A Practical Use for Crib Bumpers

If you're like me, you bought a bedding set for your little one that included tie-on crib bumpers...bumpers that you LOVED until you found out they were considered a no-no by pediatricians (and virtually everyone else who dishes child-related advice).

We followed the recommendations and didn't use our bumpers when our little guy was born. I really hated to put them in storage, so I put them in his closet and hoped that I would find some use for them. We put the bumpers back on for a while when our son got more mobile (to keep his feet from getting caught between the slats), but once that stage was over, I faced the "what to do with them" question again.

Since my son was teething at the time, I had an idea that kept me from making a trip to the attic: repurpose the bumpers as crib rail guards. 

Bumper folded over the
"skinny" rail of the crib.

And that's exactly what I did. No spending money on "gummy rail guards" or similar products. I just used what I already had to protect the crib rails, and as a bonus, gave my son a comfy place to rest his head when he's standing up in the crib. What about the drool, you ask? It absorbs into the fabric, then you just untie the bumpers and toss them into the wash with the crib sheets.

Making rail guards from your bumpers is a super easy conversion, provided you have a crib with slatted rails and tie-on crib bumpers. All you have to do is wrap the crib bumpers around the top of the rails and tie them on. The only thing that's slightly tricky is fitting the four ties on each corner (two from the wide side and two from the skinny side), but other than that, it's pretty simple.

Voila! Crib bumpers as rail guards.