making my own dresser/changing table

[shellybelly]

We are on a very limited budget, so we won't be buying a changing table. We have a dresser that needs to be fixed up a bit, and I was wondering what your favorite things were for your changing table.

For instance...

- shelves -- open or with a cabinet or shelves at all?
- drawers -- how many, sizes??
- then do you prefer to have your diaper supplies under, on top, or in some type of system attached to the wall. If on the wall, what do you like?

- We'll be cloth diapering, so is there a way you like to store yours that works wonderfully for you?

Lastly, my dresser is 29 inches tall and is 5 feet long, and about 18 inches in depth...

- sooo is that too short? I have lots of space for things on top. Hopefully it's deep enough to fit baby on there comfortablly. Should I make my dresser higher up, I'm 5'7" so I don't know if it'll be painful on my back, hard to get a hold on DS, or if it's no matter.

- If I were to put something on there to make it higher, should I put rails on the sides? if so... should they be on all four sides, open in the front, or something else?

i know it's a ton of questions, please forgive me! I really appreciate your help! (any pictures of what you use would help also)

-Shelly

our lil' Benjamin arrives 18 June 06
http://bd.lilypie.com/X4sfm8.png
We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
-Gandhi

[elliput]

I think I can help with some of your questions.

For our changing station, I just use the dresser in my bedroom (no room for one in nursery) that is 32Hx18WX72L. I am also 5'7" and the height seems just perfect. I think the standard changing table height is about 31-32 inches, so you may want to increase the height on yours a bit. 18 inches is perfect for the depth. I don't have any sort of rails on the dresser, but do have a contour changing pad. I keep the diapers (sposies) in a drawer and the wipes and diaper creams on the deck along with all of my lotions.

[shellybelly]

thank you very much! so it's not annoying to have to always fish out your diapers out of a drawer?? if not, awesome. where did you get your contour pad? does it seem to stay in place pretty easily? (sorry for more questions)

-Shelly

our lil' Benjamin arrives 18 June 06
http://bd.lilypie.com/X4sfm8.png
We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
-Gandhi

[elliput]

No, it doesn't bother me to keep the diapers in the drawer, but I must mention that when DD was newborn I had a couple of diaper stations in the house so that I wouldn't have to bring her upstairs every couple hours. Also, my original changing station in the bedroom was on a fold up table that the changing pad fit just perfectly. The table was probably 29in high and seemed a bit low. We didn't get the dresser until DD was 5 months. I got the contour pad at BRU. It is not anchored to anything now so if DD gets really squirmy it will slide slightly. There are tabs on the side of it which will allow you to screw it to the dresser. My *new* (hand-me-down) dresser has an attached mirror, so I couldn't anchor the changing pad. When I really think about, it my changing station isn't the best safety wise, but it works for us and I have always been diligent about keeping one hand on the baby. :-)

[CiderLogan]

With DD1, we used a built-in desk as a changing table. The contoured pad (from BRU) fit on top (we secured velcro strips to the bottom of the pad and the top of the [laminate] desk to keep it on there). A cabinet overhead held diapers and supplies, although I tended to just keep the wipes box and diapers (disposables) on top of the dresser right next to the pad. This time around, we are borrowing a traditional open changing table, and I am finding I wish we still had that overhead storage. For DD1 (who is still in diapers), after we moved when she was 6 months I've just been changing her on a waterproof pad on the floor.

I don't think you need rails as long as you use a contoured pad and are very careful about watching your DS. I think a drawer would be nice for underneath. I'd think a cabinet door might be annoying to have underneat because you'd have to step out of the way to open it, KWIM? Open shelves are cool but then you have to buy some storage baskets or bins, which negates the savings from reusing your dresser.

Jenny
Mom to Julia, 8/03
...and another GIRL due 5/29/06!

[MommyAllison]

nak, so can't go measure our changing table right now, but I'll chime in some of my answers! We have a dresser that is the hi-low style, with a tower at the end of the dresser, and the changing pad on the long, main section. The dresser has 3 long drawers, which I use for clothing. The tower has a door on it, and 3 shelves inside. The bottom shelf has tons of diapers for storage, the middle shelf has extra wipes, changing pad covers, disposable changing pads, diaper pail liners, etc. The top shelf has a stack of diapers (we use sposies) and diaper rash cream, thermometer, hairbrush, etc etc (toiletry stuff). On top of the tower sit a lamp, a 8x11 picture frame, wipes container and baby monitor. I love our set-up, everything is super close and easy to grab. I do have our contoured changing pad screwed into the dresser, which is good since DD likes to kick and wiggle while being changed. We got the changing pad at TRU, it's Simmons brand - I've heard that there are 4 sided contoured changing pads too, but haven't seen one IRL. I would use one of those rather than trying to put rails on. Once your baby learns to roll, the rails wouldn't really stop them (unless they were very tall rails) and they would get in your way, IMO. I will take and post a pic later - HTH!

Allison
http://b1.lilypie.com/XvRAm8/.png (http://lilypie.com)

[MommyAllison]

Here are the pictures from our changing table/dresser. I forgot to say that I also have hand sanitizer and Shout spray on top of the tower (as you'll see). The monitor is hidden behind the picture frame. Hope these help, and let me know if you have any questions!

Oh, and I just measured, too. Our dimensions are 39" high on the tower, 32" high on the dresser (w/changing pad it is 36"). The changing pad is 16" deep, the dresser itself is 17" deep - I am 5'7", DH is 5'11" and we both are very comfortable changing DD on this dresser. Sounds like the one you have should work fine, IMO!

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33175.jpg


http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33176.jpg


Allison
http://b1.lilypie.com/XvRAm8/.png (http://lilypie.com)

[tigeratty]

We bought a solid wood dresser at used furniture store to use for our changing station, and later our son's dresser. (We usually go for something solid and used, but not quite old enough to be an antique when we buy furniture.)

It is I think 36" tall. You will want yours to be the correct height. Right now yours sounds too low. Imagine wrestling a toddler on that (I will get to that below). My suggestion is to add legs or wood slats to the bottom to raise it. I think ours is around 24 inches wide.

Ours has two side by side drawers on the top row and three long drawers below. Pleny of space. Our crib also has a drawer, and we keep linens there, but everything else in the dresser.

We have a countoured pad, no railings.

My son is now almost 20 months.

We have a pottery barn diaper caddy. It has space for tons of stuff. Our son has ezcema and we use a million different creams and powers on him. There is space for all of it in the diaper caddy (however fewer diapers at once as we have gone up in size. With size 5 I can fit around 8-10 diapers and all of his other stuff.)

This diaper caddy started out on top of the dresser next to the changing pad. We also had a lamp there, and a box of wipes, all on top. First the lamp moved off as he started grabbing it, and then the diaper caddy. We got one of those bathroom Pottery Barn knockoff tower shelves that we have off to the side. IIt is the same height as the dresser.) It now has the lamp and diaper caddy. At this stage, I also can't leave the wipes on the dresser when I change him because he will throw them. I resist changing on the floor because I have a bad back. So now it's just the contoured pad. Sometimes I have to wrestle with him, and I have to watch him carefully because he tries to climb down, but it still works for us. Once he can escape the crib, my side table will go and then the supplies will go up to the shelf.

As for the asthetics, we painted it white with semi gloss paint. You sould SEAL it with polyurethane. I didn' and regret it now. I also used some of that spongy shelf liner stuff under the pad to keep it from sliding. That worked great, but made indentations in the paint on the top of the dresser that I will have to fix when we finally use it for just a dresser. I got the cutest knobs at Lowes.

Overall, I love our dresser and it will be in our house (maybe later in a different room with different knobs) FOREVER.

Shari

[shellybelly]

thank you soo soo much! You have been extremely helpful, especially with paint and sealing it! i will have to figure out a way to raise it up, i'll probably check out the wood slats option. thank you Shari

-Shelly

our lil' Benjamin arrives 18 June 06
http://bd.lilypie.com/X4sfm8.png
We must be the change we wish to see in the world.
-Gandhi