Paint Ikea Sniglar crib?

[goshinkansen]

My local baby boutique sells these super cute cribs from Paintbox Designs that come in a bunch of fun colors. The one I liked has Ikea styling (minimalist with out being expressly modern), but is expensive for something that already kinda looks like Ikea furniture.

So, I was at Ikea the other day looking at other stuff and took a browse through the kids room to peak at the cribs. The designs were fine, but they don't really offer a good range of color or wood finish choices.

However, the Sniglar crib looks to be made of unfinished wood. Anyone know if you can paint this? I've stained and painted other Ikea furniture in the past, but wasn't sure if this crib would take paint.

Thanks!

[SASM]

I, personally, wouldn't paint a crib. Babies chew on cribs ~ even if you put chew guards on both rails, I wouldn't risk it. Oh...one thing to note about IKEA cribs is that, IIRC, the sides do not go down. If you have a heavy baby, that could REALLY hurt your back. Something to consider...

Good luck with the decision. Welcome to the BBB. :)

[hellokitty]

I wouldn't bother painting a crib either. Not only is it a PITA, but I'd be afraid the baby would scrap/bite off some of the paint by accident. The way I look at it, most ppl's children only use their crib for about 2 yrs. IMO, it's just temporary furniture. If you can live with it unfinished, I think it would just be easier and safer in the long run.

[larig]

don't do it! we ruined ours doing that. Like you, I wanted a cute color for the crib. I even got "safe" paint from a local store, but it remained sticky and never felt like it cured.

[amldaley]

If you decide to go through with it, I would only do it with a 100% authentic Milk Paint. There are two companies that make milk paint and it is, apparently, even safe enough to ingest.

Instead, I would get some fun sheets :)

eta: It looks "unfinished" it in that is unstained, but it is not really unfinished. It has a sealant on it (which may prevent paint from adhering and/or curing properly).

[goshinkansen]

Thanks for the suggestions. We did end up getting the Sniglar, but we are going to paint it. It's quite unfinished (looking at least) -- is even a bit rough to the touch. We set it up yesterday and it really does have the appearance of something we might have made ourselves but didn't get around to finishing.

larig, did you paint a sniglar crib or something else? Just wondering b/c we had a lot of success painting another Ikea piece with what seems like the same wood. What paint did you use, and did you prime it first?

As far as painting kids things, there are paints that are safe for wooden toys and other nursery items, so I feel pretty good that we can get something that is safe and non-toxic.

As for the crib, it seems super sturdy, and sits much lower than most cribs I looked at. One of my concerns with any crib is that I'm short and I couldn't reach over many of them to get a stuffed toy out of them, much less a baby. Even though the sides don't drop, it's low enough that I can quite easily bend over and reach something inside. If I were taller, I might worry about my back, but for once my height is an advantage. :)

Jen

[BayGirl2]

Were you able to successfully paint the Sniglar crib?

Just wondering because I am also considering painting or staining the crib plus some other unfinished ikea furniture to match. Of course, using safe paint/stain on all the pieces.

[goshinkansen]

We haven't had a chance yet. We live in the Northeast and the weather keeps being uncooperative.

Hopefully we'll get a nice weekend before baby comes so we can still do it! I only have 6 weeks to go.

Jen