If you’re not sure how you want to decorate your nursery, start by choosing the crib bedding. The nursery is all planned out. You’ve chosen the crib, the rug, the stuffed animals, even the light-switch covers… but have you forgotten something? You baby is going to spend a lot of time in the crib, so choose the bedding carefully. Here are some things you need to think about:

- Choose natural, soft fibers like 100% cotton.

- Caring for a new baby is very time-consuming and you won’t have time for spot treatments or dry cleaning - so make sure you buy a bedding set that you can wash in the machine!

- The crib sheet has to fit the crib mattress properly, or there could be a saftey concern. If you are worried about the fit of your sheets, you can buy elastic straps that clip onto the crib sheet (under the mattress) and hold it in place.

- While you will definitely need bedding for your crib, you do not necessarily need a set. Most bedding sets include things like crib bumpers and comforters - but these are not recommended for children under a year old. Buying individual pieces can therefore make a lot more sense than buying a set. Buying separates has the added advantage of giving you a lot more freedom in choosing bedding - you can mix and match to get a truly unique look.

- When everything else has been taken care of, then you should consider the decor of the nursery.

Depending on your needs, you may need want to spend more money on higher-quality bedding, or you may want to choose something a little less expensive. Since toddler beds usually use standard-sized crib sheets, you could be using the same bedding until your little one is about 4 or 5 years old. If you’re just starting your family and think you might have more children, try a gender neutral bedding set like the Vintage 4 piece crib set, that can be reused over and over with each new baby. You might opt to buy cheaper bedding, though, if you are pretty sure you won’t be having more children. No matter what route you choose, keep in mind that you’ll need more than one set of sheets - babies are messy!

Tags: Babies