• Accent a nautical nursery with a (well-washed) vintage life jacket.nautical antiques image by Kelly Kane from Fotolia.com
  
  Whether you own a sailboat, spend all your free time on the water and fully intend to homeschool your child while sailing around the world as soon as she can swim, or if you just like the nautical look, a few thoughtful decorating touches will imbue your nursery with nautical atmosphere. That way, when you're in there changing diapers at 3 a.m., you can pretend you're en route to the Caribbean.
  
  

Map Stool

• Light-up globes add worldly flavor to the nursery.ancient map globe image by Galina Barskaya from Fotolia.com
  
  Find a copyright-free photo of an antique nautical chart. Print multiple copies of the chart. Decoupage a tall wooden stool with the old map. If you installed a counter in the nursery--for changing diapers and folding laundry--consider decoupaging the countertop, too. Sit on the stool when your feet need a break or set it in the corner as a sailboat-flavored surface for a lamp. For an extra nautical twist, take a hint from CountryLiving.com and wrap the stool legs in thick rope and secure with glue.
  
  

Wall Mural

• Sailboats feature different sail shapes and arrangements.egyptian sailboat image by A74.FR Ben Fontaine from Fotolia.com
  
  Paint a cheery seascape on the nursery wall behind the baby's crib to suggest the view from the deck of a sailboat. Some possibilities for seascape subjects include a historic Maine harbor and lighthouse, a turquoise tropical sea punctuated with leaping dolphins and a palm-fringed island or a sprawling glacier-carved lake in the border country between Minnesota and Ontario. Borrow an element from a CountryLiving.com article on "Seaside Style" and paint a vintage-looking red and white life preserver on the end of the baby's crib.
  
  

Porthole Photo Wall

• Paint a jaunty striped border along the top of the nursery walls.Portholes image by Stephen Gibson from Fotolia.com
  
  Hang a row of round metal photo frames in a straight, spaced-out line along the upper portion of one wall of the nursery, or on two opposite walls, to suggest a line of portholes along the side of a sailboat. Purchase brass frames or paint the frame swith a brass-colored antiquing treatment. Fill the frames with adorable baby photos--of which you no doubt have many--or with photos of your beloved sailboat.