Today we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. Founded in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, it is now celebrated annually through-out the world as a way to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment.

If being green in your home and office is important to you, you’ll be happy to know that our Wall Slicks wall decals are Green certified! What does this mean? The raw vinyl we use has the most green process of any vinyl manufacturer and the company that makes the vinyl has met the predetermined standards to reduce environmental impact.

Also, the water-based adhesive used to apply the decals contains no-odor or volatile chemical content. This is very important when decorating the baby nursery or your children’s rooms and your own bedroom, for that matter. It’s a good feeling to know that your decorating product is not omitting any toxic chemicals into your home or office that could jeopardize your health.

If you live a green life, and you want to create a healthy environment in your home or office that spread out to your decorating choices, you’ll appreciate this green DIY decorating fact from Modern Wall Graphics.

And, if you like “earthy” images, take a look at this beautiful Oak Tree wall sticker and our other tree wall decals for decorating inspiration!

Happy Earth Day to you!

So you want to go “green” in the nursery? Great idea! Decorating the baby nursery with items that are safe for them and ecologically friendly is good for their health and the environment. Here’s 5 tips to get you started:

1. Organic Bedding
   Start with organic bedding, blankets and quilts for the crib. Babies spend up to 70% of their early life sleeping and playing in the crib, so, make sure the mattress is also non-toxic. Once you’ve chosen the bedding color it is easy to select accents and the color theme for the rest of the nursery décor.
2. Avoid Particle Board
   Avoid any baby furniture created with particle board because it contains formaldehyde a volatile organic compound (VOC). In addition to the wood, be sure the paints or varnish used on the furniture is VOC free. The best way to avoid this would be to find nursery furniture made from sustainable and renewable sources such as bamboo.
3. Natural Fiber Rug
   Choose a natural fiber rug made from bamboo, hemp, cork, or wool and be sure they used environmentally sound dyes for the coloring.
4. VOC Free Paint
   Paint is one of the leading causes for indoor air pollution. Paints release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. New VOC free paints solve this problem and come in a variety of colors to match your nursery décor.
5. Wall Decals
   For a special touch to your nursery decorating, try Wall Slicks wall decals, a “green” certified product. The vinyl and adhesive in the wall stickers have no odor or volatile chemical content and come in over 40 colors and come in numerous designs and styles!

Decorating the baby nursery can be very fun and exciting. Through the use color, patterns and visual ornamentation, you can create a warm and inviting space. You’ll be spending a lot of time in this room, so, you’ll want to make sure the colors and accents you choose bring about a comforting mood and relaxing feeling.

Here’s some basic steps and suggestions to get you started decorating your baby nursery:

• Colors
  Choose your crib bedding first and match the walls and curtains from that. If you’re having trouble deciding on a color, go with a tint or shade your favorite, you’ll be able to find it in the bedding. Plain white walls go with everything and can make a small space feel larger, but color can really create added visual interest. Mythic Paint offers a zero-VOC formula (totally nontoxic) with a wide range of colors to choose from so you’ll be able to find something to match or complement the bedding you’ve chosen.
• Walls
  There are many options for wall decorating. We suggest items that are light weight, keeping safety in mind, in case something falls. If you choose to hang a quilt, make sure it’s up high enough so it can’t be pulled down from within the crib. Wall decals are a natural choice because they come in so many different colors and designs, you’re sure to find the right one that matches your décor theme. You can also create a “paint-like” stenciled look with peel and stick, easy to apply, wall decals. Wall Slicks™ are the natural choice being Green Certified and containing no-odor or volatile chemical content.
• Furniture
  There are three main pieces of furniture in a typical nursery:
  1. Crib
  2. Changing Table / Dresser
  3. Rocking Chair / Glider

  Be wary of getting a crib from a friend, unless you’ve checked online to make sure it hasn’t been recalled. A changing table is a must and many offer them in combination with a dresser unit for added storage. You’ll really want to have a rocking chair / glider in the room because it makes feeding and late night snuggling so much easier than a standard chair.

• Accents
  • Rug
    You’ll appreciate a soft rug below the changing table to cushion your feet for diaper changes. You’ll be standing there quite a bit, so, you’ll be glad you added this accent piece in just that spot. You can certainly find colors or visual elements to match the décor you’ve chosen. Online shopping makes that easier than driving all over town.
  • Toys
    Babies first teddy bear or a comfort object that plays a musical lullaby will start your collection of toys (as decorating accessories in the room itself) that will certainly grow once the baby gifts start to arrive. Keep them on the bookshelf and not inside the crib for the first year.
  • Lighting
    Even if you have an overhead light source or torchère in corner, you’ll want to consider adding a small lamp with a very low light bulb for those late night feedings. You’ll still be able to find you way for feeding and changing, but, you won’t add so much light that it keeps your little one awake for too long.

Preparing and decorating a room for baby can be such a joy. Our suggestions can help give you the ideas you need to help your room come out just the way you dreamed.

If being green in your home and office is important to you, you’ll be happy to know that Wall Slicks, the original wall decals, are Green certified.
Wall Slicks wall decals are a great way to design your own professional look on home or office walls and the vinyl used to create the product has been certified by Det Norske Veritas. This means that the product has met the standards to reduce environmental impact. The raw vinyl, manufactured by Orafol Europe, and its US subsidiary, Oracal USA, has the most green process of any vinyl manufacturer. Plus, they are constantly looking for ways to improve their processes, reduce waste, pollution and offset their environmental footprint.

In addition to the vinyl that the decal is made of, the water-based adhesive used to apply the decals also contains no-odor or volatile chemical content. This is the perfect solution for decorating in kids rooms and baby nurseries. You want to create a healthy environment for your children, even in your decorating. In addition to being happy with how visually appealing it is, knowing that the “Baby Blocks”, “Train” or “Princess” design you chose for their wall is not omitting any toxic chemicals is a good feeling.

If you live a green life, you’ll appreciate this green DIY decorating idea. Want more ideas on how to decorate green? Read this previous post on Budget DIY Makeover with tips on how to re-use and re-cycle what you already have in the house for a new look.