Follow the links below to go to:
|
Children's Rooms Themes - Page 2: ...the story continues Children's Rooms Themes - Page 3: Children's Rooms Themes - Page 4: The Everyday Decorator Home Page: |
"Knights in Shining Armor"
Every child dreams of castles and knights and kings and queens, whether it involves being the beautiful princess or being the magical knight who slays the evil dragon. Though the picture above was decorated for a little girl, if you took away the frills it could easily be a boy's room. This handpainted castle scene is enriched even further with 3-D effects. The banners, which are waving high above the castle, are actually made from felt, dipped in Fabric Stiffy by Aileen's, and tacked to the wall. The small topiaries by the castle door feature tiny silk bows made from three colors of satin ribbon. The trees come to life by adding scrunched up pieces of tissue paper and moss. Imagine the creativity and dreams this room would inspire in every little girl and boy.
1) Instead of a traditional canopy, drape yards and yards of different colored tulle, or netting, from post to post and accent with large bows made from the same.
2) Cut out faux "stones" from foam core and paint with a mixture of textured paints and glazes to achieve an aged stone effect. Mount above the doors and windows with two sided tape.
3) Frame an ordinary bathroom mirror with the same faux stones.
4) Stencil a family crest on the wall with your child's name in the center.
5) Purchase two inexpensive play swords and a shield and mount over the bed in a criss-crossed fashion.
6) Visit a costume shop. Often these types of shops offer inexpensive decorative costume accessories.
Disclaimer: Please use utmost caution when decorating a small child's room. Your child's safety must always take precidence over the asthetics of a room. Some or all of the above ideas may be inappropraite for small age children.
"By the Sea, By the Sea..."
I started out by painting a pale sky blue above, and a deep ocean blue below. The horizon was created by shading the two colors together. Two colors of taupe were used to paint the shore, and again, these two colors were mixed to create a darker shoreline. Small "squigglies" of dark grey or black paint were added for seagulls. The plastic beach chair is a cute finishing touch.
1) The white netting can be used as a window treatment. Glue tiny shells all over to add detail.
2) Use a fishing pole or an oar for a curtain rod. Drape netting or or use tab curtains hung from the handle.
3) Fill a clear glass lamp base with sand (builder's sand) and nestle small sea shells. Stencil blue anchors and red stars on a plain white lampshade.
4) Around the top of the room, stencil a nautical quote, poem or song such as "By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea - You and I, You and I, Oh! How Happy We'll Be!"
5) Drill and insert pegs into a piece of driftwood to use as a coat and hat rack, or to hang towels.
6) Go to a boating supply store and purchase a round life preserver ring. Paint "S.S. Your Child's Name and hang above the bed and drape with netting. Or, hang in the bath draped with colorful towels.
7) Fill a bright colored container or tub 1/3 full with plaster of paris, insert the pole of a larger beach umbrella. Let dry. Fill the remainder of the pot w/ sand and insert small shells and sand shovels, etc. (Recommended for older children only.) Place the umbrella over a plastic beach chair. Let this be your child's special reading area.
8) Use large picnic baskets to hold larger toys, and brightly colored beach pales to hold smaller toys.
Disclaimer: Please use caution when hanging netting and other decorative objects on the wall near a crib or baby's bed. It is NOT advised to hang any type of object where your child may choke or become entangled.
Follow the links above to see more rooms!