So put on your DIY warrior hats and check out these 3 DIY dresser upgrades from around the web that are sure to inspire a weekend project.

DIY Costume Closet
If mama’s little baby has grown into a big girl who loves to play dress up, we can’t even picture a better costume closet than this! Jennifer, of Rambling Renovators, and her husband transformed an old dresser into a one-of-a-kind costume closet with some paint, wrapping paper and a little imagination. Check out the DIY details on their blog.

Anthropologie Ordinal Dresser Knock Off
The ladies of The Real Housewives of Bucks County did an amazing job of transforming an old dresser into an Anthropologie Ordinal Dresser knock off. Sure, this project may not be for a DIY beginner — there’s a lot of sanding and wood cutting involved — but it certainly seems worth the hassle! Check out the DIY details on their blog.

DIY Union Jack Painted Dresser
This project almost made Sheridan French, of The Southern Eclectic,jump in front of a bus — taping a straight line for painting, on a dresser with lots of grooves like this one, can be a pain — but we think the end result looks fabulous. I love the color combination! Try your hand at a Union Jack design and paint your old dresser into a beautiful focal point for the nursery. Check out the DIY details on her blog.

The solution? Some simple DIY mini bookshelves.

These bookshelves are simple and modern, make a great addition to the space and, they solve this family’s book storage problem.

Best of all? Since the shelves are installed relatively low, Sawyer can take out and put away his books all by himself. And that sense of independence {aka being a ‘big boy’ or ‘big girl’} makes ANY toddler happy =)

Visit The Sweet Survival for more details on this project.

{The orange paint used on the bookshelves is Behr’s Pumpkin Patch}

*source: The Sweet Survival

Child’s Name: Baby E

Child’s Age: Due July 24, 2011

Location: Houston, TX

What was your inspiration for the room?

I found the fabric for the bedding on Spoonflower and fell in love with the colors. Soon after, a nursery was featured on THIS blog that used the exact same fabric I was lusting after. I picked up some extra ideas for E’s room from there and the rest just kinda fell into place.

Describe your decorating style.

Is Ikea chic a style? I think 90% of our furniture is Ikea. I like clean lines, white furniture, and neutral palettes with enough color thrown in to make it interesting.

Favorite items in the room.

My favorite item in the nursery is probably the bird mobile and the bookshelf under the window. Both were DIY projects that my husband and I did, so they have some extra sentimental value to us. The mobile was made from fabric attached to interfacing using spray adhesive, and then I embellished it with buttons and beads on the strings. I just love the way is twirls when the fan is on (which is ALWAYS in Texas during the summer!). The bookshelf my husband made using the instructions from Young House Love‘s nursery shelves. We just made ours extra long and little deeper to fit our space.

Do you have any advice for other expectant moms planning a nursery on a budget?

Don’t buy what you have the time to make yourself! It allows you to get exactly what you are after and makes the room so much more personal. Plus, it gives you something to do while you are waiting for your baby to arrive!

Room Resources.

Crib: Baby Mod Olivia from Walmart
Paint: Benjamin Moore’s Barren Plains color matched in Olympic’s No VOC line
Crib Bumper: DIY with Heather Dutton’s Power Paisley fabric from Spoonflower
Crib Skirt: DIY with Heather Dutton’s Kelp Dot Green fabric from Spoonflower
Cornice Box: DIY with Heather Dutton’s Barnacle Net Coral Colorway fabric from Spoonflower
Glider: Graco Avalon on Amazon
Rug: HomeGoods, Company C Spectrum Rug in Pewter (color now discontinued)
*Check out more color options at our preferred retailer, Layla Grayce*
Green lamp: HomeGoods
Side table: Local unfinished furniture store
Hanging bookshelf: DIY using instruction from Young House Love {Love them!}
Mobile: DIY project
Dresser: Thrift store rehab project
Dresser knobs: Granita knobs from Anthropologie
Changing pad:DIY with Heather Dutton’s Kelp Dot Green fabric from Spoonflower
Frames: Goodwill and thrift stores, spraypainted white
Framed Fabric: All from Heather Dutton’s Collections on Spoonflower
Picture ledge shelves: Ribba from Ikea
You Are My Sunshine print: Happy Signs on Etsy
Framed E: DIY
LOVE print: Made by Girl
Galvanized bin: Ace Hardware

And be sure to check out Leigh’s blog, Baby Love, for more details about this nursery.

Artwork can be pricey. But you know that already.

You know who else knows that? Jordan of Oh Happy Day.

She’s spending a year with her husband and two sons in France, which means that spending a ton of money on art for their apartment is NOT an option. But Jordan is resourceful and creative, and she whipped up these contemporary {and fun!} pieces for her living room that I think could also work wonderfully in a modern nursery.

Visit Jordan’s blog, Oh Happy Day, for full project details.

image source: Oh Happy Day

I love little hand prints.

This handprint canvas kit from Red Envelope would make a great shower gift or child’s gift, and make a great keepsake for any parent.

You could track your growing child’s hand size by creating a hand print canvas every year or get the entire family involved and create a “hand print family tree.”

It’s only available in the colors seen here but the concept is so simple that you could assemble your very own hand print canvas kit at home {with canvases painted to match your decor}.

Things you’ll need:

- Plain canvases {the kit includes 10 x 10 canvases}
- Paint for the canvases and hand prints {nontoxic, water-based paints are best}
- Small foam rollers {one for each color, to apply the paint to those tiny little hands}

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