When designing your nursery, it’s easiest to first choose the crib bedding. The nursery is all planned out. You’ve chosen the crib, the rug, the stuffed animals, even the light-switch covers… but have you forgotten something? You baby is going to spend a lot of time in the crib, so choose the bedding carefully. Here are some things you need to think about:

- Comfort is very important, so choose 100% cotton or another soft (and preferably natural) fiber. Flannels or knits are fabulous choices.

- Do not buy bedding that is hand-wash or dry clean only, you’re not going to have time for it. Make sure it’s machine washable or don’t buy it.

- To ensure the safety of your baby, makes sure that your crib bedding fits the crib mattress tightly. If you crib sheets don’t seem snug enough, there is an easy solution: buy elastic straps that clip onto the crib sheet and hold it in its place.

- While you will definitely need bedding for your crib, you do not necessarily need a set. The American Academy of pediatrics recommends against unnecessary bedding that is included in most bedding sets (like crib bumpers or quilts). Purchasing separates and leaving out the useless pieces can be significantly cheaper than buying a crib set. Buying separates has the added advantage of giving you a lot more freedom in choosing bedding - you can mix and match to get a truly unique look.

- And finally, after taking everything else into consideration, consider the theme of the room and coordinate with the furniture and other accessories you already have.

Depending on your needs, you may need want to spend more money on higher-quality bedding, or you may want to choose something a little less expensive. If you get good-quality bedding, you can use it on both the crib and your toddler bed, allowing you to use it for several years. Unless you know you’re not having more children, it makes sense to purchase gender neutral crib bedding like the Vintage baby bedding, so that you can use it again. On the other hand, if you are sure there will be no more babies, or if you like to redecorate frequently, cheaper bedding is probably more cost-efficient. You are definitely going to need more than one set of sheets, so be prepared and buy extras!