When the first days of spring arrive, I always get the urge to clean up, freshen up, minimalize, and makeover. One area in our home that could sure use some spring updating is our children’s rooms. Still overcrowded and cluttered from the influx of stuff over holiday season, I’m ready to throw open the windows and throw out the winter blahs. So, while I’m making plans for my own redecorating, here are some simple ideas to brighten up your child’s space and bring in something fresh without having to break open the piggy bank:
1. The Great Outdoors… In.
My good friend Cheyenne at Baby Coco is the queen of shabby chic decor. I just about fell over the day I walked into the store and saw that she had used a tree branch as a curtain rod. How brilliant! I wish I had a pic of that to share with you, but this one of her tree branch mobile will give you the idea. I also loved these little birdhouses I spotted in a client’s nursery last year. You could have them just sitting on a shelf like this, hang them from the ceiling, or if you get one large enough, attach it to the wall to use as a small “coat peg.” I picked up a couple of unfinished birdhouses at Hobby Lobby today ($3.99 + $10 in paint) as a little springtime paint project for my boys.
Another thought is to make a mobile. Leaves, birds, butterflies…whatever inspires you. Little rubber bugs would be super cute, too!
2. “I’m no Monet, but…”
It might be a “duh” moment, but you can do a lot with paint, and it doesn’t cost *that* much. These two images are actual painted walls in my home right now. The grid was done by using several shades of paint in the same color family (just pick up one of those paint shade cards and get a small can of paint of each color on the card). It takes some time to do this because you have to let the first color dry completely before you tape it off to do the next color, but it creates a really neat effect. For the circles, I used two different sized dinner plates as stencils (traced the designs in pencil) and then painted over the lines.
3. Recovery Effort
Where, oh, where has applique been all my life?! So many uses to create a fresh, fun look in your child’s room! Loved this idea to make letter applique pillows. I recently saw a DIY (can’t for the life of me remember where) on updating a chair by cutting out a design in fabric and then applying that design via applique to the chair. I think this would be great to use on one of those kid’s storage ottomans.
And of course, there’s paper and wallpaper. Check out that adorable paper coat rack and I’m totally using that wallpaper file cabinet idea to jazz up my children’s dresser drawers.
4. Frame old, frame old.
Again, inspired by a client nursery, here’s a demonstration of using an old frame to frame something besides pictures. What a great way to display your baby’s coming home outfit, first shoes, favorite toy, etc. Or what about a cute sundress or baseball cap hanging from a personalized hanger? These DIY hangers would work, too.
You don’t have to buy expensive prints to decorate your child’s room either. You probably already have beautiful artwork just sitting on your bookshelves (or, if you don’t want to ruin your copy, head to a used book store). The classic images from the pages of Dr. Suess’s children’s books are whimsical and eye-catching. I think it would be fun to frame a series of pages from Pat the Bunny for some “touch and feel” artwork. I’m planning to frame some pages from Where the Wild Things Are for my eldest and maybe The Giving Tree, too. Hmmmm…I might just make a collage of all of our favorite classics now that I think about it.
5. Monochromatic
Finally, inspired by this incredible room put together by Wendi Schoffstall, I am reminded that less is more when it comes to creating a color pallet for a child’s bedroom. For a space that’s inviting, calming, comfortable, and looks VERY clean (big point there), pick just one color and use it in a few shades throughout the room. The white on white here is simply breathtaking, but this would work with many soft colors (lavender, sky blue, butter yellow, mint green). Group items on shelves or display items that are the same color and tuck away items that aren’t (or if possible, spray paint them to match–I’m thinking frames, crates, tins, wooden blocks, things like that).
What of the above ideas would you like to try out soon? I’d love to hear how you freshen up the kids’ rooms on a budget!
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