Crib bedding used to be very limited. It was mainly solid pastel colors and even infants considered it dull. Some printed designs were finally brought onto the market, but they were not much more exciting. So the sheets, blankets, and bumper pads for the crib stayed very basic and not very fashionable.
Finally, some marketing professionals realized that parents wanted to decorate nurseries as much as any other room in the house. They wanted baby to have a distinctive room that was not the same as every other nursery in the neighborhood. Parents wanted designer bedding for their own room and designer baby bedding for the nursery. They wanted more than was available, and manufacturers responded.
Many fashion designers soon found themselves creating a bedding collection for the crib as well as accessories that completed the theme. Manufacturers began packaging crib sheets, dust ruffles, coverlets, and bumper pads together, offering them at a lesser price than if each piece had to be purchased separately. Each piece is a perfect match to the rest. This eliminated the need for parents to have to search for items that would match and settling for things that were reasonably close.
The attention of designers most known for dramatic fashion innovation to the crib bedding market has brought many changes. They brought a knowledge of fabric combinations and unusual trims to their new projects. Cotton has not been abandoned, but other materials have been brought from the runway into the nursery. Soft pastels are still to be found, but bold, bright designs which capture the interest of even infants, are common.
Complete themes for the nursery combine bedding and accessories. Traditional favorites, such as alphabet characters, teddy bears, fish, and animals have been redesigned but not abandoned. New geometrical patterns, like triangles, stripes, checks, and polka dots have been introduced. Butterflies, pirates, flowers, dragonflies, cowboys, and ladybugs are offered by many different manufacturers.
In the past few years, nature has moved into the nursery in the form of jungles, seascapes, and stars. Animated movies have produced characters which have found their way into cribs. Disney baby bedding also sells very well, letting baby doze off amid popular Disney cartoons.
Much more than just a crib can be decorated now. Mobiles, rugs, wall hangings, lamps, and window curtains are available that continue the theme of the bedding. No longer does the nursery have to be the dullest room. It can now receive the decorating attention it deserves.