Now that the American Association of Pediatrics has finally issued their official recommendation against using crib bumpers, there are going to be a lot of them that go needlessly straight into the waste bin. It's still nigh impossible to purchase a crib skirt without the bumper, as few companies sell all the pieces separately. So what to do with the old, hazardous vestige of babies past?

Traci came up with a brilliant solution. When her son Bru started teething on the crib rails, she took out the old unused bumper and got to work. The result? Her son has a nice cushioned place to chew, and the crib is also protected so that it stays nice and new for the next baby.

Traci's crib is the convertible type with only three sides of rails, so it was a bit trickier than a simple four sided solution. She wound up tucking the ends underneath either side and used extra ties with double knots for security.

Thanks Traci!

(Images: Deborah Jansa Photography)