Decorating Your Kids’ Rooms on a Budget

Make your kid’s house a fun and comforting place for them – all without breaking the bank. After all, your child’s bedroom is a place where your child can explore, imagine and enjoy. Here are some ideas you can try:

Animal wallpaper cutouts. Whimsical wallpaper can transform one wall into a playground. For instance, you can work with different wallpaper designs and make cutouts of animal shapes for a colorful paper zoo. You can actually go and search for animal cutout templates off the Internet.

Chalkboard wall. Children love wide-open space for drawing! Add some space for your child to indulge in some scribbling and doodling. Take some bright-colored chalkboard paint and apply it to a selected wall area that is just about their eye level and downwards. Supply your child with a box of dustless colored chalk and an eraser.

Framed artwork. Showcase your child’s artistic gifts by placing them on picture frames and hanging them on prominent areas in their room. Be sure to hang the picture frames at your kid’s eye level, since it is his room. When hanging the frames, make sure that these are secure and have acrylic glazing instead of clear glass for safety purposes. With these frames, you can easily change the artwork as they are produced. When choosing the picture frames, get frames that complement your child’s room. For instance, get pastel colored vintage picture frames for a girl’s room or bright-colored picture frames with simple lines for a boy’s room.

Framed corkboard. Alternatively, you can have an easily changeable display by removing the glazing and replacing the backing board of the picture frame with a sheet of corkboard. You can add to the visual impact by getting a round or oval picture frame, so that you have a contrast between the straight lines of the paper and the rounded shapes of the frame.

Framed toys or busts. Does your child have a beloved toy that he no longer plays with? Do you like to make plaster busts? You can display these on the wall by

Letters. Paint monogram letters or wrap them in patterned paper. These letters can spell your child’s name, or spell words such as “Love,” “Joy” or “Happy.” You can get some double-sided tape to secure these letters on the wall.

Pennant garlands. Give your child’s room a festive air with some pennants fashioned into banners. Take some colored or printed cardstock and cut triangle shapes. The two sides of the triangle should be longer than the third side. Attach the shorter side on some colored twine to create a continuous banner. Hang these banners around your child’s room. You can also gather all the ends and pin them at the center of the ceiling, with the other ends going to the sides, creating a canopy effect with the banners.

Printed fabric as decor. This is an affordable way to have colorful “artwork.” Printed fabric can provide interesting pattern and textures for the room. One option is for you to frame the fabric or wrap the fabric around a wooden frame. You can also use it to serve as a swag valance on the windows. You simply need to get a long enough fabric and then drape the fabric on the upper corners of the windows, with the fabric draped to the sides.

Wall decals. Give your child’s room an instant colorful upgrade with decals. Decals are a great way to dress up a wall, and you can let your child have the decal of his choosing. Decals can accommodate corners and angled walls since they are made of flexible materials. These are temporary, so if your child outgrows the design, you can simply peel them off and decorate anew. Remember, though, that decals will not stick to textured walls – you will need a smooth surface.