Decorating the nursery is one of the fun times for expecting parents. The first thing parents need to do is set a budget, taking into consideration the furniture, bedding, lighting, window covering and wall colors. Of course, the main concern is the furniture and, most importantly, the crib. If you are working with a tight budget, baby furniture at discount prices is probably the best way to go.

Garage sales, feel markets and consignment shops are great places to start. They often have used furniture and other baby items that may alleviate some of the decorating cost. Be sure to check with friends and family who have young children and may be looking to rid of some furniture no longer in use. You may also find discount furniture and other items at sores stores such as Walmart, or online sources such as http://overstock.com. For other new furniture pieces at a lower cost, you may want to look at the brands of Graco, Century or Bassett.

Baby Dream Furniture is another possibility for finding furniture when money is an issue. They have a great selection of furniture which can be found in hundreds of stores throughout the United States. Pali furniture offers more elegant furniture. It is a nursery furniture manufacturer originating in Italy. You may be able to find a local store selling Pali furniture, though, by searching on the internet. It would, definitely, be worth the try. Pali is known for styles like the Jenny Lind, and also create their furniture with the comfort of the children in mind. It is a great combination of style, elegance and comfort.

Delta Baby furniture is another option nursery furniture. Delta furniture is the perfect combination of beauty, function and quality. They specialize in bassinets, toddler beds, changing tables, strollers, walkers and portable cribs. They also make their products to last for yeas to come.

Finally, Jardine baby furniture has high quality furniture at reasonable prices, something every parent on a budget can appreciate. They have great styles, especially their glider rocking chairs, tables and toddler beds.

Once the furniture has been selected, you can finish the decorations so that everything matches to one central theme or décor. Furniture is the fundamental part of nursery decorating on which most everything else is built around. Furniture is definitely the first thing you will want to purchase for your nursery. You can then purchase the smaller items, paint the walls and finish the nursery and final preparations.

Nursery furniture is something that every expectant family is looking forward to, until you walk into the store and notice the price tags that go along with most of the sets available. This type of furniture is ideal for those that do have a new baby on the way for several reasons. First, it provides for the protection a child needs when sleeping. In addition to that, it helps to provide the storage, function and play areas for a child as well. But, it doesn't have to cost you more than having the baby itself will. You can actually design your own nursery furniture and save quite a bit.

What is it that you are looking for? For one thing, the crib should be considered. When selecting a crib, look at quality. It should be strong and able to hold a child at least up to 40 pounds, when you can move them to a larger bed. You should also want to find a crib that has rails that are spaced closely together so that they can not squeeze their heads through the slots. The rails should not slide down easily but should be easy enough for you to slide back up or down with a child in your hand. Look for safety seals on these products as a must for quality. For a crib, if possible, purchase new and keep safety as your first and main goal. The rest of the pieces are more flexible, though.

In addition to the crib, there are other elements that you'll want in baby's room and this is where you'll find many ways to design your own baby furniture. For starters, you need space to store all of baby's things. Once you start to buy all of the clothing, diapers, blankets and burping cloths that you need, you'll quickly see the amount of storage you need. But, don't worry about purchasing a specific baby dresser. Instead, look for a good quality large size dresser that will grow with your baby's needs. You can then stencil into it a design that you enjoy, paint it, or even use removable wallpaper stickers on it to make it into baby's own.

What about the changing table? You don't have to have a changing table but it can be a helpful tool. Instead of purchasing one, find a dresser that is stable and sturdy and attach a top railing to it carefully paying attention to the details. You'll want to smooth over the edges. For the changing pad, simply purchase a form piece that's large enough; cover it in plastic and seal. Finally, fit a pillow case or sew your own piece of cloth to cover it.

Rocking chairs are a wonderful choice for nursery furniture. Find one that's at a discount sale or even look for hand me downs. Dress it up just as you would the other furniture. Not only are you creating nursery furniture that will dress up what your baby's room looks like, but you get function without going broke in the process.

One of the first things new parents-to-be tend to splurge on is all the best baby furniture they can find for their new baby’s nursery. From cribs and bassinets to rocking chairs, changing tables, hampers, bedding, accessories and more, welcoming a new baby into the house can be a bit overwhelming to say the least, but it can also be very exciting!

Below you will find some help tips from the friendly and knowledgeable folks at BabyCenterStore.com about selecting baby furniture for your new nursery that is affordable, long-lasting and also safe for your child.

Safety First

The first thing you need to take into consideration right from the start when planning your new baby nursery is that safety always comes first! Your baby will probably spend more time in the nursery than anywhere else, so making the nursery as safe as it can possibly be should always be your first priority! This may often mean spending a little more money than you had originally planned, or possibly sacrificing a decorative theme you had in mind, but the safety of your baby is priceless and in the end it will be a decision you will be glad you made!

And because you'll be spending a lot of time there, too, you'll also want the nursery to be attractive and well organized. To get started, make a list of all the furniture and accessory items you think you will need.

Cribs (newborns to age 2-3)

The first thing most parents will buy for a new baby is a crib. Since your child will sleep in a crib until it's time to move into a real bed -- typically between the ages of 2 and 3 – it is extremely important to choose a sturdy crib that you'll be happy using every day for at least two years.

A sturdy, well-made crib will typically cost you between $200-$400, depending on brand name and the material the crib is made of. Some things you will want to look for when selecting a quality crib are sturdy construction, safety railings and crib bumper padding that attaches to the inside of the crib railings to cushion all four sides of the crib.

Bassinets, Cradles, and Moses Baskets (newborns to 4-5 months)

If you don’t want to purchase a crib right away, a bassinet, cradle, or Moses basket can be a convenient and comfortable sleeping place for your baby during his first few months. Your baby may feel more at ease in the smaller, cozier space than in a crib. Additionally, you can carry these small portable baby beds from room to room, letting you keep a closer watch over your sleeping baby.

Baby Changing Tables

In your baby’s first year of life, you will change an average of more than 2,400 diapers!

This makes a sturdy, comfortable changing table an imperative necessity! Some parents choose to simply lay out a waterproof changing pad and change their baby on the floor or on a bed, with their diapering supplies stowed in a nearby basket. This is certainly fine if space or money is tight. If the means are available to you, a changing table can make changing so many diapers a lot more convenient!

Some things to look for when browsing changing tables are a guardrail, safety straps, overall sturdiness as well as additional storage underneath for all your baby changing supplies. A good changing table will run you about $80-$150.

Hampers

Something else you will want to highly consider adding to your baby furniture shopping list is an in inexpensive linens hamper. A hamper will help you to keep your baby’s cloths organized and separate from the rest of the family’s, which is especially helpful if your baby has sensitive skin or allergies and you need to wash his clothes in a gentler detergent.

For more helpful baby furniture tips and suggestions from the experts, be sure to check out the latest additions to the BabyCenter Store from BabyCenter.com. Happy shopping and congratulations!