Customizing Nursery Furniture

What You Need

Baby furniture is fun to buy -- but it's even more fun to make yourself! No, we're not suggesting you buy some two-by-fours and a saw. But with a few pieces of unfinished furniture, some paint, and a little creativity, your child can have custom, mom-designed furniture. And so what if you're not exactly an artist -- these are simple techniques that anyone can do.

You'll need:

• Piece of unfinished furniture (step stool, tiny chair, child's desk, etc.) Make sure it's sturdy and well built.
• 80 grit sandpaper
• 180 grit sandpaper
• Inexpensive 1-inch foam brush
• Inexpensive 2-inch foam brush
• High-quality synthetic brush
• High-quality size 1 art brush (available at arts and crafts stores)
• Pencil
• High-quality knot sealer
• High-quality latex primer
• High-quality waterproof polyurethane sealer
• Latex paint with eggshell finish, in any colors (take a piece of fabric, wallpaper, or bedding to your paint store and have them match the colors for you, if you like)
• Small pots or tubes of acrylic paint
• Stencils
• Stamps and a stamp pad
• A dry sponge
• Damp cloth