When you're setting up a nursery, you research everything. The cot mattress. The formula. The baby monitor. But most parents don't think twice about the wall decals — and that's exactly what most decal brands are counting on.

The good news: once you know what to look for, choosing safe nursery decals is actually simple. And the difference it makes to your peace of mind is worth it.

The problem with most nursery decals

Walk into any homewares store, or scroll through any marketplace, and you'll find hundreds of cute, inexpensive wall stickers. Animals, stars, botanicals, rainbows. They look harmless.

But most of them are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a plastic that requires a cocktail of industrial chemicals to produce and process. To make PVC flexible enough to function as a sticker, manufacturers add plasticisers called phthalates, and phthalates can make up 30–40% of the weight of the finished decal.

Here's the part that matters for a nursery: phthalates aren't bonded into the plastic. They leach out. They off-gas. Especially in warm conditions, like a sunlit nursery in an Australian summer.

Babies spend more time close to walls than any adult does. They sleep against them, crawl past them, press their hands on them. Their developing respiratory systems are more vulnerable to airborne chemicals, and their bodies are less equipped to process and eliminate what they absorb.

None of this is intended to alarm you. It's just worth knowing, because most brands aren't going to tell you.

What to actually look for

You don't need a chemistry degree to shop safely. These are the things that matter:

• PVC-free materials. This is the big one. Look for it stated explicitly, not buried in fine print. If a product listing doesn't mention it, assume it's PVC.
• Water-based or solvent-free inks. Solvent-based inks off-gas VOCs (volatile organic compounds) for weeks. Water-based inks are the cleaner alternative. A simple smell test works too, quality decals should have almost no odour out of the packaging.
• No phthalates. Some brands have moved to low-plasticiser or phthalate-free films. This should be stated clearly.
• Honest removal claims. "Removable" and "damage-free" are not the same thing. Look for brands that are specific about what surfaces their products work on, and that stand behind the claim with real customer reviews.

If a product doesn't tell you what it's made from, that's an answer in itself.

The rental question

If you're in a rented home, you've got two concerns: the chemicals, and the walls.

Genuine removable decals, applied to properly cured paint, on a smooth wall surface, should come away cleanly when the time comes. No residue, no paint lift, no panicked repainting before the bond inspection.

The key word is genuine. Cheap PVC stickers often leave adhesive residue or pull at paint when removed, precisely because the materials aren't designed for clean release. Better materials means a better result on both counts.

If you're not sure how your walls will respond, test a small piece in an inconspicuous corner first and leave it for 48 hours. Any quality brand will tell you to do exactly this.

One more thing worth knowing

There's actually a developmental case for thinking carefully about what goes on your nursery walls, beyond safety.

In the first weeks of life, babies can only perceive high contrast. Colour and pattern recognition emerge around three to four months, which is also when synapse formation in the visual cortex peaks. The right visual environment, not overstimulating, not completely blank, genuinely supports early development.

Soft palettes, gentle contrast, and considered patterns aren't just aesthetically pleasing. For a newborn spending hours a day in that room, they matter.

What we do differently at Tiny Walls

Our nursery decals are printed in-house in Melbourne on non-toxic, eco-friendly polyester fabric , no PVC, no phthalates, none of the chemical concerns that come with cheap vinyl stickers.
We print using Epson UltraChrome GS eco-solvent inks, a professional-grade, low-VOC system designed for safe indoor use. Not the hard solvents used in commercial signage. Not the unknown ink chemistry of unverified overseas suppliers.
The fabric itself is removable and reusable. It goes up cleanly, comes down cleanly, and can be repositioned without leaving residue or lifting paint, which means no bond stress if you're renting, and no commitment if you change your mind.
Everything is made here. You know exactly what's going on your baby's walls.
If you're putting together a nursery and want something you can feel genuinely good about, we'd love to show you what we have.

Browse the Tiny Walls nursery collection → 

Tiny Walls is an Australian brand specialising in removable wallpaper and wall decals, printed in-house in Melbourne.