Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Updating A Thrift Store Doll’s Cradle

Psst- We’re still at work on the living room (you got a preview of that mess project here) so we’ll be back with those details on Monday (barring any unforeseen catastrophes). 

Woot, it’s Friday y’all. I’ll pause while you celebrate with a desk/cubicle/subway/couch dance. Speaking of rejoicing, for every time that we share heavier DIY related projects (laying a stone patio, building a deck, renovating our kitchen, or even adding board & batten) there are always a ton of little updates that we tackle – sometimes for less than $5 in under 5 minutes. Which explains why our Projects page is full of those things too (you know we love a smorgasbord). So after sharing a bigger upgrade this week (adding crown molding to Clara’s nursery) and while we’re finishing a few more for next week (our aforementioned living room dealio + more crown molding) we thought a small and inexpensive jelly bean of a project was a nice way to end the week.

What you’ve never heard of a jelly bean project? Ok, me either, but I think it should be used to describe little updates that are easy to pop into your mouth schedule & budget. So you all remember this old wooden cradle that we scored for $11 at a local thrift shop for the fun little Macklemore Challenge that we did a little while ago, right?

Stuff We Bought

Well, we mentioned that we wanted to paint it – and although a few folks cried out to keep the old wood, in person it was a lot less appealing (it had burn marks, scuffs, and smelled like it had been in storage for 30 years). I just craved something a little crisper and happier for the bean – which you caught a glimse of here in this closet post when I revealed I had painted it white.

Closet Done 4

But white isn’t as fun as it can be (but it sure is a great base color to layer things over). So I had a plan to turn the fun-dial up (what, that’s not a thing?) with some bright red pom-pom trim, scored for just 79 cents at JoAnn in the remnant/discount pile.

Cradle2

As for how I attached the pom-pom trim, I thought about gluing it or nailing it and then I realized I had some old nailheads leftover from an old rocking chair that I recovered, so I just tapped one of them in the backside of each swag to hold them in place. Oh but first I used crazy glue to “seal” the ends of the pom pom fringe on each side so it wouldn’t fray, let that dry, and then nail-headed it into place.

Cradle1

Then I tossed a lumbar pillow that I already had around the house in there to act as a little doll mattress (you might recognize it as the old chair pillow in Clara’s first nursery), which was a lot faster than sewing a cushion. Use whatcha got, right?

Cradle3

Then I tucked dolly under this sweet pink blanket and bam: a fresh and happy cradle with all of Clara’s favorite colors (she’s nutso for red and pink these days). No sewing, no cursing, no crying. And instead of paying $59 for something like this Pottery Barn doll cradle, I spent under $15 to take an old secondhand one up a few notches.

Cradle4

So mission accomplished. And by mission I mean “my kid likes it.” Clara loves rocking her babies (and tucking them in, and kissing them, and filling the crib with plastic animals, and trying to put Burger in there…).

Oh and as for the rear view, here’s how those nailheads turned out:

Cradle6

It’s definitely a nice clean look – and after a few days of playing with her suped up cradle, all that Clara does is occasionally drape the pom-pom trim over the back of the footboard and headboard, but it’s easy enough to drape it back over the front (I worried she might try to rip it off or yank on it and make it all loose, but so far she has just accepted the trim as part of the cradle and isn’t trying to tug it off or anything). Hooray for small victories and small updates. Especially if they involve pom-pom trim.

Has anyone else been making over any kid things from the thrift store? How about a real crib? Any crib skirt DIY-fests going on? You know I love a no-sew crib skirt…

Psst- We picked a winner for this week’s giveaway – click here to see if it’s you.

Comments

    • YoungHouseLove says

      So sorry Lola, in person I promise it wasn’t (it had burn marks, scuffs, and smelled like it was in storage for 30 years). Next time I’ll have you over to see (and smell) it before I paint it :)

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      The good news is that there were two others at the thrift store right next to this one, so if you love the wood look that’s out there for the getting too :)

      xo,
      s

    • Jennie says

      Honestly … It’s not like you painted over a precious fresco or something. It’s a thrift store cradle!

  10. taria says

    I’m real uncomfortable with nailheads for a little one. Just too much of a choking risk. How about a sweet little stencil? One of the American Girls dolls has a blue bed with simple small stencil flowers and it is cute as all and safe too.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thankfully Clara’s nearly three so she’s past the things-in-mouth stage (she plays with tons of tiny things now, like making necklaces out of beads). And she’d actually need a flathead screwdriver to pry the nail heads out, so they’re nice and secure. But for anyone with a child who might put things in their mouth, perhaps if you glue and nail yours in they’d be even more reinforced :)

      xo
      s

  11. Megan says

    I had requested a fabric sample of a quilt I liked from Land of Nod (free). Since it was a patchwork quilt, they sent me a little 3″ square of each fabric. A year later I decided my little girl needed a mini quilt for her baby dolls (lately she loves playing night-night, which just involves making us lay face down on the ground, covering us with a blanket, patting our backs & singing – I love this game)
    I sewed the squares together into a 3×4 rectangle. Used leftover muslin for the back. At this point I went a bit crazy and made my own bias tape (after watching some online videos of how it’s done). Conclusion: the bias tape was super cute because I got to choose the fabric, but it was a lot of ironing and burnt fingers.
    Since it was so small, I hand stitched a little tuff of yarn at each square intersection.
    Since my daughter sleeps on her stomach, all her baby dolls must go to sleep face down. :) So funny to me. I like the upgrade to your thrifted find!

    Reply

  12. julie says

    so, so cute. My daughter is now a senior in high school, but I remember the days when she played with dolls and loved “putting them to bed”…lining them all up on the couch and doing “school”…sigh……

    Reply

  13. Michelle says

    That’s so cute! And I did totally DIY a crib skirt recently using your tutorial for my little girl who is due June 8! I’ve been going back over all your nursery ideas and they are so cute!

    Reply

  15. Crystal @ 29 Rue House says

    That turned out so cute and I like the drapey-ness of it. Although I’ve yet to buy it, I’m working on a project that will require some pom pom fringe. I can’t wait to do it!

    I recently scored a wicker doll chaise that matches our wicker doll chair (got that a year or so ago). There’s a close-up of it in this post about adding shelves to Ruby’s closet with different finishes. http://29ruehouse.blogspot.com/2013/02/rubys-closet-project-adding-shelves.html

    Reply

  16. Stevie says

    So for some odd reason, I thought John was writing this post. Then I got down to “with some bright red pom-pom trim, scored for just 79 cents at JoAnn” and thought: “wow…dude’s really into his pom-pom fringe”

    I figured it out by the picture with the purdy nails though.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Real deal holyfield. You can check out hundreds of little upgrades right here on our Projects page. Sharing the little stuff right along with the big stuff is actually our only “blogging formula” (it has gotten us here, so we’re infinitely grateful). The way we see it, what’s the point of a blog if you can’t just share everything? You can read more on that here. Happy Friday Jenny! :)

      xo
      s

    • Amanda says

      I’ve been following since the first house, and I must admit, I agree with Jenny. While I love the random posts, this one was just kind of silly and pointless…I find myself scrolling straight through without reading a lot more now than I used to :/ But, it seems like we’re in the minority here, so keep doing your thing!

    • rosemary says

      YHL your kindness goes above and beyond sometimes. Some people are just so negative. And don’t apologize for painting the cradle :)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Rosemary! I’m sure every single post we write has folks who like it and others who aren’t fans – I think it’s just how blogging goes :)

      xo
      s

    • Nicole says

      I love you guys, I come to your site twice a day just in case it’s 2-post day! But I gotta admit, I had the identical reaction to Jenny about today’s small project. Not because it’s not super adorable and a fantastic idea to customize the cradle. It’s awesome. But because as a very loyal follower who’s a proud owner of your book (it’s on my coffee table!), you’ve inspired me beyond that stuff. What can I say, I got a fever for more DIY and the only prescription is YHL!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Nicole! As we mentioned in this post, we’re scurrying around finishing some big projects to share next week, and this week we: hung crown molding, switched out a light, painted a vent, changed out a doorbell, shared how we mixed & matched patterns in Clara’s room, revealed our annual yearbook, profiled an inspiring local ice cream shop, and shared this little kid-focused update. So we’re definitely staying nice and busy! We truly appreciate everyone who’d love a giant project every day – we just don’t have the elves to work on that stuff at night while we sleep (boo! where are those elves?!). And here’s a bit more about how we’re making an effort to stop working on nights, weekends, and vacations this year. Hope you guys understand :)

      xo,
      s

    • Jenny says

      Ack, the downside of having a common name and no blog. Not like you know me or anything, but I’ve commented from time to time….just want you to know THAT Jenny is not THIS Jenny. THIS Jenny thinks you guys are rocking it. And that if I don’t dig a particular project, that’s ok, I can spend more time with some other blog if I really feel like surfing around the interwebs. And that I love how much great personality and great DIY stuff you guys put out there. Thanks!

    • Ann says

      I already posted, and you guys can definitely handle your own criticism, but this comment just rubbed me the wrong way. I definitely see posts here that are super-not-helpful to me, but then again, I scrolled through the whole deck-building for that reason–and there’s definitely no debate that was a time-consuming, difficult project. I actually realized reading this post that I enjoy some of your easier “fixes” because it highlights creativity. I love moving things around and styling my house differently and find that some of those things make the biggest difference, so to see tips like “use a small pillow for a doll mattress” is great… no money, no time wasted. in some ways, its more creative than sewing a mattress! and i think that’s why you guys got popular in the first place… so i don’t see a reason to change that now. just hoping to inspire some “haters” to look at things a little differently

      also, i painted two walls in my dining room and took a 6 month break, so i fully get the small project/big project mantra…..

    • Ashley says

      This might seem weird, but I kinda like the more “critical” comments you guys get because you are always so unbelievably sweet and poised in your responses(who knows what’s going on behind that screen!) Your conviction behind everything you do is so refreshing and you don’t seem to let anyone change you. You are real and an inspiration in so many ways. Thanks!

    • Jennie says

      THIS Jennie liked your post too :)

      I love these smaller posts because they make me feel a little bit better about my own house too, haha. Although we’re avid DIY-ers, there are days (weeks) where we get nothing done. Personally, I am impressed that you find time to do all the things you do!

      Oh, and the pom poms are cute … love you guys and your good attitudes!

    • jenny says

      No, I seriously was wondering if this was a joke post, like when you posted Burger’s room re-do. I didnt mean to offend, and I don’t care if you post about a small project. I get that you can’t knock out a kitchen or a bathroom every day. I just think that the cradle looked fine before, and it looks great white, too. I love the pillow, too. But the pom pom trim hanging on by tacks for a toddler? Surely you can see how I was confused?

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Now I’m the confused one – did you worry that the nail head trim could come out and poke her? We have nail head trim on ottomans and chairs all over the house and haven’t had any issues. Clara can’t tug it off and eat it or anything (she’d need a flat head screwdriver or a crowbar to pry a nail head off) so it’s not like a thumb tack that pops out if you pull on it or anything. It’s just like using nails to build things for her, like we did with her dollhouse and her play kitchen. Hope that helps!

      xo
      s

    • Chelsea says

      Oooh the nerve some people have when they are behind a computer!

      Anyway, I absolutely love big complex project posts, but where I’m most inspired is the small simple posts about things such a this. Yes, pompoms tacked to a cradle can be inspiring. These simpler projects always trigger ideas and I, for one, completely appreciate that. I know this blog started out as a personal diary and to update family, but I’m so thankful that it’s much more than that now. You guys truly are an inspiration in so many ways. The hard work you’ve put in to get where you are now is probably the most inspirational of all. Also, I have to mention that I really appreciate your quirky personalities as they are so refreshing!

      People really need to remember that this is your diary of all the DIY projects you do. Big or small, they are yours to include.

      Thanks for sharing with us :)

    • Katherine says

      I don’t think you guys get it- It’s not about this being a small project, it’s about it being a lame project. Small projects that make people say “Oh, what a great idea! I never thought of that!” are one thing, but pom pom fringe and a cradle is not inspiring or original. Why not a stencil? You guys love sentimental art- pick a stencil that is meaningful to you or Clara. It would be way more unique and pinnable and much classier than cheap tacked- on fringe.

      Like someone else said, there are big projects that I scroll through and don’t really relate to. That’s fine. I don’t expect to enjoy everything. But at least it’s full of helpful information and will be helpful and inspirational to someone (like someone building a deck, or wondering if they could DIY one, etc). But a post like this is SO inane that it doesn’t deserve internet space. If you don’t have any content, just cut back on posts!

      I’m guessing this comment will be “spam filtered”. I wonder how many people don’t realize that you guys filter out the more negative comments.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Of course your comment stays! Are you kidding about the negative comment filtering? There are plenty of them right here in this post. Haha! Thankfully, there are also plenty of folks saying they liked this project. Of course not everyone who reads each one of our 2,500+ posts will love every last idea – or get a single thing from certain ones (I can promise you that if I stenciled this cradle someone else would say they wished that I used fabric or trim instead). So no worries at all, you fall into the “this post wasn’t for me” camp, which is not only ok with us, it’s what makes the world go round. Happy weekend to you and yours :)

      xo
      s

    • Cynthia says

      I’m sorry, but I thought it was a joke post too! Hmm, knew it wasn’t April Fools, thought maybe a giveaway, or an announcement of some kind (S is prego!).

      Little cradle has gotten a lot of airtime, you’ll have to admit (isn’t this the third post on the cradle updates)

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yup, I’m prego! And the baby will live in this crib! Just kidding. Empty womb over here. But we often share updates to things we buy (ex: we posted about ordering a duvet for our bedroom, did another post when it arrived, and then shared a third post when we switched it out for a white one). And when we’re working on finishing bigger projects that take more than a day to do/write/share (like the ones we mentioned at the start of this post) little updates tend to pop up :)

      xo
      s

    • Meghan, UK says

      I just read all of these comments and wanted to swing in to add my tuppence’worth to say that YHL has been brilliant over all the years I’ve read along. You guys are doing great posting all projects, big and small, staying creative, and inspiring so many of us. Your ability to stay so gracious in the line of fire really makes me smile too. Can the (very few) haters remember the free nature of blog-reading and stop grinding on you? (And maybe stop asking the pregnancy question – it’s none of our business!)

  18. Grace Nielsen says

    Darling – Love how it turned out! Thinking of Clara’s “Big Girl Room”; I’ve been reading “Oh, the Thinks You Can Think” to my elementary students in the library this week (in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday March 2nd). Page 2 made me think about Clara’s room!! “You can think about red. You can think about pink. You can think up a horse. Oh, the THINKS you can think!” You should see the two page illustration – perfect for Clara and her “new” room!! Check it out next time you are at your library!! (wish I could paste the picture here!?!) All the best to y’all ~

    Reply

  19. Kathryn Ferrie says

    That picture of you showing how you attached the pompoms made me think of zoolander and giggle.
    J.P. Prewitt: I’m a hand model, mama. A finger jockey. We think differently than the face and body boys… we’re a different breed.
    Haha! I love the cradle makeover. I’m sure she loves it. And you should become a hand model!

    Reply

  20. [email protected] says

    Cute! The thought of Clara trying to rock Burger in a cradle makes me laugh out loud. Picturing him right now in a pink crocheted night cap. Does he tolerate such antics? If so, a video is definitely in order.

    Reply

  21. Emily says

    There’s always Ana White if your readers can’t find a doll crib in a thrift store!

    http://ana-white.com/2010/11/olivias-doll-crib.html

    Check out the drawer on the bottom, oh la la!

    You’ve inspired me to call my folks and see where my doll crib is. My dad made one when I was little and it’s in someone’s attic somewhere. I’m pretty sure it needs pom pom fringe :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I love the Ana White idea! Such a great option if you can’t find a secondhand one – and still much cheaper than a store bought one (plus it’s meaningful since you made it yourself!).

      xo
      s

  22. Carolyn says

    I love the balance between the large and small projects! I read YHL every morning and it must be infiltrating my nighttime brain, I had a dream last night that I was at a party at your house! It was great, the event of the year!

    Reply

  23. Amanda @ 16th and Main says

    Oh, that is so adorable!! I love easy projects that take no time… And “jellybean project” is definitely being added to my lexicon!!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Megan! Although now I wonder if we should call it a marshmallow project inspired by Clara’s “I need a marshmallow” catch phrase. Hahah!

      xo
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Haha, a wee lass made me giggle. And I totally plan on saving that cradle forever. Wouldn’t it be sweet if Clara’s kids play with it someday?! Excuse me while I pause to sob about how fast they grow up. Haha.

      xo
      s

  28. Ann says

    I’m surprised people have a problem with it being painted–to me, getting wood at a thrift store would = painting, since I feel like it makes it 100% clean, fresh, and new. Especially if I were giving it to my children to play with. Maybe its a generational thing, but its just a kid’s toy, not like a crazy nice piece of furniture. I wasn’t sure about the pom-pom fringe idea, but it looks nice and subtle!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Ann! I think people generally have a ton of opinions about painting things like wood, brick, etc – so we’re used to folks saying “don’t you dare paint that!” and others chanting “paint it, paint it, paint it!” – it’s definitely one of those personal preference things :)

      xo
      s

  29. Diane @ Vintage Zest says

    Hey! Those are the same nailheads that I used for my project. :)

    http://vintagezest.blogspot.com/2013/02/diy-magnetic-inspiration-boards-on.html

    By the way, when I went to the store and asked for the nailhead trim or nailheads they didn’t know what I was looking for. I finally figured out that they were “officially” called upholstery nails by scouring the internet for a while in the asile. I thought the readers might want to know since the package is a little fuzzy in your picture. :)

    Reply

  30. Jen says

    We actually have two doll cribs. My grandmother collected dolls and her brother-in-law made her a crib to go with her collection a couple of years before he died. She’s gone now too and it’s been passed on to my 19 month old daughter who actually uses it for her baby dolls and attempts to sit in it herself (it sits flat on the floor so no worries about it tipping over with her). It’s stained wood and I have no desire to alter it because of its origins. The other one–whew. It needs some help. It’s in great shape but it’s finished in a dizzying array of pastels. I plan to paint it and use it in the playroom. Speaking of which, we’re in the midst of our biggest DIY to date–closing in our unused carport and converting it into a playroom! So exciting!!!

    Reply

  31. Jess S says

    I’m dying to have a girl so I can pom pom some fun stuff.
    Otherwise, I’m not above sending my boys to preschool pom pom’d out…

    oh and on the topic of not painting stuff…I say PAINT IT. these old school fuddie duddies and their fear of change need a dash of excitement!

    randomblogdrama.com

    Reply

  32. Jessica says

    I love your embellishment. Looks very festive!

    I actually used your crib skirt tutorial for my son’s crib last summer. Unfortunately my dogs (and husband) managed to rip it off, and I haven’t gotten around to super-gluing the the velcro onto the crib. I’m hoping the super glue will hold up better than the adhesive!

    Reply

  34. Jeanna says

    Ya know, the way you draped the pom poms really does remind me of a baseball……….. I was just wondering why you chose to drape it like that, and if you thought of following the curve on each end instead. I think the ends might have looked a bit more finished on the sides rather than on the backs of the head and foot board…..

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I just thought it was playful, like draping a banner across something in a fun little swag. Clara loves that they’re movable like that – she flips them over to the back and front of the headboard & foot board all the time :)

      xo
      s

  37. Julia says

    Oh, for Pete’s sake. I really don’t understand why people are still so up in arms about you painting the crib. It’s not like you painted over a piece of high-quality vintage furniture.

    It was cute before. It’s cute now. I wish people would focus less on whether or not the wood was “destroyed,” and more on how lucky Clara is to have such an awesome momma that would make her such a special toy.

    Reply

    • Stephanie says

      I think people are irritated because she took something that was quite beautiful and ruined it.

    • Jeanna says

      She didn’t “ruin” anything! For the smell of old things alone, I would have painted it and freshened it up for my daughter before she ever touched it. :)

    • Stephanie says

      It’s quite easy to remove the “old” smell from pieces without covering it in spray paint.

      Not to mention she could have just refinished the piece so it kept some of its original charm.

      But I suppose if you prefer the “sombrero” theme then more power to you.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Can’t we all agree that 100 people would redo this guy 100 different ways? Is there really a “right” way to approach an $11 cradle from a thrift store? Viva la pom pom fringe – or stain, or teak oil, or stencils, or whatever else you’d love to add to your cradle for your little one! To each his own :)

      xo
      s

    • Emily says

      Regardless if you are for or against the paint, let’s understand that Sherri did not “make” the toy. She decorated it. I know people will probably jump all over me for hating (which I am not) but the cradle was made by someone else. She tricked it out a bit.

      Arguing semantics, I know.

    • Stephanie (A different one) says

      I’m with Julia! It is cute and I think the most important part is that Clara loves it. Keep up the good work :)

  38. Maggie says

    Hi!
    I am new to your blog. I have no idea how I have missed it for all these years, but I am already a huge fan. I love all your designs. And I especially love that your blog is not bombarded with “c/o” and “sponsored by”. My husband and I are in the process of renovating our home. We bought it last fall and it was built in 1917, so it needs some TLC. I’m sure I will be getting some ideas from you. Oh, and I love the crib. So cute!

    Reply

  39. Ashley says

    Gotta say, I’m excited your book tour stuff is done & you can hopefully get back to real posts. I love your blog, but posts like this one shouldn’t get blog space. Not saying you shouldn’t make cute things for your daughter, but don’t think it’s blog worthy.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      No worries Ashley, it’s a Friday! For years our Friday posts have been little & random. Sometimes they’re just a poll about decorating, sometimes they’re about a weird dream that I had, or what we were almost named). They’re never giant projects since we like to use the weekend to finish those & write them up for Monday. If you read the first paragraph of this post it explains that we’re in the middle of two big projects that we can’t wait to share :)

      xo
      s

    • Jennie says

      If this wasn’t a “real” blog post, what did I just finish reading? Words … Pictures …

      Hm.

  40. Melissa says

    It’s adorable! Maybe it’s because I have an extremely rambunctious toddler, but the drape of the poms with the nails makes me worried (and this could be also from totally not seeing it in person)…but is the loop of the pom a strangulation hazard?

    I can see my two year old trying very hard to shove his head in between the poms and the wood and getting stuck.

    Reply

  41. Katie C says

    I am so glad she enjoys this and gets use out of it. My mom and I were just talking about the cradle I had when I was little. I think i was older than Clara when I got mine (maybe 5?) and I can not remember ever playing with it. My mom told me that she was at this vintage flea market and saw this awesome all wood crib that was beautiful (and I think, kind of expensive) and all that and so she bought it for me. And to finish it off she grabbed a cheap doll to put in it for me and wouldn’t you know it, I LOVED the doll but never touched the cradle. Of course, we still have it somewhere so I plan on giving it to my future kiddos earlier in their lives, maybe that makes a difference. It is a good blast from the past though to see this.

    Reply

  43. Alise says

    When I was a young girl, I had a little baby cradle that my my great-uncle made for me. After seeing this post, I immediately called my mom to ask if they still had it. She said it was still in their attic! I asked if I could have it to give to my little girl (she’ll be 3 in May like Clara)… SO EXCITED! Thanks for bringing back a great childhood memory that I get to relive with my sweet girl!

    Reply

  44. Anna P says

    I for one love these “mini project” posts. I love the big ones too, but for those of us who aren’t quite brave enough to try some of the bigger projects yet, these little ones are good stepping stones. I liked that you gave your own perspective on dressing up a cradle! Did you spray paint or use use a roller?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Anna! I used spray paint with primer in it – usually for smaller items I don’t mind spray painting, but for larger pieces of wood furniture I prefer a brush and a small foam roller with primer & paint :)

      xo
      s

  45. Sayward says

    So cute! Last weekend I got my dollhouse out of my mom’s garage so I could play with my two year old niece. Her second favorite thing was to put the baby in the high chair and say “sit down! sit down!” and then she’d put it in the cradle and say “Wah wah. Don’t cry baby. Night night. Shhhhhh.”

    (Her first favorite thing was to make the mommy go potty, but I’ll spare you that narration…)

    Unrelated amazing sidenote from a fellow wood painter: yesterday I went to get paint mixed so I could paint my -looks great from a distance but looks and smells terrible in person- wooden media console (scored during the Macklemore challenge for exactly $20). And there in the bin of oops paint was the EXACT color I was going to have made anyway. $5. HOLLA!!! (Since I saved $6 on paint, I justified buying mercury glass knobs, which were way more than $6, but still. Winning!

    Reply

  46. Rahcel says

    I love the pom-pom trim! Did you know that it is also called ball fringe? I like pom-pom trim better! We have some in our little girl’s nursery. I bought plain white curtain panels and trimmed the inside edged with a pretty pink pom-pom trim. Now I’m thinking about throwing all caution to the wind and using it on a throw pillow too!

    Reply

  47. Lisa in Seattle says

    Good grief, people, it’s a cheap little toy cradle, not a Hepplewhite breakfront. That wood is no more special and appealing than those cheap wood bowls that are a dime a dozen at any thrift store. Now it’s a cute play accessory with a fresh, clean look that fits nicely into Clara’s “big girl” room with a touch of interactivity besides.

    Don’t get me started on the people who criticize you for your post content. They should certainly feel free to request a refund of the subscription fee they pay to read your blog. OH WAIT. And I was in such a good mood earlier, too.

    Reply

    • Anna P says

      I’m with you Lisa! Not every piece of wood is valuable and it’s value comes from being used and loved now rather than it’s resale value someday. I can’t believe people are actually critical of the post,especially when YHL posts waaaay more than a lot of other blogs I’ve seen.

  48. cappy says

    I love the white crib and pom poms! I have the same exact one and thought about painting ours a white or a Ben Moore old buick blue color. Did you spray paint it white? Or did you brush paint? Reason I ask, I also spray-painted an old bookshelf that was my grandma’s white and found that the paint is now chipping and it looks rough again. I know you have mentioned this in a zillion posts but do you know when something needs brush paint versus spray? Love the dollies too!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I used spray paint with primer in it (definitely key!). Usually for smaller items I don’t mind spray painting, but for larger pieces of wood furniture I prefer a brush and a small foam roller with primer & paint. Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  49. marbella says

    Hard to believe the negativity from some people. You guys are doing fantastic job, and are so kind to respond so politely to some of the comments you get. Posts like this give us a good window into your family dynanics and how much care and thought you put into things for Clara. You can bet if you hadn’t posted this, but the cradle was in a future picture, you’d have a ton of questions about where it came from and how you did it….
    You can’t please everyone, but you guys are doing a great job so please don’t let the complainers bother you. Anyone would think they were paying for a subscription to read your posts or something…
    Keep up the good work!

    Reply

  50. karen says

    another one here for digging the smaller projects.
    people can find inspiration in the easier diy’s just as in the larger ones.

    and really…if you are not interested in a post, then why comment (some rudely i might add)?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Karen! It’s true that for every big post we share (the deck, the patio, installing crown molding, etc) we have people requesting smaller and more affordable slash doable things, so we just share whatever’s going on in our house, big or small, successful or disastrous. Seems to work for us :)

      xo
      s

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