Toddler’s Sweet Bedroom Reading Nook

I created a sweet bedroom reading nook in my toddler’s room.

If you’re just joining in, welcome! I’m participating in the $100 room challenge hosted by Erin from Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, and this is week four of the challenge.

I’m happy to report I got a good chunk of my daughter’s bedroom reading nook complete. Week one was all about DIY wallpaper. In week two, I redid my daughter’s vanity dresser, and during week three I created a DIY wall banner above her dresser.

This month is flying by so quickly, but I managed to get a start on my daughter’s bedroom reading nook, though it’s not quite finished yet. I’m really happy with the progress so far though. Funny enough, I was planning to create a whimsical, tent-style reading nook but my plans went awry so many times with that project that I eventually decided to go in a different direction.

Using a bench was my original thought early on, and I’m so glad I ended up going back to that design plan because my daughter LOVES her “new” bench. I had been on the hunt for awhile for a little bench, checking out Facebook marketplace over and over, but no such luck. On a whim one day last week, we stopped in our local restore just to see what they had. This pretty white bench was sitting in the back of the store; it looked like it had just been dropped off. My daughter ran over to it, climbed on, and wouldn’t get off. It was pretty much a sign that a bench-style reading nook would be perfect for her.

The bench was listed for $20, but I ended up paying only $18. I showed the worker some similar options they had for sale there that were only $10 (even though this bench was much nicer), and he told me he would give me a 10% discount. Whoop! The bench is actually a toy chest combo and opens up into a handy storage container. The bench has a couple small scratches but they’re so minor that I’m not even sure if I’m going to worry about fixing them. I don’t think I could’ve made a bench with this type of detail for the price I paid.

After I sat the bench in the corner, I thought it looked a little plain. So I got out the rose gold paint I used on her foam stamp accent wall and dresser to make these polka dots on her wall. To make the polka dots, I just used the top of a large marker as a stamp. It worked perfectly.

For a little decoration, I hung up an old white coat hanger we had sitting in storage. I then made some DIY tassels using left over ribbon that fit the colors of her room. I found the hat, blanket, and pillow in her old nursery and thought they’d be perfect additions to this corner.

Her bedroom reading nook is really starting to come together. I have a few more touches I want to add, but I’m so happy I got a start on this sweet little nook. The best part is she absolutely loves it. She already climbs on the bench every. single. day. And, she puts her stuffed animals inside the toy chest. Every night she tells me her animals and babies go to sleep in their “bed” when she goes to sleep in her bed. It’s really sweet.

As you can see below, the other side of the corner is feeling pretty empty. I have an idea for what I’m going to put there, and I can’t wait to show you all next week. I’m going to have to keep it super thrifty though as my budget is almost out.

• Paint for polka dots (already owned)
• Marker cap for the polka dot “stamp” (already owned)
• Leftover ribbon for the tassels (already owned)
• Bench ($18)