Turn a room into a safe nursery by anchoring furniture, securing blinds and windows, fitting alarms, stair gates and cupboard locks in order.
NS-01Plan the whole project and buy everything firstWalk the room and list every task: furniture to anchor, the window to dress, the stairs to gate, cupboards to lock. Measure the window recess and note the make and weight of each tall piece of furniture, because this decides which blind and anchor kits to buy. Buy all materials before you start — a missing bracket can stall a job for a week waiting for delivery. Allow half a day for planning and shopping.
1 each · Notebook and pencil 1 each · Cable and pipe detector (if not already owned) NS-02Anchor the tall furnitureFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Anchor tall furniture to a wall' for the wardrobe, chest of drawers and any bookcase or shelving unit. Do this before the room fills with boxes, so you have clear access to the wall behind each piece. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling, and expect to find something there even if the wall looks empty. Allow one evening per large item, as fixings vary with wall type.
RULES3 each · Anti-tip furniture strap kit 1 pack · Rawlplugs and screws (mixed sizes for wall type) KNOW THE RULES
Always check for hidden cables and pipes with a detector before drilling into any wall, and still expect something to be there.
NS-03Fit the roller blindFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Fit a roller blind inside the window recess'. Measure the recess carefully — an ill-fitting blind is the most common hold-up on this kind of project. Check for cables near the window reveal with a detector before drilling the brackets. Order the blind to size at the planning stage, since made-to-measure blinds can take a week or more to arrive.
RULES1 each · Roller blind, made-to-measure for recess 1 pack · Bracket screws and wall plugs KNOW THE RULES
Check for hidden cables and pipes before drilling into the window reveal, even where none are expected.
NS-04Fit the child-safe cord cleat straight afterFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Fit a child-safe cord cleat to a blind' immediately after the blind is up, before the nursery is used. A loose, looped blind cord is a strangulation risk and should never be left overnight once a cot is in the room. Position the cleat high and out of reach as the guide describes.
1 each · Child-safe cord cleat kit NS-05Fit window restrictorsFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Fit window restrictors' on any opening window in the nursery. This guards against falls and should be done before the cot or a baby's own mobility brings them near the window. Check for cables and pipes with a detector before drilling into the frame or surrounding reveal.
RULES1 per window · Window restrictor kit KNOW THE RULES
Check for hidden cables and pipes before drilling into any window frame or reveal.
NS-06Test the smoke alarm nearest the nurseryFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Test and replace smoke alarm batteries' for the alarm closest to the nursery and on the landing outside it. If the alarm is mains-wired and interlinked with others in the house and it's faulty beyond a battery swap, call a qualified electrician — rewiring or replacing hardwired interlinked alarms is electrical work and can be notifiable if it goes beyond a like-for-like swap.
RULES2 each · Smoke alarm batteries (9V or AA, per alarm) KNOW THE RULES
Replacing hardwired interlinked smoke alarms beyond a like-for-like swap is a job for a qualified electrician. Never attempt this yourself.
NS-07Fit the stair gate before the baby crawlsFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Fit a pressure-fit stair gate' for the doorway or lower landing. Never use a pressure-fit gate at the top of a staircase — fit a screw-fit gate there instead, since a knock could push a pressure-fit gate through and cause a fall. Fit this well before the baby starts crawling, as it's easy to leave too late once mobility arrives suddenly.
1 each · Pressure-fit stair gate 1 each · Screw-fit stair gate (for top of stairs, if applicable) NS-08Fit child locks to kitchen cupboardsFollow the HomeGraft guide 'Fit child locks to kitchen cupboards'. This is the lowest-priority phase, since it only matters once the baby is crawling and reaching low cupboards, but it's easiest to finish while other tools are already out. Focus first on cupboards storing cleaning products, bin areas and anything sharp.
1 pack of 10 · Child safety cupboard lock kit NS-09Do a final safety walk-throughGo round the nursery and check every fixing: tug each anchored piece of furniture, pull the blind cord cleat, open the window to its restricted limit, and push against the stair gate. Press the smoke alarm test button one last time. Fix anything loose before the room is used, and keep spare batteries and fixings somewhere handy for future checks.
1 pack · Spare screws and wall plugs (assorted, for touch-ups) Travis Perkins and Tooled Up links are affiliate links: if you buy after clicking, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. B&Q and Amazon links are plain searches and earn us nothing.
Save this as a projectBack to all guides