Simple Ways To Incorporate Natural Materials Into Your Child’s Bedroom
It’s no secret at this point that using natural materials in our homes is better for our health than synthetic materials. This is especially true when it comes to textiles that will be touching our skin or in a space where we spend a lot of time. The bedroom is definitely one of these places.
Synthetic materials are also generally terrible for the environment - polyester is essentially just plastic which we all know by now is really not great in many ways!
On a personal note - I also just think natural materials look so much nicer and make a home feel much more inviting.
I’m far from perfect but I do try to make a conscious decision to use natural materials as much as possible in my home. This post highlights just a few easy ways that I incorporate them into my son’s room to make a cosy and healthy sleep environment.
Wooden Children’s Bed
We were pretty certain we wanted a wooden bed for my son’s room and were keen to get one second hand. After many searches, however, nothing good was popping up, so we were thrilled to find Meubles Lufe based only 1.5 hours away from where we live. We got a full size single bed so we didn’t have to replace a toddler bed in a few years, plus the removable side barrier. We’ve been loving it so far!
Natural Fibres Children’s Quilt
As a quilt maker, I favour natural fibres over synthetic every time. My quilts all have cotton or linen tops and backing, with the occasional ramie or viscose-linen mix thrown in if I find a remnant. The batting is always cotton, never polyester. Having those beautiful, breathable fibres wrapped around your body is just so much nicer than anything synthetic can ever feel, in my opinion!
If you'd like to add a sustainably made, natural fibre quilt into your child's bedroom, check out my shop or get in touch for a custom make.
Cotton And Wool Bedroom Rugs
So many rugs are synthetic when you take a closer look at the label. But there are endless beautiful cotton and wool rugs to be found at really reasonable prices. They’re such an easy way to add a natural fibre element into a child’s room and create a lovely sleep environment. We have both a cotton and a wool rug in my son’s room. We’ve had both for 7+ years. They’ve lived in different settings as we’ve moved around different houses, so they were worth the investment for sure.
Natural Fibre Curtains
This is another sneaky one! Take a closer look at the labels of curtains in your standard stores and you’ll realise that so many of them are actually polyester, or at least a blend. But you just can’t beat a beautiful cotton or linen curtain to make a bedroom feel complete. Safety is another thing to consider here. Research now suggests that synthetic curtains, and especially blackout curtains that many of us use in our kids’ rooms are likely to be releasing toxins into the air. Fear not, there are lots of non-toxic options out there nowadays, for both black outs and normal curtains.
I decided to make my son’s curtains out of a lightweight cotton gauze since we’re lucky enough to have shutters on our windows so blocking out light isn’t a concern. I customised them with a super simple running stitch embroidered design which would also be a great way to add a fun touch to store bought curtains.
The list goes on - sheets, cushions, toys etc. but I’ll leave it here for now. I hope this has given you a few simple ideas of ways you can add more natural fibres into your child’s bedroom and given you food for thought for other areas in your home, too!