First off, congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens on their win last night! What an intense game, with San Francisco making a major comeback in the third quarter and the power outage in the middle of the game. It was great fun to watch!

I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about nursery themes lately, as our first baby is due pretty soon. Even though we know we’re having a little girl, both my husband and I like the idea of keeping the nursery more gender-neutral, if only to avoid drowning in pink ruffles. It’s a slippery slope out there – you start with one bow and you end up buried in Barbies before you know it.

The usual, manufactured stuff can be used here, like Winnie the Pooh or jungle creatures, but it’s way more fun to create your own, unique nursery! There are a lot of great nurseries out there in blog-land and all over Pinterest that would be suitable for either a girl or a boy, sometimes with a few minor alterations, and that are fairly easy to pull together if you have some time, motivation, and a little bit of crafting skill (and/or determination).

1. Western/Cowboy Themed Nursery

This is by far one of my favorite nursery themes. I love all things western – from the boots to the lassos and everything in between.

Fabric Patterns: Cow print, plaid, and paisley dominate western gear. Think cow hides, leathers, bandanas, plaid shirts, and denim.

Furniture: Typically dark or weathered-looking furniture, with ornate touches.

Decor Essentials: A lasso name on the wall, as well as horseshoes, boots, and old country-feel signs, maybe with classic country lyrics.

2. Americana Themed Nursery

I’m married to a man who loves the United States military and all things America – it’s a good thing I love me some Americana! Celebrate old glory by teaching your baby a little bit of American pride from day one.

Fabric Patterns: Stars, stripes, and bold colored reds, blues, and whites.

Furniture: Think white and rustic – distressed wood furniture works great with a stars-and-stripes theme.

Decor Essentials: A star pillow, some sort of rustic-feel flag (like a pallet flag), and a ruffled red, white, and blue crib skirt.

3. Woodland Creatures Nursery

Owls are all the rage lately, and if you add some deer, foxes, squirrels, and raccoons, you’ve got yourself a nicely rounded forest to watch over your little one, a la Snow White. Maybe they’ll help your babe keep it tidy and organized, too!

Fabric Patterns: Solids, chevrons, stripes, printed critters – literally anything works well. Choose a few colors and stick to them throughout your decor to maintain some semblance of cohesiveness.

Furniture: Again, nearly anything works well here!

Decor Essentials: Antlers or a cardboard deer head, painted trees/bark on your walls, a mobile with tiny colorful creatures, and little critter-shaped pillows or pillows with silhouettes stitched onto them.

4. Underwater Nursery

This theme can be as simple or complex as you like. Love painting huge wall murals? Underwater animals lend themselves especially well to this!

Fabric Patterns: Waves, soft chevrons, stripes, and ombres in blues, whites, and even greens are perfect.

Furniture: Weathered woods and dark woods flow well. White furniture can be too bright or distracting from the subtle underwater hues, but if you play your cards right and have other white elements throughout, white furniture can look very classy and almost nautical.

Decor Essentials: A large wall mural is excellent – if you can be bothered to make it happen, a chandelier with blue droplet-shaped crystals, a jellyfish stuffed animal, and seashells – in jars, as book ends, everywhere.

5. Grey and Yellow Nursery

Grey and yellow is quite trendy right now, making it easy to come by. This nursery is easy to put together, always unique, and adds a touch of modern aesthetic and class to your little one’s room.

Fabric Patterns: Chevrons, polka dots, and grey and yellow abstract or vintage prints.

Furniture: White looks incredible with the soft grey and yellow – it helps keep the decor light and bright and ties everything together beautifully.

Decor Essentials: A funky, modern lamp to light up the room, a big grey knit poof ottoman, and big monogram letters of your little one’s name.

And there you have it – five gender neutral nursery themes that are more unique than the usual Winnie the Pooh. They’re all easy to customize for your style, budget, and baby. Tomorrow I’ll reveal our nursery theme that I’ll be pulling together (hopefully) just in time for our first to arrive!