As a mother, I want my little guy to explore and learn and be free to play, but not all over the house. I feel he needs freedom and room to play and grow, but not too much. For instance, the kitchen is not really a place he needs to be playing in right now, especially since he already dumped the cat’s water dish all over himself and the floor. The obvious solution is a play gate but the nice ones that are large and adjustable are not cheap.

During a hectic day when he would not stay put for more then a second I had a sanity saving, light bulb moment…the ottoman! The wide ottoman that matches our furniture fit perfectly in the entry gap into our living room. I was saved, I didn’t have to go and spend money getting a gate. To my delight the ottoman also worked in the doorway to our family room as long and the pocket doors were shut a little on either side.

The same desperate creativity that turned my ottoman into a gate has spurred other homemade creations. One day when my little man was just not interested in any of his toys and growing rather disgruntled I brought out the buttons. I have a large stash of craft buttons, which are big and bright and should never be used on any garment…the perfect baby toy. I strung some big buttons on a piece of string and made a rung of buttons, which were a hit. The next toy found me rummaging through my pantry for dry beans while holding a baby food jar. I dropped a handful of beans into the empty jar and behold I had a rattle that resembled something he wasn’t normally aloud to have.

I am learning that most often babies don’t need expensive things to be happy. They want room, interesting things to play with and love. So with my ottoman gate, my baby food rattle, buttons and a few other things, I have created a safe, interesting play room…at no extra cost. Here are Five Great Ways to Baby Proof Your House.