How to Choose Nursery Wallpaper for a Baby's Room
Designing a nursery is one of the most enjoyable parts of expecting, and the wallpaper usually sets the tone for everything else in the room. Three things are worth deciding early: the material (removable or permanent), the theme, and the palette. Most parents choose a single feature wall behind the crib rather than papering all four walls — it delivers the impact with less material and is easier to update later.
Manufacturer tip: If you want the wallpaper to grow with the room, choose a design that isn't overly age-specific. A watercolor forest or subtle botanical can work from nursery through the early school years, while a very specific baby-themed print may feel dated sooner.
Popular Nursery Wallpaper Themes
Choosing a theme is usually the first decision parents make. These themes can also transition easily from a nursery into a toddler or young child's room — our playroom wallpaper collection covers that next stage.
Woodland and forest nursery wallpaper. Woodland wallpaper is a versatile nursery choice — bears, foxes, deer, and pine trees in soft, muted palettes read as gentle rather than cartoonish, and they suit a wide age range. Browse our woodland and forest designs.
Celestial nursery wallpaper. Stars, moons, clouds, and hot air balloons make a restful backdrop, and they work particularly well above a crib or on the ceiling, where a baby spends a lot of time looking up.
Floral and botanical nursery wallpaper. Ditsy florals, trailing vines, and watercolor botanicals bring softness and a cottage feel. In muted sage, blush, or cream they also work well as a gender-neutral option.
Safari and animal nursery wallpaper. Giraffes, elephants, and zebras in gentle illustrated styles are a nursery classic. See our animal wallpaper designs, or our whimsical wallpaper collection for storybook-style illustration.
Nursery wall murals. Large-scale murals can turn an entire wall into the focal point of the nursery — a watercolor mountain range, forest scene, or hot air balloon composition acts as artwork behind the crib. For a heritage look, classic toile patterns and dainty vintage florals suit a more traditional nursery.
Nursery Wallpaper for Girls, Boys & Gender-Neutral Rooms
Whether you're shopping for girl nursery wallpaper, baby boy nursery wallpaper, or a gender-neutral nursery, start with the mood you want rather than a prescribed color palette. Florals can be earthy, woodland designs can be colorful, and celestial patterns work across almost any nursery style.
Gender-neutral nursery wallpaper. Soft sage, warm beige, cream, muted blue, and earthy tones work especially well with woodland, botanical, safari, and abstract nursery designs. A gender-neutral scheme also has a practical advantage: the room can be reused for a second child without redecorating.
Peel and Stick vs Traditional Nursery Wallpaper
Every design in this collection is available in more than one material. Which you choose depends mainly on whether you rent, and how permanent you want the room to be.
- Smooth Vinyl Peel & Stick — removable and repositionable during installation, with a smooth semi-gloss surface that is easy to wipe clean. A practical option for rentals and rooms you may want to update as your child grows. Apply only to a smooth, clean, fully cured painted wall.
- Canvas Peel & Stick — removable wallpaper with a matte, woven-texture finish that reduces glare and works particularly well with watercolor, botanical, and illustrated nursery designs.
- Traditional Type II — our more permanent, commercial-grade option, installed with wallpaper paste and designed for long-term use. Its canvas texture works particularly well when you want a premium, permanent nursery that can transition into a child's room. See the full Traditional Type II range.
Browse all removable options in our peel and stick wallpaper collection.
What to Look for in Nursery Wallpaper Materials
Look for third-party emissions certifications. GREENGUARD Gold is a useful certification to look for when comparing products for children's spaces, because it sets stricter chemical-emission limits intended for sensitive environments such as schools and healthcare facilities. Our wallpaper is printed with water-based resin inks and GREENGUARD Gold certified inks that meet stringent standards for low chemical emissions in indoor environments.
Know which material is which. Our Traditional Canvas wallpaper is PVC-free and printed with GREENGUARD Gold certified inks. For customers who prefer removable wallpaper, we also offer Smooth Vinyl and Canvas Peel & Stick options. Being clear about material composition matters more in a nursery than in any other room, so we'd rather tell you exactly what each option is than describe them all with a single blanket term.
Consider cleanability. Nurseries see fingerprints, milk splashes, and later on crayons. Smooth Vinyl Peel & Stick has the easiest surface to wipe down, while Traditional Canvas is water-resistant and can be gently cleaned. Either is a more practical choice than an uncoated paper.
Nursery Wallpaper Installation Tips
Freshly painted walls need time to cure. If the wall was recently painted, EazzyWalls recommends waiting at least 30 days before installing Peel & Stick wallpaper so the paint can fully cure. Applying self-adhesive wallpaper over uncured paint can lead to adhesion problems.
Manufacturer tip: If you're preparing a nursery from scratch, install the wallpaper before the crib, dresser, and other large furniture are in place. You'll have much easier access to the walls and can complete the room without working around furniture.
Prep the surface properly. Peel and stick needs a smooth, clean, fully cured painted wall. Wipe the surface down, patch and sand any imperfections, and let it dry completely before you start. On textured walls, choose Traditional Type II or skim-coat the wall smooth first.
Order a sample first. Nursery colors shift noticeably between daylight and the warm lamp light you'll actually be using at 3am, so it's worth seeing a sample on the wall before committing to full panels.
