painting the crib

My parents have had two cribs at their house since my sister had twins eight years ago. With seven grandkids arriving in eight years, they've always been used when we come to visit. But the kids have grown and this baby boy will likely be the last, so they no longer have a need for two.

So a few months ago, my mom kindly offered to let us borrow one of the cribs in case Rooney wasn't out of hers by the time baby boy arrived. Well, Roo is out of her crib now, but I was already sold on the idea! I love the style, and Eric and I both got excited about painting it black.

The crib was made by Lullabye in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, probably in the late 1970s. I love it and is a classic example of "they just don't make 'em like they used to." This sucker is sturdy and in great condition. It's the same crib I slept in as a baby (as well as both my siblings), and what Rooney has slept in when we visited my parents the past three years.

We assembled the crib so we could paint all the sides in one day (and not have to wait for one side to dry before spraying the other). It had a light finish on it so Eric sanded it by hand and then wiped off the dust before painting.

We used spray paint from Lowe's. If you are concerned about your baby chewing on the wood and eating the paint, I have read good things about Lullaby Paints.

There is also a matching changing table/dresser that we painted black at the same time, which you can see in the photo below.

Four hours and 10 cans of spray paint later...it's done! :-)

P.S. I've gotten a few comments regarding this crib being a drop-side crib. I have found Products America to be an amazing resource, and after speaking with a representative, I learned that this drop-side crib in particular was not part of the recall on drop-side cribs. They recommended that we do not alter the crib because we have all the parts. I am not saying this is what you should do; I am just relaying what I heard. If you do not have all the parts to a crib, Products America is the first place I would try. If you have an older drop-side crib and would like to make the sides stationary, I found some great step-by-step instructions on how to fix a drop-side crib. Use your own judgement on this!