How to Create a Travel-Themed Nursery for Your Little Explorer

This post about fun things to do at home in the summer with kids was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.

If there was one thing I hoped I had prepared better for my child, it’s creating a nursery with a theme close to my heart, hoping my kids would love it, too.

When I was pregnant with my son, Owen, I had a complicated pregnancy. This led to me spending half of my pregnancy on bed rest at home and in the hospital.

I missed out on a lot of the fun “getting ready for baby” stuff, including setting up his nursery. I was able to order some wall decals and a couple of things online, but part of the fun is actually setting it up.

So, when we found out that we were pregnant with our second son, I immediately started brainstorming nursery ideas so I could start early, just in case.

I’d always heard that nurseries for second babies are usually no frills because parents are so busy with the first born that they don’t have time to decorate another nursery. I really wanted this nursery for my baby and myself.

The theme was easy for us to come up with. We are passionate about traveling with our family and exposing our kids to different cultures, customs, and sights.

I also plan on re-purposing some of the nursery decor for our guest room when our son is older and wants to redecorate his room. I was very careful with my selections.

Travel Wall Decors for the Nursery

The first thing that I wanted to do was get some artwork up on the walls. Rifle Paper Co was kind enough to provide three art prints featuring Monaco, London, and Havana (two places I love to visit and one that’s been on my bucket list for years.)

I really like the colors and spirit of these prints. We put them above the crib so I could see them from the rocking recliner.

I wanted to add a bit of pop above the changing table/dresser with this World Map Bunting from LinenandLaceHandmade on Etsy. I found a PDF of Disneyland’s It’s a Small World, and I printed it with Shutterfly.

As a bonus, I found a frame for 70% off at Michael’s. I was able to repurpose a vintage-reproduction metal military airplane from our wedding for added decoration.

Also, repurposed a vintage-reproduction chest from our wedding that’s perfect for storing tissues, ointments, and our beloved Snuggin.

While looking for ideas for this travel-inspired nursery, I came across super amazing vintage suitcase shelves. Pottery Barn Teen sent me these shelves, which fit our theme perfectly.

We also found a store that was kind enough to provide these Travel the World blocks to set on the shelf until our baby is old enough to play with them. I found the “H” letter in the clearance aisle at Michael’s and thought the color tied perfectly to the shelves.

We found this very fitting Guardsman Teddy Bear to watch over our baby. Steiff USA provided us with the William E. Boeing 100th Anniversary Teddy Bear, which is very special because we are a Boeing family and were able to attend the 100th Anniversary celebration here in Seattle.

I love how these bears represent a sense of adventure. Plus, to add an extra touch, I found the clock at Marshall’s and thought it fit the theme because of its leather case.

Since I knew my toddler Owen would spend a lot of time in the nursery while I cared for the baby, I thought we should create a space for him to hang out. Going along with the theme, I installed bookshelves and filled them with travel-inspired books to keep him occupied.

Our favorites include BabyLit’s All Aboard! series, The Tiny Traveller series, and Hello, World series. I also included a London Pillow cover from TammySmithDesign on Etsy so Owen can recognize famous London sights while he gets cozy with his books.

One of my favorite items in this nursery is a customized pillow from Tiny Prints that says, “The World is Wonderful with you in it.” I love this sentiment, and it’s a great fit for our travel-themed nursery. We put it on our reclining chair. I always seem to need a pillow behind my back when I’m rocking a newborn in the middle of the night.

I hope this post inspires you to incorporate your love of travel into your child’s nursery or even a guest room. There are so many interesting decoration ideas out there, and thanks to online shopping, they are only a click away!

If you’re looking for more travel-inspired blogs, check out How to Plan a Beautiful Travel-Themed Wedding with Ease.

Products were provided by Rifle Paper Co, Snuggin, BabyLit, Penguin Books, The Tiny Traveler, Monkey’s Uncle, British Teddies, Steiff USA, LinenandLaceHandmade, Tiny Prints, PB Teen, and TammySmithDesign.

New baby? Check out these similar posts:

How to Create Travel-Themed Birth Announcements
What to Pack in your Diaper Bag when Traveling
17 Game-Changing Baby Items
Why You Should Go to Disneyland Resort with a Baby

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