When one of my good friends, Fletch Arnold, learned he was going to be a dad, there was one thing on his mind…girl or boy, they were coming into the world a Star Wars fan. Fueled by the love of both his passion for Star Wars and the love of his unborn child, he set out to create the perfect nursery for his little padawan. It was a no-brainer that he could pull this off.
One major problem stood in his way…there is hardly any Star Wars themed baby stuff! This called for some improvising.
With his squad and immediate family’s help, little Alexis Jade was going to have a room that would make any Star Wars fan proud (and jealous).
I love the wampa rug and her Star Wars bedding! Image: Savanna Kiefer Photography
There’s so many things you need in a nursery like a crib, dresser, mobile’s, toys, window coverings, sheets. Then of course there’s the decorating such as painting the room, wall art, wall paper border, rug and lighting. Since most of these things don’t come in a Star Wars pattern, it all had to be lovingly made.
First item of business was the crib.
Every child needs somewhere to sleep and this baby was going to have a bed that would make any Jedi proud. It was a normal crib…at first. Then one of our squad mates, Timothy Boyle (a master costumer in his own right), made four custom lightsaber’s to go on the corners of the crib. Not only do they look cool, they light up too!
And of course, you can’t have a crib without bed sheets and bumper pad. The bumper pad, quilt and bed sheets were all custom made by one of our own squad mates, Cathy Merhl, out of Pottery Barn Star Wars sheets, originally meant for a twin sized bed. The same sheets were used to make the window coverings and curtains.
Next item of business, were the walls. A lovely lilac purple was the color of choice, with matching white vinyl decals to go around the top of her room. Shaped like ships, logos and other easily recognizable Star Wars items, this awesome wall border was done by Vinyl Disorder.
No room would be complete without some wall décor and this room was no exception.
Katie Cook is a very popular artist and her child like style was perfect for Alexis Jade. Unfortunately, Fletch was a little to late in purchasing her Star Wars Celebration V exclusive, so he had to hunt for that one. Thankfully though, Katie found an extra and put it up on eBay for the highest bidder. Fletch made sure that this little treasure was going in his daughters nursery. He won the piece and it looks beautiful next to Katie’s Star Wars Celebration VI artwork.
Another artist featured in the room is James Hance. His blending of famous Disney characters by turning them into Star Wars faces is well known in the 501st Legion. I love the Rescuers piece with the little girl as Leia and her teddy bear as Chewbacca. Priceless!
Astromech Mobile, made by Shannon Erdman Image: Savanna Kiefer Photography
My favorite piece of art on the walls was done by DC and Marvel comic book artist Mark McKenna. I purchased the same “Duel of the Twi’leks” at Star Wars Celebration VI. It’s a great piece that showcases two of the most well known Twi’leks in the galaxy.
Wait! What about the ceiling? From there Alexis has a galaxy of planets with a threatening Death Star close by. The planets are actually Lego sets sealed up for safety and then hung from wires. The Death Star is a paper lantern that was purchased during Celebration VI.
The furniture is normal, except for the large collection of action figures with everything from Star Wars to My Little Pony sitting on it. Fletch is a master at locating old and new action figures, so this was his domain (and it gave him an excuse to look for missing pieces of his own collection).
The lighting is neat too and has rebel touch to it. The lamp was purchased from ThinkGeek and a purple bulb was used instead of a traditional white one. Instead of the usual play-dough molds, Fletch bought Star Wars silicon ice cube trays. And of course, daddy can’t have a droid if Alexis can’t. That’s where her inflatable R2 unit comes in. This little guy is perfect for her small (but quickly growing) size.
The fun doesn’t stop there!
What room would be complete without a decorative rug and other fun items? This rug is special, in the fact that it’s the wampa rug from ThinkGeek! It’s as soft and comfy as it looks and Alexis loves to lay on her belly and enjoy it’s softness. It’s multipurpose too, because the head gives Alexis something to sit against and make the transition to sitting up on her own.
So, as you can see, a Star Wars themed nursery is possible with enough imagination and improvising. By the time Alexis Jade was born, she had amassed a collection of toys, autographs and other memorabilia that would make the Rancho Obi-Wan blush. For those of you looking to do the same for your little padawan, Fletch has some advice for you.
All photos in this post were taken and used with permission by Savanna Kiefer, a Star Wars Fan girl, Wolf Pack padawan and amazing photographer!
