At Carousel Designs, we offer more than 300 fabrics by for sale by the yard. Because we allow our customers the option of using any of our fabrics to customize their baby bedding, the fabrics by the yard can also be used in your custom bedding.

This provides a lot of room for creativity. You can use a fabric you love in your little one’s bedding and purchase fabric to create matching accents in the nursery. If you have sewing skills, or want to experiment with patterns, you could even make a matching outfit. Then you’ll see the fabric you love outside the home.

Some fabrics we could suggest are Anna’s Zoo, Juliet Damask, and Windy Day. These are all so playful, and they are all available in our designed collections. But these only scratch the surface of the variety of patterns and colors we offer.

Even if you’re not expecting or designing a nursery, you can take advantage of our wide selection of fabric by the yard for any of your sewing and design projects.

My mother absolutely loved the Windy Day fabric, so she ordered the fabric by the yard to use as a tablecloth. It looks really cute! I’ve had my eye on the Sightseeing Toile which has light-hearted drawings of famous places to see from all around the world. I thought this would be fun to use to recover the seat on the desk chair in my home office.

With hundreds of fabrics, you have plenty to choose from. Thinking of a project now? Why not purchase fabric swatches of a few to get the artistic juices flowing. Fabric swatches are an actual sample of the fabric, so you can touch and feel the texture and mix and match the patterns and colors. Let the fun begin!

In the outlet, you’ll find a variety of items at a discounted price. All of these items are new, but we offer the lower price since we will no longer maintain the items in inventory. Are you looking for extra crib sheets? You can never have enough. Why not browse the outlet to see if there are a couple sheets that coordinate with your nursery? Does grandma or auntie host sleepovers? You may enjoy looking for a portable crib set or cradle set to outfit the temporary nursery.

Maybe you’re just looking to save a little. Since all the items are quality Carousel Designs products, you will have the designs and colors you’ve been eyeing at a discount price. In addition to crib bedding, the outlet also discounts changing pad covers, mobiles, rocking chair and high chair pads, and much more.

In fact, the outlet offers several sets which include different combinations of products to help complete the nursery. The outlet is constantly changing to do the limited availability, but we offer sets for portable cribs and standard cribs.

Is there a collection that you liked that was recently discontinued? Carousel Designs will place the remaining product inventory in the outlet which results in a nice discount.

We all love to find a deal. We hope that the variety in the outlet provides plenty of options when you are looking for savings on gifts for others or gifts for you!

Since I’m not a designer myself, I like to browse the internet to see what’s new and imagine how the new ‘IN’ look would fit into my home. It really helps you get creative.

While nurseries are the baby’s room, you’ll be in there a lot too, so it’s probably wise to choose colors that are pleasing to your eye and soothing to your soul.

One article I found online had a nice overall explanation of how colors make you feel and which ones work where. Freshome.com has an article Room Color and How it Affects Your Mood. Interestingly enough, the article suggest that we don’t choose strictly by trends since they come and go.

It’s also wise to select your furniture and bedding before mixing two gallons of a non-returnable paint. How many times have you fallen in love with the color at the paint store, brought it home, and painted the walls only to discover you can’t find any décor to match? Hopefully not as many times as me! Instead, why not bring pieces of décor with you to the paint store to pinpoint the exact shade of the color you’re interested in?

Fabric swatches are very handy when picking a paint color. They fit right in your purse (or man bag), and prevent you from relying on your memory to select the color you need. Carousel Designs offers fabric swatches for all the fabrics we carry. Ensure you get the right color for your mood and one that matches your bedding and décor by bringing those swatches with you.

And just in case you’re curious about the color trends for this coming year, Benjamin Moore has some predictions for 2013. Take a look and see if any of these lighten the mood.

I was recently referred to Houzz to get amazing ideas to redecorate my home. Now I’m addicted. For every nook and cranny of your home, there are gorgeous, unique ideas. What a great resource when designing a nursery!

According to their website, Houzz is the leading online platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a room to building a custom home, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. They have a large design database from a vibrant community powered by social tools. Houzz is an easy way for people to get the design inspiration, project advice, product information and professional reviews they need to help turn ideas into reality.

Today I checked to see how many photos I could find to help design a nursery, and there were over 4,000. I’m sure this number will continue to grow as companies add ideas and inspirations. You can search for crib bedding, nursery décor, and many more related themes to widen the options.

It can be hard to come up with ideas for your baby’s room, but you’ll definitely get inspired when you start looking at the photos that Houzz display. As you search, you’re sure to see Carousel Designs nursery photos, crib bedding, and fabric.

If you haven’t heard of Houzz yet, try it out. There are countless ideas, and with most photos and designs there will be a link that directs you right to the product website. Easy, huh?

Let us know what ideas inspire you. Carousel Designs can help create the nursery you desire by offering custom crib bedding with our Nursery Designer tool. Our customer service representatives are available to assist you with your requests.

Have you noticed the difference? Some bumpers, comforters, and decorative pillows have piping while others have ruffles. Some drapes have a hidden tab while others have tie-tops. It may seem that these little changes would have a small result, but it’s quite the opposite.

Let’s say you like the gender neutral Gray and Yellow Zig Zag collection, but you want don’t want the traditional piping on the bumper, you can add a ruffle in our Nursery Designer!

Nursery Designer

What about drapes? Let’s say that you love the drapes that coordinate with the Gray and Yellow Zig Zag collection, but you want another splash of color? You can customize the drapes in our Drape Designer. Change from hidden tab to tie-tops and use Solid Banana for the ties – tadah!

Drape Designer

We want you to have the nursery of your dreams. That means making sure that you have choices for all aspects of your baby’s bedding, including the ties and trims! Select from dozens of our bedding collections, add your personal touches, or even start from scratch using the Nursery and Drape Designers. We’ll be happy to assist you in the process. Please call our customer service representatives at 800-600-5190 to answer any of your questions on how to customize your baby bedding.

There’s nothing like being wrapped up in your favorite blanket – sitting on a comfy chair, drinking cocoa, and watching your favorite show. It’s the same for the little ones, although cocoa may be replaced with a bottle of momma’s milk.

If you haven’t found that perfect snuggly for your little bundle of joy, look no further! Carousel Designs offers a coordinating baby blanket for most of our bedding collections. We love being a part of the baby blanket making process from start to finish.

Navy and Yellow Dots and Stripes Crib Blanket

 

 

Most Carousel Designs baby blankets are produced with a cuddly minky fabric on one side and a beautiful solid or print on the other. Our Navy and Yellow Dots and Stripes blanket is one of my new favorites. It pairs our Yellow Minky with the Navy and White Polka Dot cotton fabric.

We also offer organic fleece blankets with an organic cotton fabric as the trim. If you are looking for organic blankets for your little girl, you’ll love the Pink Organic blanket.

 

Pink Organic Crib Blanket with Wide Trim

Our blankets are available in a standard crib and portable crib size. The standard crib blanket is 34”x 43,” and the portable crib blanket is 29”x 39.”

Browsing through our many designed collections, there are numerous options to choose from. In fact, you can also customize the fabric used on your blanket, so it perfectly fits your style. What if you want minky fabrics on both sides of your blanket? We can do it!  Now the options are endless!

Our customer service representatives will be happy to assist you in customizing your baby’s blanket and finding your new cuddly snuggle.

Many of our customers ask us what paint colors we used. What is your favorite collection? Have you been wondering which paint color was used? In most of our crib collection photo shoots, we use Benjamin Moore paints. Here are a few of the most requested paint colors:

Not sure if it will be the perfect color from your computer screen? We suggest picking up a paint card to be sure. Just like fabrics, colors aren’t always true online since computers screens vary. How fun would it be to bring your Carousel Design’s fabric swatches with you to the paint store! These are sure to be a big help in making your final decision.

Of course, there is so much more to decorating than paint. We love to share beautiful nurseries belonging to our customers including celebrity nurseries. If you haven’t checked it out yet, our Facebook page is the place to find these cool ideas. Pinterest is also a must-see spot to check out our design ideas and suggestions.

We are proud of our talented team here at Carousel Designs, who bring years of experience, and a commitment to create the very best baby bedding in the industry.  Our workers hail from all over the world but have made their homes in and around Douglasville, Georgia, where we have been located for nearly a quarter of a century.

Some of our employees have been with us right from the very start and we keep adding to the team with talented new hires as the business grows; experienced or new – the one thing all Carousel Designs employees have in common is passion … passion for quality, for beautiful designs and for creating the very best baby bedding for your little one!

Now, in the spirit of getting to know the people of Carousel Designs, we’d like to introduce you to one of our newest members of the team, our general manager of plant operations, Donny Kuhlenbeck!

Where are you from originally?

I was born and raised in Germantown, Wisconsin, which is a suburb of Milwaukee.

How long have you been with Carousel Designs?

I started just about two months ago. I’m a newbie!

What’s your job title?

I’m general manager of plant operations for Carousel Designs.

What does that mean, exactly?

I’m responsible for the entire manufacturing and production process in our bedding factory, from the moment a customer places their order until they receive their bedding on their doorstep. I closely manage inventory, lead times and workflow on the plant floor.

How did you get your start in the baby bedding industry?

I may be considered by some to be an unlikely candidate for the baby bedding business! But here’s how I got here … After college, I served in the U.S. Army as a logistics officer. I was stationed in Virginia for most of my time in the Army, with a brief deployment to Egypt in 2001 following the events of 9/11. I served in various positions managing logistics, transportation and supplies for a battalion of soldiers.

After I left the military, I gained some experience in small business, with my own manufacturing company in Minnesota. I then transitioned to the consulting industry, working in Washington, D.C. for the Department of Defense, advising on supply chain issues. I most recently joined the team at Carousel Designs as the general manager of plant operations – just a couple of months ago!

What are you most excited about?

I am still getting my feet wet in this new job! But I am absolutely thrilled to be here. I’m most excited about being part of a terrific company that makes great products that customers love. I have a passion for process improvement and making the customer’s experience delightful, so my role as GM of plant operations is a great fit for me professionally.

What also attracted me to Carousel Designs was not just the great people and amazing products, but also the company’s commitment to philanthropic support of military families through non-profit organizations like Operation Shower. Being prior service, this means a lot to me.

It is also important to me and my family that the products are made in the USA. This makes me feel proud.

Tell us about your family.

I’ve been married to my wife, Kasey, for 13 years. We have four boys – three of whom are triplets! Our oldest three boys are nine years old and our youngest is seven. They are a HANDFUL, but they’re also a joy and obviously we couldn’t imagine our lives without them. We are definitely lovers of summertime and the water – beach or lake, it doesn’t matter! Our favorite times are spent with our family in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, swimming and boating in the land of 10,000 lakes.

First impressions are important – what’s your favorite Carousel Designs collection?

Coastal, of course! It’s summer and beach-inspired, so it’s right up my alley.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

One of our triplets, Noah, was born with cerebral palsy. He requires a lot of special care, but disability aside, he’s just a special, funny and unique individual. He’s taught us so much more than we could ever teach him! Noah reminds us about the most important things in life. His brothers are absolutely devoted to him. We give him a lot of extra care, but he gives so much back to all of us.

Complete this sentence: If I weren’t working here, I would be …

Paddleboarding in a tropical location with my wife.

Kids are so innocent, and as they come to learn new words or see something new in the world, it can be really cute and hilarious to hear what their reactions are.

Here are just a few funny stories of things kids say and think:

When my sister was five years old, she saw a commercial for a pregnancy test. The announcer on the commercial said, “If you can see the blue line, you’re pregnant!” She turned around horrified and said, “Mommy, I can see the blue line – I’m pregnant!” – Christie

Sometimes when my husband comes home from work, my two year old son says, “Hi, honey!” to welcome him home because he’s heard me say it. – Katie

My granddaughter wanted to go to McDonalds, but I told her we would go next time. She said, “I can’t wait ‘til I grow up, and I can buy French fries.” She was almost three years old.  – Elaine

What funny things has your little one said that made you laugh? Please share them with us.

Here are 8 ways to design a nursery that will grow with your child:

1.  When choosing a color palette, think beyond the traditional baby pink and baby blue. Bright colors like turquoise, lime green, and tangerine are fun for babies, yet sophisticated enough to suit an older child.

2.  Or, think about combining traditional baby colors with more mature hues, such as gray or taupe. Yellow & gray and blue & khaki nurseries are gorgeous yet more sophisticated.

3.  If you’re designing your nursery for the long haul, definitely opt for paint rather than wallpaper. Painted walls can be easily re-painted but it’s difficult to remove old wallpaper.  As far as color, neutral colors are more timeless. Cream, white, taupe and beige all work well as backdrops to any room, allowing you to introduce other colors through bedding and room décor that can be easily swapped out later.

4.  Consider using eco-friendly wall décor on your wall to form cute and stylish designs.  Check out these lines of wall art and wall graphics.  So much easier and more flexible than wallpaper or decorative borders, wall art is easy to remove when your 6 year old starts to object to the cute little fish swimming around his room because he wants skateboards instead.

5.  Use inexpensive decorative pillows, curtains and rugs that you can easily replace with pieces reflecting your child’s tastes as she grows. Just make sure not to put the pillows in the baby’s crib.

6.  Buy convertible furniture or pieces that can be used differently as your child grows. For instance, a dresser can double as a changing table by simply adding a 4-sided foam changing pad found at any baby store. And, the rising popularity of cribs that convert to twin beds make it easier than ever before to find a style, and price point, that suits you. And make sure to purchase full-sized furniture instead of miniature versions often sold for nurseries.

7.  Use bulletin boards to display your toddler’s drawings while he’s young and his favorite posters as he gets older. This will also prevent holes in the walls.

8.  Forgo themes and go with more sophisticated crib bedding.  Carousel Designs offers several gorgeous, age-neutral bedding designs that combine sophisticated fabrics and textures and will stand the test of time. And because we sell all of our fabrics by the yard, you can have additional items made to customize your baby’s room now, and later and she grows!

Readers, are there any tricks to designing an “age-neutral” nursery that you’ve discovered?

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