking amateurish. Check your local craft store for stencils, stickers or rub-ons that coordinate with your nursery theme. To use a stencil, tape it onto your frame and dab the cut-out parts with a paintbrush dipped into paint. Let dry completely and peel away to reveal your design. Apply rub-ons by cutting out the shape, peeling off the backing and rubbing it into place on your frame. (Reference 1)
  
  

Going 3-D

• Don't stop at just flat designs--add dimension to your frames by adding additional wooden cutout shapes, available at most craft stores in a variety of sizes and shapes. Spell out your baby's name across the bottom of a frame, painting each letter a different color to make them really pop. Choose a shape that coordinates with your nursery, like a flower, butterfly or baseball, and glue it onto the corner of the frame. Paint your wooden shape and let it dry completely before gluing it onto the frame. Glue on seashells, beads, sequins or ribbon for even more 3-D interest. (Reference 2)
  
  

Hanging Your Frames

• Once your wood baby frames are painted and decorated, you are ready to hang them on the walls--or are you? Before you start hanging your frames, decide what is going in them and where they should be placed on the walls. If you are framing photographs, try grouping several black-and-white prints or keeping frames of the same color together. Frame feet or hand prints, newborn photos of baby, or photos from Mom's pregnancy. Get creative and frame embroidered or printed letters spelling out baby's name in a row above her crib, or even frame squares of fabric that coordinate with the nursery. If there are older siblings in the house, have them contribute their own artwork to the new baby's room. (Reference 2)