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“For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest ocean, or glide over the highest cloud.”
Albus Dumbledore
That’s definitely the goal for your Harry Potter baby nursery: a peaceful, serene setting for your little one to rest easy. But it can also double as an awesome expression of your nerdy interests.
In our humble opinion, your baby’s nursery is the perfect place to showcase your fandom collection, and adorn the space with the hallmarks of the wizarding world. (This is also the perfect time to dress your baby in the latest wizarding world fashions- apparate over to our Harry Potter Baby Clothes article for ideas!)
When decorating a nursery for your little witch or wizard, creating a magical atmosphere is just one part of the design process. Check out our guide on how to decorate a nerdy nursery for some helpful tips for picking colors, patterns, decor, and much more.
Whether you are just getting started or you are looking for the finishing touches, this buying guide highlights some of the best Harry Potter essentials, plus some fun decor pieces that will leave you saying “Mischief Managed!”. (Not feeling quite prepared for this O.W.L.? Visit our baby preparation checklist for a cheat sheet.)
Harry Potter Nursery Essentials
Harry Potter Baby Nursery Tip #1: As long as your nursery isn’t in a cupboard under the stairs, you should be just fine.
I jest. But there are some items that are pretty much required for your baby’s nursery, such as linens, lighting, and a good set of curtains. These items will make life much easier for new parents- trust us!
Crib Sheets
Next to the crib itself, the crib sheets will be one of your most frequently used (and laundered) items in the nursery. Make sure you get more than you think you’ll need- you’d be surprised how frequently you end up changing them!
These breathable, washable sheets are covered with adorable pictures of Harry’s friends throughout the series- plus Voldemort, who is definitely not a friend. (How did they manage to even make the Dark Lord Voldemort adorable?! That’s quite an accomplishment.) The sheets come in different fabric types, so you can pick what you prefer for your baby’s skin- soft organic cotton, silky minky, or stretchable jersey.
These crib sheets feature a striking pattern composed of watercolor versions of magical objects, such as the Sorting Hat, the Golden Snitch, and Harry’s Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Available in organic cotton, minky, or jersey fabric.
Lamp
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Albus Dumbledore
Make turning on that light a bit more pleasant with softer, subdued lighting that will enhance the magical atmosphere of your nursery.
This bold, striped lamp emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest would look right at home in the Gryffindor common room. Nice bright colors like red and gray make a cheery addition to a Harry Potter baby nursery, and will look just as good in an older kid’s room as your child ages.
The sign of the Deathly Hallows forms a unique statement piece in this wooden lamp. The light is dim enough to be left on in a corner of the room during the night, but provides enough light to be able to navigate the nursery. And it is a keepsake that they won’t soon outgrow! Can you picture reading the Tales of Beedle the Bard by the light of this awesome lamp?
Curtains
Your baby’s sleep schedule (and let’s face it- yours, too) might be a little erratic for a while. Help baby stay asleep during the day with thick curtains that will block light and sounds. Curtains will also help ground the other decor in the nursery.
These magical curtains feature Harry’s glasses and scar in white set against a black background. Made of 100% cotton, they come in 4 different lengths and can be ordered as regular curtains or blackout curtains. Very striking addition to any nursery!
These Gryffindor curtains would look just as perfect in the boy’s dormitories as they will in your Harry Potter baby nursery. A patchwork of bold stripes, the Gryffindor mascot, and Hogwarts castle adorn these 100% cotton curtains. They are from the same Etsy store as the curtains above, so they are also available in 4 different lengths, regular or blackout!
Possibly the cutest Dobby we have ever seen! Rather than installing hardware on your wall to hold back your curtains, these crocheted Dobby tie-backs will do the trick!
Blanket
You’ll want a cute and cuddly Harry Potter blanket to keep your little one warm, or for you to snuggle under with baby during late-night feedings.
You couldn’t find a better Harry Potter blanket than this patchwork minky blanket with an embroidered message, memorializing Lily Potter’s last words to her son. Let your little one know how you feel with the words “You are so loved”, and add an optional personalization of their name.
Nursery Accessories (The Fun Stuff!)
There’s only one place we’re going to get all of this- Diagon Alley.
Molly Weasley (Chamber of Secrets movie- not book, sorry purists)
After you’ve found your nursery essentials, you can select some fun pieces to tie everything together. Shopping online might not be as fun as shopping in Diagon Alley, but it’s much easier to add to your cart!
Mobile
Did you know that placing a mobile above your baby’s crib can help stimulate their brain development?
(“It’s true. I read about it in ‘Hogwarts, a history.’” -Hermione Granger)
More than just a mobile, this customizable option comes with your choice of 5 characters (from a list of 21 options), plus a Harry Potter lullaby soundtrack that’s over 45 minutes long! Soothe your baby with the gentle sounds of Hogwarts, while they gaze up at Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hedwig, the Snitch, the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore, Dobby, and more.
This is just so cool. Suspended from an open book, this mobile is reminiscent of the Golden Trio’s trouble facing the flying keys in the Sorcerer’s Stone. Metal keys with wings made from pages of Harry Potter books “flutter” above your baby’s head, with a single Golden Snitch adorning the middle of the mobile. Note that the Etsy seller advises hanging the mobile beside the crib, not directly above it, as some of the pieces, if broken, would pose a choking hazard.
Wall Decor
Set of 5 Hogwarts House Crest Banners
Show some house pride by displaying these banners on the nursery wall! Bold colors make the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin mascots stand out. Unify the houses with a large Hogwarts crest banner, also included in the set.
Wizarding World Alphabet Poster
Alphabet prints are a classic option for nursery decor, but you’ve never seen a cooler alphabet than this! Each letter is accompanied by a tiny watercolor rendition of a person, place, creature, or spell from the wizarding world. Why teach your kids that A is for Apple when you could teach them that A is for Albus Dumbledore?! The choice is pretty clear (in my mind at least!)
Retro Hogwarts “Travel” Posters
This set of three dreamy, vintage-style travel posters feature retro renditions of Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade, and the Hogwarts Express. They would look perfect hung above the crib, or changing table. And they’re classy enough to look at home in an older child’s room too- not even joking, I’m about to order these posters for my home office!
Books
“Because that’s what Hermione does,” said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to the library.”
It’s never too early to begin instilling that principle in your little one’s life! Reading to your baby helps foster their brain development and language skills.
Start your little witch or wizard’s magical education properly, with this D is for Dragons boardbook. Full of cute pictures of magical creatures, they’ll be exposed to numbers and colors along with some fantastic beasts!
Baby Dragon Finger Puppet Book
The doe-eyed baby dragon in this finger puppet book doesn’t look anything like Norbert, but that’s okay. He’s far preferable to a Horntail! This cute book tells the story of a baby dragon discovering his ability to fly.
Other Nursery Decor
They certainly got the “large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes” right from the book when they made this plush! The Noble Collection produces a great deal of official Harry Potter merchandise, and this Dobby plush is included in that. With posable limbs and a tattered piece of clothing, this Dobby plus would fit in perfectly in your nursery.
If you’re anything like James and Lily, you’ll probably need to start working on the pile of gold Galleons that you’ll leave in Gringotts for your kid. Start collecting those coins in this cool Gringotts coin bank. After all, Gringotts is “the safest place in the world for anything you want to keep safe- except perhaps Hogwarts.”
Many of those who self-identify as giant nerds have discovered the amazing world of Funko Pop, and if you’re like most of us, you probably have a growing Harry Potter Funko collection. If not, now’s a great time to start, and who better to start with than Dumbledore? This Funko features the bespectacled wizard holding a tiny baby Harry, preparing to deliver him to the Dursleys.
A plush Hedwig is pretty much a requirement for any Harry Potter baby nursery, am I right? This soft snowy owl plush would look equally adorable in the crib as it would perched atop a bookshelf or nestled onto a rocking chair.
With crinkly sounds, a soft texture, fun ribbons, and bright colors, this Harry Potter crinkle toy has everything your baby could want! You’d be surprised by how much entertainment value there is in a simple sensory toy.
What self-respecting Harry Potter fan would you be if you didn’t have the Lumos/Nox switchplate cover? I mean, this is about as close to magic as an adult Muggle can get. The neutral black and silver will complement a wide range of color schemes and patterns.
You won’t have any house elves to clean up after your baby, so make the job a little easier with this Hogwarts trash bin! It’s made of poly canvas, so it’s easy to clean and would also make a great hamper or storage basket.
Feeling like your little wizard might be more of a Padawan? Check out our comprehensive Star Wars Nursery Guide.
The post Harry Potter Baby Nursery Theme Ideas appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.
“For in dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let him swim in the deepest ocean, or glide over the highest cloud.”
Albus Dumbledore
That’s definitely the goal for your Harry Potter baby nursery: a peaceful, serene setting for your little one to rest easy. But it can also double as an awesome expression of your nerdy interests.
In our humble opinion, your baby’s nursery is the perfect place to showcase your fandom collection, and adorn the space with the hallmarks of the wizarding world. (This is also the perfect time to dress your baby in the latest wizarding world fashions- apparate over to our Harry Potter Baby Clothes article for ideas!)
When decorating a nursery for your little witch or wizard, creating a magical atmosphere is just one part of the design process. Check out our guide on how to decorate a nerdy nursery for some helpful tips for picking colors, patterns, decor, and much more.
Whether you are just getting started or you are looking for the finishing touches, this buying guide highlights some of the best Harry Potter essentials, plus some fun decor pieces that will leave you saying “Mischief Managed!”. (Not feeling quite prepared for this O.W.L.? Visit our baby preparation checklist for a cheat sheet.)
Harry Potter Nursery Essentials
Harry Potter Baby Nursery Tip #1: As long as your nursery isn’t in a cupboard under the stairs, you should be just fine.
I jest. But there are some items that are pretty much required for your baby’s nursery, such as linens, lighting, and a good set of curtains. These items will make life much easier for new parents- trust us!
Crib Sheets
Next to the crib itself, the crib sheets will be one of your most frequently used (and laundered) items in the nursery. Make sure you get more than you think you’ll need- you’d be surprised how frequently you end up changing them!
These breathable, washable sheets are covered with adorable pictures of Harry’s friends throughout the series- plus Voldemort, who is definitely not a friend. (How did they manage to even make the Dark Lord Voldemort adorable?! That’s quite an accomplishment.) The sheets come in different fabric types, so you can pick what you prefer for your baby’s skin- soft organic cotton, silky minky, or stretchable jersey.
These crib sheets feature a striking pattern composed of watercolor versions of magical objects, such as the Sorting Hat, the Golden Snitch, and Harry’s Nimbus 2000 broomstick. Available in organic cotton, minky, or jersey fabric.
Lamp
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Albus Dumbledore
Make turning on that light a bit more pleasant with softer, subdued lighting that will enhance the magical atmosphere of your nursery.
This bold, striped lamp emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest would look right at home in the Gryffindor common room. Nice bright colors like red and gray make a cheery addition to a Harry Potter baby nursery, and will look just as good in an older kid’s room as your child ages.
The sign of the Deathly Hallows forms a unique statement piece in this wooden lamp. The light is dim enough to be left on in a corner of the room during the night, but provides enough light to be able to navigate the nursery. And it is a keepsake that they won’t soon outgrow! Can you picture reading the Tales of Beedle the Bard by the light of this awesome lamp?
Curtains
Your baby’s sleep schedule (and let’s face it- yours, too) might be a little erratic for a while. Help baby stay asleep during the day with thick curtains that will block light and sounds. Curtains will also help ground the other decor in the nursery.
These magical curtains feature Harry’s glasses and scar in white set against a black background. Made of 100% cotton, they come in 4 different lengths and can be ordered as regular curtains or blackout curtains. Very striking addition to any nursery!
These Gryffindor curtains would look just as perfect in the boy’s dormitories as they will in your Harry Potter baby nursery. A patchwork of bold stripes, the Gryffindor mascot, and Hogwarts castle adorn these 100% cotton curtains. They are from the same Etsy store as the curtains above, so they are also available in 4 different lengths, regular or blackout!
Possibly the cutest Dobby we have ever seen! Rather than installing hardware on your wall to hold back your curtains, these crocheted Dobby tie-backs will do the trick!
Blanket
You’ll want a cute and cuddly Harry Potter blanket to keep your little one warm, or for you to snuggle under with baby during late-night feedings.
You couldn’t find a better Harry Potter blanket than this patchwork minky blanket with an embroidered message, memorializing Lily Potter’s last words to her son. Let your little one know how you feel with the words “You are so loved”, and add an optional personalization of their name.
Nursery Accessories (The Fun Stuff!)
There’s only one place we’re going to get all of this- Diagon Alley.
Molly Weasley (Chamber of Secrets movie- not book, sorry purists)
After you’ve found your nursery essentials, you can select some fun pieces to tie everything together. Shopping online might not be as fun as shopping in Diagon Alley, but it’s much easier to add to your cart!
Mobile
Did you know that placing a mobile above your baby’s crib can help stimulate their brain development?
(“It’s true. I read about it in ‘Hogwarts, a history.’” -Hermione Granger)
More than just a mobile, this customizable option comes with your choice of 5 characters (from a list of 21 options), plus a Harry Potter lullaby soundtrack that’s over 45 minutes long! Soothe your baby with the gentle sounds of Hogwarts, while they gaze up at Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hedwig, the Snitch, the Hogwarts Express, Dumbledore, Dobby, and more.
This is just so cool. Suspended from an open book, this mobile is reminiscent of the Golden Trio’s trouble facing the flying keys in the Sorcerer’s Stone. Metal keys with wings made from pages of Harry Potter books “flutter” above your baby’s head, with a single Golden Snitch adorning the middle of the mobile. Note that the Etsy seller advises hanging the mobile beside the crib, not directly above it, as some of the pieces, if broken, would pose a choking hazard.
Wall Decor
Set of 5 Hogwarts House Crest Banners
Show some house pride by displaying these banners on the nursery wall! Bold colors make the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin mascots stand out. Unify the houses with a large Hogwarts crest banner, also included in the set.
Wizarding World Alphabet Poster
Alphabet prints are a classic option for nursery decor, but you’ve never seen a cooler alphabet than this! Each letter is accompanied by a tiny watercolor rendition of a person, place, creature, or spell from the wizarding world. Why teach your kids that A is for Apple when you could teach them that A is for Albus Dumbledore?! The choice is pretty clear (in my mind at least!)
Retro Hogwarts “Travel” Posters
This set of three dreamy, vintage-style travel posters feature retro renditions of Hogwarts castle, Hogsmeade, and the Hogwarts Express. They would look perfect hung above the crib, or changing table. And they’re classy enough to look at home in an older child’s room too- not even joking, I’m about to order these posters for my home office!
Books
“Because that’s what Hermione does,” said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to the library.”
It’s never too early to begin instilling that principle in your little one’s life! Reading to your baby helps foster their brain development and language skills.
Start your little witch or wizard’s magical education properly, with this D is for Dragons boardbook. Full of cute pictures of magical creatures, they’ll be exposed to numbers and colors along with some fantastic beasts!
Baby Dragon Finger Puppet Book
The doe-eyed baby dragon in this finger puppet book doesn’t look anything like Norbert, but that’s okay. He’s far preferable to a Horntail! This cute book tells the story of a baby dragon discovering his ability to fly.
Other Nursery Decor
They certainly got the “large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes” right from the book when they made this plush! The Noble Collection produces a great deal of official Harry Potter merchandise, and this Dobby plush is included in that. With posable limbs and a tattered piece of clothing, this Dobby plus would fit in perfectly in your nursery.
If you’re anything like James and Lily, you’ll probably need to start working on the pile of gold Galleons that you’ll leave in Gringotts for your kid. Start collecting those coins in this cool Gringotts coin bank. After all, Gringotts is “the safest place in the world for anything you want to keep safe- except perhaps Hogwarts.”
Many of those who self-identify as giant nerds have discovered the amazing world of Funko Pop, and if you’re like most of us, you probably have a growing Harry Potter Funko collection. If not, now’s a great time to start, and who better to start with than Dumbledore? This Funko features the bespectacled wizard holding a tiny baby Harry, preparing to deliver him to the Dursleys.
A plush Hedwig is pretty much a requirement for any Harry Potter baby nursery, am I right? This soft snowy owl plush would look equally adorable in the crib as it would perched atop a bookshelf or nestled onto a rocking chair.
With crinkly sounds, a soft texture, fun ribbons, and bright colors, this Harry Potter crinkle toy has everything your baby could want! You’d be surprised by how much entertainment value there is in a simple sensory toy.
What self-respecting Harry Potter fan would you be if you didn’t have the Lumos/Nox switchplate cover? I mean, this is about as close to magic as an adult Muggle can get. The neutral black and silver will complement a wide range of color schemes and patterns.
You won’t have any house elves to clean up after your baby, so make the job a little easier with this Hogwarts trash bin! It’s made of poly canvas, so it’s easy to clean and would also make a great hamper or storage basket.
Feeling like your little wizard might be more of a Padawan? Check out our comprehensive Star Wars Nursery Guide.
The post Harry Potter Baby Nursery Theme Ideas appeared first on Geek Baby Clothes.
Writer: John Layman / Artist: Dan Boultwood / Image
To recap very quickly: I loved Chew. I liked Chu #1 and Chu #2 has served to reinforce this opinion. To the spin-off’s credit, the series very much feels like it takes place within the same universe as its parent series. The tonal audacity of the writing, the cartoonishly violent action, the over the top dramatics: all of these are series staples and you can very easily tell that Layman is having a lot of fun revisiting this hence unseen side of the sandbox he created. The Chew-inverse has never taken itself seriously beforehand and Chu starts the issue by introducing a character straight up named Mr. Murder and the ridiculousness just escalates from there.
The moment to moment of Chu I enjoy immensely. Layman’s absurdist humor is poignant and the different types of gags that Bloutwood plays with work. It’s a very animated series and the pages are filled with an almost kinetic energy as characters viscerally react to the world around them. Furthermore, Bloutwood pays homage to Guillory’s original art that I definitely still smile at. And on a writing front, Layman effortless introduces these new characters to the world and it feels like they could have very easily existed within the preexisting context.
However, Chu #2 falters for me in a couple minor areas. Firstly, some of the exposition isn’t as tight. In the original series, as character’s powers were introduced there were typically helpful annotations that explain some of the etymology. Here, words are just sort of thrown out, and I have to parse together what’s happening either via some vague context or by looking at the solicit which breaks me out of the moment to moment I enjoy. Secondly, the pacing feels a little off kilter. Part of this may be that it is a five issue limited series, so Layman has a lot of ground to cover in a short narrative, but one of the joys of Chew was the fact that it had such an expansive universe and Chu feels hyperbolically focused on the self-contained plot at hand. And this in turn means that I still don’t feel like I know what makes Saffron tick as well as I’d like because there is a lot to cover that just takes up page counts.
And I’ll acknowledge that maybe this nostalgia warping my memories of Chew, which was a series I got to read in larger chunks. As a standalone story, Chu is clearly cooking out some cool things, but it’s also making me wonder if I should wait till it’s a complete course.
8.0 “Things Siblings Share” out of 10
Enjoying Chu? Check out BNP’s other reviews here.
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The post Chu #2 Review appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Creators: Emma Kubert, Rusty Gladd / Image
I miss libraries. Or rather, I miss the concept of libraries. In the information age, I didn’t actually spend that much time in libraries given the preponderance of texts that I have readily available in my own house and online, but with libraries come a certain sense of comfort and mystique. There is something to be said about entering a building that is meant to house stories and tomes. There is something to be said about being surrounded by knowledge. And that same something is also why fantasy books live the concept of archives. Inkblot is the latest comic that is a story about stories, and one I remembered how to read cursive, I found myself playfully engaged with the Seeker’s inadvertent trigger to the story.
The first act of Inkblot is a lot of your standard world building affair. There is an introduction to your magical lands, vague allusions to an ancient evil, and a not so subtle shift to the present day as we find our reluctant, nameless protagonist. And our main character starts off the adventure by creating a cat made out of magical ink and thus the story truly gets started as this magical black cat is every bit as mischievous as your standard cat, except with some extraordinary abilities that make pet care a little difficult.
Kubert and Gladd work well together and the blending of creative control results in something truly stunning to look at. The art has a distinct flair comprising of Kubert’s pencils, Gladd’s inks, and finished with Kubert’s colors. Gladd’s words accentuate a lot of the work that the visual storytelling manages to accomplishes, and there are some truly marvelous panels that resonate with minimal text. The lettering of the narration is a little hard to read, but this is coming from someone who gave up on cursive years ago, and I acclimated quickly enough.
It takes a while for Inkblot to build momentum, but once the actual inkblot shows up, it’s a chaotic run to the end and reminds me of Pagemaster, a movie you may or may not remember, but I adore as someone who loved and loves libraries. Inkblot‘s a good starter fantasy and one with some stunning visual design. It evokes a familiar level of comfort and I’m hoping once we get to spend more time with the magical familiar, Inkblot will come into its own.
7.9 “Library Cats” out of 10
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The post Inkblot #1 Review is a Story About Stories appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Funko started to tweet out its Star Wars Celebration exclusives today. They are listed below for you and we will update them as more are revealed. As we know Star Wars Celebration this year was canceled due to Covid-19 but will return to Anaheim in 2022.
The post Star Wars Celebration Virtual Con presents: Coming Soon – Star Wars Concept Series appeared first on The Nerd Element.