Three Unique DIY Ideas For Nursery Wall Art

Putting together a nursery can be so much fun in the months leading up to baby's arrival. The theme, colors, and what style of furniture leads to a lot of decision making. Then there's deciding on nursery decor and what to hang on the walls. Such was the case when helping our daughter plan our first grandchild's nursery. We came up with three unique DIY ideas for nursery wall art that are personalized, have lasting memories, and can be changed out as our grandson grows. But the best part is that they are budget-friendly and super easy to make.

Three Unique DIY Ideas For Nursery Wall Art

This trio of DIY wall art is unisex and can be painted with any nursery theme in mind. While our grandson's nursery is going to have a rustic theme with nature-inspired colors, they could easily be painted Princess colors with a glossy finish. The possibilities are endless for color, patterns, style, and finishes for this nursery wall art idea.

One thing is for certain, all three of these ideas are personalized for the baby and can remain on the wall long after the room is converted from a nursery.

One has lasting memories with a favorite photo of baby with Mom and Dad shortly after being born. Another has a photo frame where new pictures can be added as the child grows. And the third has a monogram letter of the baby's first initial.

But first, before adding the decor elements, we need to build the wood board and batten style frames.

That's where the Power Tool Challenge comes in. Once a month a group of creative tool-toting female bloggers comes together to encourage and empower our female readers to step out of their comfort zone and tackle a simple DIY project using a power tool.

Each month the challenge is making something using a specific power tool and this month its a drill, one of the least intimidating power tools. It's the first power tool I learned to use when staging homes for the real estate market. It didn't take long before I purchased and claimed my very own power drill because I used it so often. There are links at the bottom of this post with the team's power drill projects.

How to build wood frames for nursery wall art

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

These are the materials needed to build the wood frames for the nursery wall art. I love my cordless power drill. I started with a small battery operated drill but it didn't take long before I wanted something with more torque.

Supply list for wood nursery art frames

• Plank boards (used salvaged fence boards)
• 1" x 2" furring strips  (used salvaged cedar)
• Power Drill
• 1/16 inch Pilot Hole Drill Bit 
• 1 1/4 inch #8 Wood Screws
• #8 Robertson Drill Bit 
• 6 (two per wall art) D-Ring Picture Hanger Hooks

Wood wall art frame dimensions

Horizontal Planks: 5 1/2" x 16"
Vertical Uprights: 1" x 2"x 14"
Most hardware stores will cut the wood to size for you if you need assistance with cutting.

Step 1: Measure the planks

Measure 1-inch from the edge of each fence board on both sides and draw a pencil line.

Step 2: Drill pilot holes on the furring strip uprights

On each vertical upright measure 2-inches from each edge and mark with a pencil in the center.

To prevent the narrow wood splitting when you assemble the pallet art AND to help the screw go in nice and straight, drill small pilot holes with a 1/16" drill bit (as pictured above).

Step 3: Attach the furring strip uprights

Make sure the length of your wood screws are no longer than the depth of the uprights and fence boards combined.

Line up the fence boards and lay the uprights along the 1-inch pencil mark you made previously. Drill the uprights in place with wood screws through the pilot holes you pre-drilled. One or two screws per fence board on each side is sufficient to hold them in place.

Helpful Tip 1

It helps to apply a little pressure on the drill to countersink the screws slightly so they sit just beneath the surface (as pictured below).

Step 4: Attach picture hanger hooks

On each furring strip upright at the back of the wall art frames, measure 3-inches from the top and screw a D-Ring Picture Hanger Hook.

No measure picture hanging tip

1. Run a strip of masking or painter's tape across the back of the wall art and across the picture hanger hooks (pictured above).
2. Mark the top of each picture hanger where the screw or nail will rest when hanging on the wall with a pen.
3. Remove the masking tape and attach it to the wall where you'll be hanging the art. Use a level to make sure it is straight. 
4. Punch an Awl through the pen marks on the tape to make small holes in the wall where it will hang.
5. Remove the tape and determine if you hit a stud. If you're lucky, hammer a nail into the holes. If you weren't so lucky, install drywall anchors into the holes.
6. Hang the art on the wall and marvel at how straight it's hanging and how easy it was!

Age the wood naturally

You can use items found in your kitchen to age the brand new wood for a rustic look like I did with mine. It's super easy to do and you can find detailed instructions in my How To Age New Wood With Stuff From Your Kitchen tutorial.


Now we finally come to the fun part, how to turn the stained wood frames into three unique styles of nursery wall art.

Number One - Baby Photo Transfer On Wood Nursery Wall

Out of all three nursery wall art ideas, this one is my favorite because it has a unique lasting memory of the day baby was born.

Before transferring a favorite photo onto the wood it needs to be painted first. OR not if you prefer it be transferred onto stained wood only. All three nursery wall art ideas in this post were painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the color Antibes Green. Any paint that adheres to wood will work to make these.

Paintwash technique

Rather than solid paint, we're going to give the wood a wash of green so the naturally stained wood underneath shows through the paint. To do this thin waterbased paint with water to the consistency of milk. You can apply the paint with either a brush or lint-free rag. Just make sure it is a transparent wash of paint by removing the excess paint with the rag.

Transfer a favorite baby photo onto wood

The photo above was taken minutes after our grandson was born with our daughter and son-in-law. Can you tell Mommy and Daddy had next to no sleep?

Photo transfer tip 1

If you look closely at the photograph above you'll see that the tattoo on Dad's arm is backward. So you don't make the same mistake, make sure you print a reverse (mirror image) of the photo if there is any text, no matter how obscure, in the photo.

Photo transfer tip 2

You must use a laser printer with regular bond paper. If you don't have a laser printer, save the photo on a memory stick and take it somewhere like Staples to print on a color laser printer.

See my detailed step-by-step Image Transfer Technique Using Transfer Medium tutorial to see how simple it is to transfer a photograph onto the wood.

If you'd like to add a phrase or the baby's name near the photo but your penmanship leaves little to be desired, visit my Image Transfer Technique Using Graphite Paper tutorial. It's super easy and you'll have professional looking typography. Once the text is transferred go over it with a paint pen or Sharpie marker like pictured below.

Protect the transferred photograph nursery wall art with two coats of non-yellowing matte clear coat.

Number 2 - Chevron Monogram Nursery Wall Art

Monogram letters are so popular on nursery walls but why not jazz it up by adding them onto painted striped wood frames.

Painted Chevron stripes

Measure the center point of your wood frame and apply a piece of Chevron Frog Tape in a straight line across. From there take two small pieces of tape to use as your guide between each stripe and line up the next stripe, and so on (as pictured below).

With a small foam roller or paintbrush, paint over the tape in your nursery colors. Before the paint dries remove the tape by pulling it at a 45°angle.

For a rustic timeworn look, once dries lightly distress the stripes with 220 grit sandpaper. If you want perfect chevron stripes, then eliminate this step. Protect the paint with the same non-yellowing matte clear coat used for the first nursery wall art.

Attach baby's monogram

I found the sweet wood monogram at Michael's. I love the distressed white finish on one side and the galvanized metal on the other. Here is a link to some other monogrammed letter styles. Simply hot glue the letter onto the center of the wood frame and you're done.

Number 3 - Picture Frame Nursery Wall Art

What I like about this nursery wall art idea is that you can change out the photos as the child grows. It's super easy to make with an inexpensive dollar store or thrift store picture frame. You can use a larger picture frame than I did for 8" x 10" photos or small like mine for 4" x 6" photos.

Paint every second board

For this one, I used the same paint wash technique as the first nursery wall art but left the middle board the naturally aged wood.

Attach a picture frame

Remove the glass and backing from the picture frame. Glue the frame with a hot glue gun onto the center of the painted frame. There are a couple of options for hanging photos inside the frame.

Photo hanger option 1

Glue a metal bulldog clip to the top center on the inside of the picture frame. Easy peasy.

Picture hanging option 2

Hot glue ribbon, natural jute twine, or bakers twine like a rope banner with a little slack onto the inside of the picture frame. Hang the picture with mini clothespins onto the rope. This is the option I used for mine.

There you have it, a trio of unique and personalized rustic nursery wall art that won't break the bank.

I hope my three unique DIY ideas for nursery wall art has inspired you to pick up a power drill and give this a try. They don't have to be for a nursery, this same idea could be used for any room in the house. Again the possibilities are endless for paint colors, what paint sheen you use, and what embellishments you hang on the wood board and batten style frames.

I hope at least one of these nursery wall art ideas inspired or taught you something along the way.

If you have any questions about this makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

More DIY Nursery Ideas

Vintage Nursery Rocking Chair
IKEA Tarva Dresser Nursery Change Table
DIY Stuffed Animal Zoos 
Super Easy DIY Yardstick Growth Chart
Repurposed License Plate Wall Art

Now I invite you to visit the links below to see what the rest of the Power Tool Challenge Team made using a power drill.

An InLinkz Link-up

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.