How Do You Use a Crib Bumper on Vintage Cribs?

How about the furniture tacks that you hammer in to the solid wood on the back (away from the baby)? Than you can tie the strings to the tack to avoid the strings to cause harm and also keep the bumper pad in place. Later on the tack can also be hammered in further and look like it was meant to be there or removed and a small hole will show (unless you patch it).

Velcro is also a good idea (but will most likely cause some more damage to the vintage crib) and if so you might want to consider the Industrial kind (no little kid will get it off, it causes me problems), but it might take the finish off if/when you want to remove it.

Well where it is a solid panel i would thing velcro would be your beast bet on keeping in place till he is strong enough to pull it a part. the crib bumpers where made so that a child wouldn't get stuck between the bars of the crib. so for a solid panel crib i would think you would need a crib bumper if you are that worried about it. but good luck.
S.

It is actually recommended to not use bumper pads for suffocation reasons. I know your little guy could most likely just move his head or roll over, but that is what is recommended. Plus it also provides leverage for them to get out of the crib (step on it to help him get out). They feel it is safer for them to bonk their head than to have them in there (although they are so cute). I was disappointed by this because I found it out after I spent hours sewing bumper pads for my little boy when I was pregnant. So he doesn't have any bumper pads and he's 6 months old.

As much as I love the look of bumper pads, I have usually ended up removing them for a number of varying reasons. I would think that might be your best move if you don't want to damage the crib. A tack would leave a hole that would devalue the crib even if patched, and I doubt the finish would stand up to anything sticky, also devaluing the crib. I know it's a family heirloom and you're not wanting to sell it, but someday, someone in the family may have to, and you want it to be just as beautiful and special until that day comes.

I think Velcro is a good idea, and use Goo Gone to get it off when you're ready. Tacks would cause permanent damage.
But really, I took the bumpers off my boys' cribs when they were about 6-7 months old because they didn't exactly bonk their heads much in their crib. I love the look of bumpers, but they've been pretty useless for us!