IKEA knows what you’ll be doing tonight, readers.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, IKEA Australia will give away a free crib to any baby who is born nine months from today, on November 14, 2013.

For the babies born the week of Veterans Day, parents will have to present the IKEA advertisement as well as proof of birth. Or, you know, you can just pay the $99 it costs to buy a crib from IKEA.

If only nature worked so smoothly, right? Just because a baby is conceived on Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean he or she will be born exactly nine months after. Pregnancy is a little more complicated than that. Babies are born early. Some are born late. There are so many variables. So, really, it’s anyone’s game.

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Parents looking to create a unique nest for their babies are turning in droves to the countless shops on Etsy that focus on custom nursery decor and artwork.

“I had looked previously on other traditional sites, but I liked the idea of getting something that was a bit less mainstream,” says Traci Tasso, a New York mom who purchased art on Etsy for her daughter’s nursery.

The crafting website has been around for about seven years, but lately more specialists on the site are churning out crafts for little ones. From quilts to baby bumpers, Etsy is chock full of items that can be customized by gender, theme and color scheme frequently at a much lower price than from a local boutique.

Moms and dads can best their neighbors’ nurseries by having crib skirts monogrammed, artwork created to reflect their boy’s favorite baseball teams and canvases painted to perfectly match bedding.

“It’s the height of customization because you can get pretty much anything you want,” says Jen Snyder, a Michigan mom who sells digital prints at Area Fare Kids on Etsy.

The conversation element of Etsy allows artists and buyers to message back and forth and customize orders.

Many of the artists are moms-turned-artists who garner inspiration from their own little ones.

“I couldn’t find anything that I loved in the stores, and since I have always enjoyed drawing and painting I decided to create something for above [my son’s] crib,” says Stephanie Brandt of Philadelphia, whose store on Etsy is called Just Bunch. “I had enjoyed making the artwork so much, and had received so many compliments on it, that I decided to create designs and put them for sale.”

Beyond 128

Two Sudbury moms have started a baby company called Twelve Little Laces, customizing arrival gift baskets, birthday party treats and other personalized items. Megan Bowhers and Laura Hoff claim Etsy is a great way to market their company beyond Rte. 128. Twelve Little Laces can be found on Etsy or at www.twelvelittlelaces.com

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