Only one event is giving engagements a run for their money on my news feed lately: babies! From pregnancy announcements to maternity photos to the cutest darn snapshots of little ones, it's clear I am in the age bracket where people I know are becoming Moms and Dads. When did we get this old?! But, it's so fun to watch the excitement they all are going through as they grow their families.

One of my best friends, Michelle, and her husband Dan, are due with their first baby in early March. Michelle and I share a love of many things including shopping, crafting, decorating, and organizing, so I was not the least bit surprised that she jumped right into planning out her nursery after finding out she was pregnant. We also share the love of blogging -- you can check out her recipes and tales of farm life on her blog The New Farm Wife. 

On a shopping trip to Minneapolis, I was able to watch Michelle in action as she started to pick up items to make her vision come to life. She said someone gave her the advice that this is the only room you get to do for your kids that's really for you. After that, they might be more interested in neon walls or other decor that isn't quite your color pallet.  

One of our stops was at the Galleria's Oh Baby! store. Let me tell you, you don't have to be pregnant or have a baby to find yourself ohhing and ahhing over how precious the stuff is in there. But, oh baby, it is not cheap! Michelle, a big fan of books and reading, fell in love with a wall hanging there of a page of the children's book "The Velveteen Rabbit." Sadly, the sticker price would have set her back $400. Even online, it was priced the same.

After returning home, Michelle decided she could put her crafty skills and publications background to use to make her own copycat version for less! First, Michelle found a font similar to the old style book text and then set out on creating a template that looked like the book page using inDesign. Here is a PDF version of the file she created for your own personal use. The PDF can easily be converted to a PNG or JPEG file, if needed. 

After designing the page, Michelle used Easy Canvas Prints to order a 40" x 30" canvas to fit the space in the nursery. This website CONSTANTLY has coupons and promotions. Sign up for their emails and keep a lookout for a good deal. Just looking as I am writing this, the site has some kind of 80% off deal going on right now. The original price at the time was $398.98, but with the promotional price at the time, Michelle got the canvas for $112.65. Sure beats $400, right!? This project would also cost less if you chose a smaller-sized print. 

The result? A beautiful addition to their baby's nursery. A little bit of extra work led to saving money for other baby things! Have another favorite children's book? Try designing your own book page with a well-known passage.