As always, the easiest and most dramatic way to change a room is through the magic of paint. With a theme room, you should choose colors that your child associates with their favorite theme. For example, if you were creating a Tinkerbell room, you would choose shades of green or purple. A room based on Lightening McQueen could be red and black. Use your imagination, and don’t stop at simply painting the walls. You can add a racing stripe complete with center line as a border along the walls, or paint the floor dark grey and draw a race track around the room. The possibilities are endless! If you don’t wish to paint the floor, consider adding a kids area rug. You can often find large area rugs that replicate a roadway, and are great fun for kids to push their car around on.

With furniture, it’s simple to turn a regular piece into a themed work of art. Paint a set of bunk beds fire engine red. Add an old rubber hose painted black as an accent along the top of the bunk for your ‘fire hose’. If you are good with tools, consider cutting out a fire truck from plywood and painting it. Put your artwork up along the top of the bunk as a bed rail. Your child’s bed will be transformed from plain to fantastic with little more than a bucket of paint, some wood, and your own effort.

Wall murals are popular in theme rooms, but they can be time consuming to do on your own and expensive if you hire someone to come in and create one for you. For a real wall mural display at less than half the price, purchase large self-adhesive stickers that you can put together as a mural. There are many different theme stickers you can buy, including word art and character replications. It will really add that themed touch to your room.

Less expensive additions you can add to your child’s room include themed sheets, curtains, pillows, posters, and borders. You can buy light switch covers, wall outlets covers, laundry hampers, and even clocks in a variety of characters and themes. The accessories really take your room to that extra level, and your child will be thrilled with all of the new and special additions.

Yes, Extreme Home Makeover can set the bar fairly high when it comes to beautiful kid’s rooms, but you can give your child the gift of a beautiful sanctuary by simply doing it yourself and being creative with how you spend your budget. The payback will be the thrill you see on your child’s face for years to come.

1. Look under furniture for extra storage space; a good under-bed organizer can help keep toys, shoes and other kids’ stuff hidden from view and better-organized. You might also consider a trundle or kid-sized bed with built-in drawers. Efficient storage is the most important key to keeping a small bedroom neat.
2. Go vertical; when floor space is limited, one of the easiest ways to maximize space utilization is to use every inch of vertical space. When shopping for kids’ bedroom furniture, look for bookcases, armoires, hutches and other furniture pieces that are tall and use the least square footage. A bunk bed really takes advantage of vertical space, giving you a place to display stuffed animals, etc. even if the bedroom isn’t shared; this also helps out when your kids have sleepovers.
3. Create an illusion of more space by painting stripes on the walls; vertical stripes give the room a sense of greater height while horizontal stripes will make the room seem wider. Mount full length curtains close to ceiling height to further augment the sense of greater height.
4. Look for “combo” furniture pieces such as an armoire with drawers and space for hanging clothes to free up closet space. If you install the right closet organizers and shelving, you might want to consider removing the closet doors to help open up your child’s smaller bedroom. This option gives you greater flexibility in terms of furniture layout.
5. A corner bookcase or display shelf unit can be a great way to utilize diagonal nooks and crannies in your smaller-sized kids’ bedroom.
6. Don’t place tall furniture near windows; this only blocks the natural light. Do place a low bookcase or, better yet, a chair or bench near the window; this adds both seating and storage below the windowsill.
7. While it may seem counter-intuitive, an oversized kids’ chair will help make the bedroom seem larger, taking advantage of scale and tricking the eye into perceiving the room as larger.
8. When it comes to wall art, try to focus on one wall in your kids’ bedroom; this will create a visual focal point without clutter and visual distraction. Try to reduce the number and amount of collections of kids’ decorative accessories; you can switch collections now seasonally or as your child’s interests change over time. This reduces visual clutter if you can get your child to agree to not displaying every collection at once!
9. A well-lit bedroom will seem more open and spacious than a dark room; augment the ceiling light fixture with a bedside table lamp, desk lamp, etc. to provide plenty of ambient and task lighting in your child’s bedroom. Use a layered window treatment, using a blind or shade to provide adequate privacy when needed and sheer curtains for a decorative touch that still lets in plenty of natural light when the shade or blind is raised.
10. Keep it simple; more than anything a small kids’ bedroom will suffer greatly if you try to overdo a theme, use too many colors and cram in just plain too much stuff. The trick to decorating any small space is to keep things simple and not over-decorate!

Teens love to decorate their bedrooms; from retro to ultra modern, punk rock to hip hop, black walls, pink walls, violet or chartreuse, creativity and self-expression are the main concerns when decorating your teen bedroom.

Parents will worry that their home is being defaced by graffiti art and blackened walls, but remember you can easily repaint once your teen goes away to college or otherwise moves out on their own so let them have it their way in their own bedroom; compromise is the name of the game for both teens and parents when the topic of teen bedroom decorating comes up!

We’ve put together this list of 25 cool teen bedroom themes for parents to consider ideas and examples when decorating a teen bedroom:

1. Color-Coordinated Teen Bedroom – Teens’ tastes change quickly so the best teen bedroom theme may be no theme at all; just pick a color scheme and let them change up posters, accessories, etc. the way you’d change, say your socks! This can be an effective strategy that lets teens change their room as they grow and mature. Most designers will tell you to choose a proven color scheme and avoid going too heavy on the whole ‘theme’ bedroom anyway; it usually turns out to be good advice.
2. Black and White Teen Bedroom – Anti-color is trendy too; paint one wall in the room black and leave the others white. A black wall will really highlight posters and other art you put up without making the entire room seem like a darkened cave. For a really hip black and white room you could also skip color completely and choose black and white photos and art to hang on your walls. Create visual impact by adding one accent color, such as red to give emphasis and create a single focal point; it could be the headboard, something on the wall, the bedspread … whatever you want to really stand out.
3. Pretty in Pink Girl Teen Bedroom – Pink is a favorite color with girls. You can mix pale pink with white for a soft look or contrast bright pink on black, green or blue for a harder edge that appeals to teen sensibilities. Besides pink, other popular teen girls’ bedroom colors include purple, turquoise, orange and white.
4. Navy and Khaki Boy Teen Bedroom – While you can just leave a guy’s bedroom walls neutral white or off-white, you might like to add a little color. Navy and Khaki is a quintessential masculine color combination with great contrast. Other colors that work well in teen boys’ bedrooms include navy, sky blue, gray, khaki and red.
5. Teen Girl Bedroom Patterns – After choosing your colors, the best way to establish your bedroom theme is to pick a pattern that repeats; this will give your room a cohesive look that you can change and update over time by changing other elements such as artwork, bedding, wallpaper or wallpaper borders and window coverings. Popular patterns for teen girls’ bedrooms include polka dots, bubble dots, floral patterns, hearts and diamonds.
6. Teen Guy Bedroom Patterns – Once you have chosen your color scheme, pick a pattern when selecting bedding, area rugs, etc. to pull your guy teen bedroom a good base to build upon. Patterns that work well in a teen boy’s room include stripes, camouflage, sports logos or balls and plaid or checkered patterns.
7. Glam Girls Teen Bedroom – Hollywood and Broadway offer inspiration and plenty of ‘bling, bling’ to create a teen girls’ bedroom décor. Cut out pics of your favorite stars from glam magazines and create a picture wall; that way you can easily change the photos as your tastes and favorite stars evolve. Add touches such as a glitzy chandelier, wall mirror with gilded gold frame and pick fabrics like silk, satin or velvet.
8. Pop Music Artists Teen Room – Especially for ‘tween’ and younger teen girls, pop music stars are where its at; posters of the Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana and all the rest make inexpensive, easy-to-switch wall decorations. Pick a color scheme for your bedding, walls and window treatment and go from there; you know what stars you like but avoid painting wall murals that incorporate images or logos associated with your favorite bands; you may not like them in a few months or a year from now!
9. All Sports Teen Guy’s Bedroom – Let’s face it, guys are more likely to follow college and pro sports stars than movie or pop music stars. And your favorite big league team colors are a great way to establish a color scheme to follow when choosing bedspread, window covering fabrics, etc. From posters to pennants, jerseys, signed balls and all the other sports memorabilia available you have unlimited choices when decorating a sports-themed bedroom.
10. Extreme Sports Teen Bedroom – If X Games is more your style than football or baseball, pick a more radical color combination such as black and green. Hang your favorite skateboard or snowboard on the wall or do something more creative like using an old skateboard as a wall display shelf. Hang posters or put up a bulletin board where you can easily pin up photos, decals, etc. of your favorite skaters, motocross riders, big wave surfers … whatever extreme sports you’re into! The extreme sports movement appeals to guys more than girls but this is definitely a cross-gender bedroom theme possibility.
11. TV Star Teen Bedroom – Favorite TV actors and actresses are always a popular choice for posters and other bedroom artwork in most teens’ bedrooms. This comes so naturally that we are reluctant to even call this one a ‘theme’. Again, just consider whether you really want to paint your bedroom walls with faces of your favorite stars; you may regret the choice down the road!
12. Political and Social Movements Themes – Today’s teens tend to be more culturally conscious and environmentally aware. If you follow eco-trends, world politics and other important world issues, make your statement with imagery from magazines, posters from events you’ve participated in and an earthy color scheme. Use your bedroom to give your perspective on things that matter to you.
13. Video Game Teen Guys Room – Most teen guys avoid decorating their room with imagery of pop film or music stars, but art, posters and memorabilia from their favorite video games such as Halo, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy, EA Sports games etc. For a really cool video game bedroom, put a flat screen TV on the wall and set up a small entertainment center to house all your favorite game consoles and display your favorite games; your room will be the place everyone wants to hang out … if your parents will go for the idea!
14. Retro Teen Bedroom – Retro is in; 1960s and 70s culture, music, clothes and hair styles are all the rage. Super bright colors, tye dye fabric, shag carpeting and wood veneer, plastic or vinyl furniture and accessories will give your teen room a fun retro look.
15. Country Western Teen Bedroom – For teens who are more into horses, western jeans, cowboy boots, rodeo stars and country music, the bedroom décor calls for something a bit more rustic. Start with a rough plank wood floor (or wood laminate to keep the cost down), consider adding a bunk bed or a rustic wood headboard and go for some leather, suede or rawhide.
16. Music Legends Teen Bedroom – Whether you’re into music legends from the 60s and 70s, Grunge, Heavy Metal, whatever, you can create a teen bedroom theme by finding autographed concert posters or banners, framed news articles, and memorabilia of your favorite artists or bands. A real guitar or other musical instrument can make a great focal point.
17. Family and Friends Teen Bedroom – More likely a girls’ theme than guys; you can surround yourself with photo displays of you and your favorite friends and family members; places you visited together, events such as homecoming, proms, weddings, etc. that you attended together and special souvenirs from those events. Perhaps not a bedroom ‘theme’ so much as just something a lot of teen girls do in order to show their love and affection of friends and family.
18. Mixed Martial Arts Teen Boys Bedroom – The trend away from wrestling towards mixed martial arts has created a whole new medium for guys to decorate their bedroom. Pin up posters of your favorite fighters, matches and venues, display your own trophies and awards. You can also display your sparring gloves and other martial arts stuff or set up a body opponent bag so you can work out in your own bedroom.
19. Outdoors Teen Bedroom Theme – For the outdoorsy teen, you have a lot of sub-themes and imagery from which to choose; put up wallpaper borders or wall paneling on one wall to reflect your favorite outdoor scenes, whether its mountain climbing, undersea exploration, a woodland scenes, seashore scenes, etc. Go with earthy colors such as taupe and green for accent items like your bedspread, throw pillows and window treatment.
20. Vehicle Teen Bedroom Themes – Guys love cars, motorcycles and racing imagery. If you are into motorcycles or hot rods, you can go with posters and other artwork of your favorite hot rod builders (think West Coast Choppers, Jessie James and Orange County Choppers). Whether you follow NASCAR or Formula One, racing fans can always display signed photos and other memorabilia featuring their favorite driver or team numbers and colors. And of course, if you race motocross, go carts or whatever yourself you’ll want a trophy display!
21. Fashionista Teen Girl’s Bedroom – If clothing and fashion design are your thing, you can create a funky look with zebra stripes or something like a cheetah or tiger print fabric bedspread and throw pillows, decorate your vanity with a designer mirror and makeup lights, and put up posters, magazine clippings or photographs autographed by your favorite fashion models and clothing designers.
22. Beach or Surfer Teen Bedroom – The surfer theme may be a bit passé and too common these days, but for teens who love the beach lifestyle its still a valid direction to take. The key here is to come up with something unique and a little ‘out there’. Don’t just put up surf posters and beach pictures; try a more specific theme like tropical beach décor, with bamboo mats and palm trees, or turn an old surfboard into an interesting headboard or wall decoration.
23. Big City Teen Bedroom – If you dream of living in a loft apartment in a metropolitan city like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, etc. you’ll have a very unique teen bedroom by decorating with souvenirs and art posters of your favorite city or paint a mural of your favorite city skyline. Loft beds are available if you want to give your bedroom the look of a real city loft apartment.
24. World Traveler Teen Bedroom – Do you dream of traveling or living abroad? If so, this could give you the inspiration for a great bedroom theme; globes, maps, travel posters, photos and souvenirs from your own trips … the list of possibilities is endless. And if you don’t want to go all out with the travel theme, just decorate one wall as your ‘traveling’ focal point.
25. Graffiti Art Teen Bedroom – For the more artistic type, you could paint one wall in your bedroom with graffiti art (if mom and dad will let you!) or you can always have your favorite art projects framed and hang those on the wall. Another way to display your art talent would be to paint a canvas and hang it over your bed; this will create a colorful focal point without having to argue with your parents about painting the walls!

Gotta Dance!

Dancing is one of the most popular sports for girls, and in the dance world ballet is the queen. But weather your girl likes ballet, tap, hip hop or Broadway, there are many ways you can create a room that reflects her passion.

Put your pictures to work! If your girl performs in dance recitals, you undoubtedly have a large number of formal portraits and performance pictures. Put those images to work by making a Wall of Fame. Select an area of a wall and outline it with stencils or appliqué stars. Use the center to post your pictures.

If you use framed pictures for your Wall of Fame, choose frames that match. For example, if you use all white frames in a variety of shapes and sizes you get a clean, crisp look on a light pink wall. Or, use plain black frames with white mats for a classic art gallery look. Having the same color or style of frame will tie them together and keep your display from looking messy.

Alternatively, you could create a collage of pictures directly on the wall or onto a large canvas that you hang. This would allow for more performance shots and give the mural a less formal appearance.
If your dancer loves Broadway, you could create a mural using the covers of Playbills, promotional photos of favorite dancers and dance numbers from shows.

Set the Stage

Over the bed, create a stage curtain. Making one is easy, and only requires a curtain rod, drapes and tiebacks. Over the bed, (or over the barre area, see below) install a standard curtain rod about 2’ wider than the bed. Hang drapes in rich velvety fabrics. Consider crushed velvet, velour, and even glittery velvets. Match the color to the décor of the room, but it will look best in deep, rich shades. Use tassels for tiebacks.

Hang a disco ball from the ceiling to create a cool dance floor atmosphere, and install several spotlights to highlight the ‘dance floor’ or her Wall of Fame.

Ballet Theme

So many girls love ballet that there are hundreds of decorative accents and furniture available with a ballerina theme. Start with the Pretty in Pink bedroom, and use the softer pinks and whites for a classical ballet feel.

Wallpaper boarder or appliqués of ballerinas are easy to find in ballet slippers, ribbons, bows, and roses. White shadow murals create a nice subtle effect when painted over a soft pink wall.

What little ballerina wouldn’t want a mirror and barre in her bedroom? You can easily create your own. Cover the wall with mirror tiles or hang a large wall mirror. For the barre, use railing brackets and a closet rod. The barre should be approximately waist high to your child. It’s that simple.

It’s best of course if you have hardwood floors in the bedroom, but if you don’t, consider installing a small stage under the barre. Or, install wood floor tiles directly over the carpet to provide a smooth surface to dance on. Take it the extra mile and install a spotlight on the ceiling so it can shine on your dancer.

Bedding

The bedding should be luxurious, and of course there are a lot of choices out there: ballet inspired sheet sets, comforters and pillows will all set the stage for sweet dreams. Throw pillows embellished with roses, lace and pearls will add an elegance fit for a ballerina. If you are making your own throw pillows, use those old tutus and other costume accessories to embellish them.

Create a special place for your dancer’s trophies; either a display cabinet or several staggered shelves will work nicely. If she’s more of a ballet fan than a dancer, use the shelves to display dolls and stuffed animals dressed in tutus.

A pretty white peg rack or even a coat rack could be the perfect place to hang all of her ballet slippers from the time she started dancing. On a peg rack, hang the slippers from smallest to largest with elegant pink or white ribbons.

For older girls, create a special place to display toe shoes. Many larger ballet companies will sell signed copies of toe shoes worn by their dancers.

Gymnastics

For a gymnastics theme, choose bold colors. You could go sassy with lime green, black and white, or use red, white, and blue for US Gymnastics theme. You could also use the colors displayed in the Olympic rings: black, blue, red, yellow and green, and there are many wall murals featuring the Olympic Rings that would enhance the design. If she competes, she might want to use the colors of her gymnastics team.

Instead of a throw rug, why not put a gym mat in the middle of the floor? She’s usually tumbling and flipping anyway, and if you have a mat in the room she can do it safely and comfortably.

Provide ample space for trophies. A single display shelf will probably not be enough, so plan on a special wall of shelves or a display cabinet to house all of her awards, medals and trophies. In between the shelves, you could also display framed pictures of your gymnast in action.

Ball Sports: Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, etc.

A sports-themed room is not just for boys any longer! Rooms decorated with volleyball, soccer, and basketball images are just as popular with girls.

There is no limit to the range of colors you could use in a sporty girls bedroom. Some sporty girls still want pinks and purples, and some will opt for an edgier look with orange and lime.

Many sheet sets and window treatments with sports themes will be in “masculine” colors such as navy blue, green, and maroon. But there are increasingly more options out there in colors that have girl appeal. If you can’t find the right sport in the right colors, use solids for bedding and sheets, and accessorize with pillows shaped like balls, #1 waving fingers, or pennants.

Window Treatments

You could make a custom window treatment easily, and get an exact match for the bedroom. One very simple approach that doesn’t require a lot of craft experience or equipment is to buy a simple roller shade. Lighter colors work better for a project like this. Then, you’ll need a rubber stamp in a shape of your choice such as footballs. Pick out craft paint, and use it to randomly stamp footballs all over the shade, or maybe in a straight line along the bottom of the shade. Now you’ve got a handmade shade that will really add to the decorating scheme without breaking the bank.

As with window treatments, you’ve got a lot of options when it comes to sports themed bedding. There are plenty of sports themed sheet sets out there. One suggestion is to pair those sheets with a plain comforter, duvet, or blanket. That way, if he suddenly switches his loyalties to a new favorite team or sport, it’s a little less expensive to switch out the bedding to reflect the new preference.

Make it Unique with Accessories

Hang a basketball hoop on the wall and use it as a place to hang clothes or her uniforms.
Hang one of those mesh corner nets that many little girls use to hold their dolls. The balls go up in the net, where they can be seen but stay out of the way.

Locker themed bins are available at many home decorating stores. You could also find an actual locker that they could use to keep their sports gear in. She could decorate it just like she does at school!

Just like in the dancer’s room, create a Wall of Fame for your child’s pictures and trophies. Find a digital template that allows you to put girl’s picture onto the cover of Sports Illustrated or other sport magazine.

Place several beanbag chairs around the room for lounging in; you can find ones that look like basketballs, baseballs and soccer balls.

Create a unique ball border … with actual balls! This gives a wonderful 3-D effect. Take six balls of whatever sport your girl prefers: soccer balls and basketballs work well. Use an electric saw to cut the balls in half, and then hot glue gun them to the wall.

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Designing a princess bedroom theme for your little princess is one of the easiest girls’ room themes to achieve; with Disney princess collectibles galore, Barbie princess dolls and other ‘princess’ decorating items on the market today you can’t really go wrong.

You can find princess furniture (princess bed, princess chair, princess vanity, etc.), princess bedding (Disney princess canopy, princess comforter, pillow, etc.) and plenty of princess dolls, costumes and art to decorate her bedroom like a princess palace!

Your biggest problem will be selecting just the right elements. You want your princess’ palace to be luxurious and lovely, not overdone.

Disney Princess Bedroom Ideas

The first thing to determine is what kind of princess room your child wants. Is she a straight up Disney Princess girl? If so, you have all the Disney princesses available to pick from when planning your daughter’s princess room; the Disney princess characters include:

• Princess Ariel, Film: The Little Mermaid
• Princess Aurora, Film: Sleeping Beauty
• Princess Belle, Film: Beauty and the Beast
• Princess Cinderella, Film: Cinderella
• Princess Jasmine, Film: Aladdin
• Princess Mulan, Film: Mulan
• Princess Pocahontas, Film: Pocahontas
• Princess Snow White, Film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Decide Which Type of Princess Room Works Best

While the Disney princesses may be the most popular, there are also bedding and decorative options available in Hello Kitty princess and Barbie princess.

You may prefer to have a more generic theme, such as Crowns and Tiaras, Flowers, Castles or Fairyland. Princess-themed rooms are great because they can blend well with other themes such as flowers, dolls and other fairytale or animated movie themes.

Princess Bedroom Color Choices

Next, decide on the color scheme and wall color. This is not difficult; most princess rooms are best done in pink or purple, or a combination of the two. Royal blue or purple, gold, silver, pink and white are all good color choices for a princess theme. Gold or silver provides a nice, sparkly accent color.

Once you’ve surveyed what’s out there for bedding, wall decals or wallpaper borders, you can determine if the wall color will be pastel or deep tones of pink/purple, or some combination of the two.

If you are more ambitious, you can also paint faux stones on the walls to mimic castle walls. For the really artistic moms out there, doing a wall mural will really give her princess room designer impact and let you stretch your imagination.

When you are thinking of paint, don’t forget the ceiling! A dreamy ceiling painted with clouds would work nicely. Or you could go glittery, and paint it soft color with a glittery paint.

If painting a princess wall mural isn’t in the budget and you don’t have the skills to paint your own, you can also choose wall decals, stencils or wall borders to help accentuate the princess room theme.

Princess Bedroom Furniture Ideas

White furniture will work best in a pink/purple princess room.  Embellish with gold paint accents, gold or crown shaped drawer pulls.  Gold paint pens are an easy way to trim plain white furniture and make it truly royal.

If you are starting out fresh and shopping for furniture consider using French provincial style furniture. It’s beautiful and elegant enough to grow with your child.

In addition to the usual bedroom furniture, consider adding either a tea table and chairs, or a princess vanity table with a mirror and a tufted stool. A fancy princess throne / chair would add another regal touch.

Take a look at the Disney Princess Collection for some great princess furniture items.

Princess Bedroom Window Treatments

Window treatments must be soft. Sheers gathered with fancy gold tassels or yards of wispy lace or tulle add the right touch. You can even spray paint tulle with spray adhesive and sprinkle it with glitter or add sequins to it for even more sparkle.

Use a layered window covering with a shade or window blind under the decorative layer to ensure privacy and natural light control.

Bedding for a Girl’s Princess Theme Bedroom

On the bed and in chairs, use lots of throw pillows in luxurious velvety fabrics edged with gold tassels. You can use gold tassels that match to decorate lamp pulls, the canopy, and along the bottom of the bed dust ruffle.

Bedding, pillows and window treatments should be done in rich fabrics such as silks, damask, velvet will work best. Also, if you are not going for the Disney look; floral prints, embroideries and tapestries all add a regal feeling.

Make Your Own Princess Trellis

1. Paint one wall with a trellis pattern, with a soft pastel wall and darker trellis to contrast makes a statement.
2. Disney actually makes a color called Sleeping Beauty Pink, but paint the entire wall with a deep pink latex. (The deeper color will actually become the trellis pattern, not the background.)
3. Mark your trellis pattern: starting in the upper left corner, make a mark every 12” along the wall’s outside edges, then repeat this along the top, bottom and right sides.
4. Use a light pencil to connect the marks diagonally across the wall. Voila! You have a trellis pattern.
5. Use ¾” painter’s tape to tape over the marks. Rub it firmly into the wall so no paint leeks underneath the edges.
6. Now, repaint the entire wall with the lighter color. Before the paint is try remove the tape.
7. At each cross in the trellis, apply a small stencil or wall decal in a crown shape.

Bed Canopy the Focal Point of a Princess Room

No princess room would be complete without a canopy over the bed. And, as canopies go the crown canopy is King, or in this case Queen. You can purchase beautiful silk bowers that when hung above the headboard create a crown canopy over the bed. If you’d prefer to make one, here is one suggestion:

Swagged Princess Theme Bed Canopy

1. A swag canopy is simple and elegant. Drape silk fabric (or tulle or satin) over a single rod centered over the bed at the height of the canopy, then over rods (one per side) on either side of the bed to create a tent like effect.
2. Attach a curtain rod or decorative dowel 6” to 18” below the ceiling above the center of the bed.
3. Install either two tiebacks or two more dowels about 30” off the floor. The fabric will drape over these, making the sides of the tent.
4. Measure the fabric length you will need by draping string over the three rods. Measure from the floor on one side, up and over the tiebacks or side rods and over the top dowel and back down to the floor, ensuring you leave enough length for the fabric to drape gracefully and perhaps pool onto the floor.
5. Now, add ½ yard of extra fabric to your estimation to allow for hems.
6. If your fabric has a pattern, you may need to line it, or fold it in half so that pattern is on both sides.
7. Add fringe, tiebacks and or tassels for added elegance. Embellish with Disney princess comforter or get something like the Disney princess bed tent if making your own princess bed canopy is too much work and expense.

Additional Princess Room Decorating Tips

• Replace your girl’s boring overhead light with a chandelier fit for a princess
• Add a Disney princess sleeping bag or two for princess parties and sleepovers
• Hang an ornate mirror with a gilded frame, or guild one yourself to let your little princess put on her favorite princess costume and adore her princess self
• Every little princess needs her princess jewelry box to keep her tiara, rings, necklaces, ear rings and other princess jewels in order
• Combine ideas from our other girl’s bedroom decorating articles such as Pretty in Pink or Fairyland themes

» Go Back to Girls Bedroom Themes & Decorating Guide

In my opinion, a kid’s bedroom is the most enjoyable room to decorate and probably the easiest.  You can let your imagination run wild and explore outrageous colors that you wouldn’t dream of using elsewhere in the home. But it can get expensive unless you know how to decorate on the cheap.

If your child is young, then decorating their room also allows you to create a great room that you would have loved when you were a child. But remember a child’s room should be fun and exciting as it is often not only a bedroom but a playroom also.

However, despite how fun and easy it is to decorate a kid’s bedroom, there is still the matter of how much it costs. We’d all love to be able to buy everything we want but this is often too costly, so here are some top tips to help when decorating a kids’ bedroom and keep the costs down!

Tip One: Plan for Kids’ Bedroom Decorating Savings

When decorating, many of us don’t plan what we are going to do but instead, we dive straight into the deep end and start throwing color around. Although, this is probably the easiest way to decorate, it does not always work out as you wished it would and then you have to start over.

Before you start decorating you should conduct a plan of action! So here are three important things to consider in saving money on kids room decorating:

1. Consider the colors and themes you will use and remember to be imaginative and courageous as nothing is too much for a kid’s room.
2. Consider what furniture you will use and set an aim of what you want the end product to look like. This does not mean having to draw architectural drawings but merely imagine what you would like the end product to look like.
3. For help, browse online and around local stores and malls to find great ideas!

Tip Two: Affordable Kids’ Room Themes

You should always have a set theme for a room, even if you plan on using a mix of colors and décor it is still going to be based around a theme. The good thing about a kid’s room is that there is a wide range of themes you can use but they don’t take much imagination to conduct as many of them are pretty easy to come by and are simply a matter of the sex of a child.

For example if your child is a little girl then a princess theme using pinks and purples is a common choice. However, if you are struggling finding a theme here are a few ideas for both boys and girls:

Affordable Themes for a Boy’s Room

• Space Theme – Use blues, greens and silvers along with spaceships, stars, planets and moons, you can create a room that is out of this world.
• Car Theme – Use reds, blues, whites, greens or oranges along with everything relating to cars and racing/ race tracks to make a room that
• Football Theme – You can use a range of colors for this theme from blues to reds. You could also base it around there favorite football team or make it into a football ground, the ideas are endless for this theme but no matter what you choose to do it is sure to be a winning room.
• Dinosaur Theme – Take your child back to when dinosaurs walked the planet using neutral colors, greens and reds to create a roaring room.

Affordable Themes for a Girl’s Room

• Fairytale Theme – Use pinks, purples and yellows along with fluffy pillows and girly accessories to create a room fit for a princess.
• Flower Theme – Give your child a taste of the great outdoors with bright colors and retro flowers.
• Over the Rainbow Theme – Use all the colors of the rainbow along with clouds to make a room that leaves you with a pot of gold at the end.

Tip Three: Paint Your Child’s Bedroom

Now that you have conducted a plan and have a theme for the room, it’s time to start the decorating process. The best way to create a new look is to use paint.

Interior wall paint comes in a wide range of colors and is really affordable, not only this but other benefits include the fact it can easily be wiped down using a damp cloth, which is great for messy kids, and it can also act as a base for a room that can be built on using wall accessories (see tip number four).

Tip Four: Affordable Wall Art and Decoration

So now you have your basic theme color going on it is time to expand on it and give the room some character and extend on the theme. There are several different ways to do this and it is all a matter of sticking things on the walls.

One idea is to use posters or framed artwork that is based around the child’s favorite animation character or you could use flowers, dinosaurs, footballs etc. This is all dependent on the theme of the room. For more ideas on budget artwork take a look at our article on Affordable Artwork for Home Décor.

You could also us wall stickers or borders to add some character to the room. Alternatively, you could use stencils on the walls, these are easy to do and affordable as it just uses paint. In addition, if you are good at art yourself then why not try painting some artwork of your own.

You could also use frieze frame murals. Although these are slightly more expensive, they are a really fun idea in a child’s bedroom because they create an illusion of being in a different setting or surrounding. For example, an underwater world mural creates the illusion that you are under the sea. There are many different ones available such as, space murals, dinosaur mural, race car mural, jungle mural etc. they can be bought online for a range of prices depending on the size you require.

Tip Five: Inexpensive Kids’ Bedroom Furniture

The most expensive part of decorating a kid’s bedroom is buying the furniture because they tend to need a lot of storage for their toys. However, you can save money by using old furniture. For example, if you have an old wardrobe or drawers that you would usually throw away then put it in the children’s bedroom.

If it doesn’t match the color scheme then paint it using left over paint; more often than not, you have overestimated how big the room is and now have half a tub of paint you don’t need!

Most furniture can be painted so no matter what it is you can find a use for it. For instance, if the child’s old bed was white and you’re now decorating the room pink then don’t just buy a new bed, just paint the old one! You will save loads of money this way and cut down on wastage!

Final Tip: Have Fun!

Have FUN with the room, use techniques and colors that you wouldn’t usually use. Kids like bright colors and outrageous patterns and pictures and if you follow these tips then your child will love their new room and you’ll love how much you saved.

A bedroom designed to reflect your daughter’s love of surf and sea can be a tropical paradise that she won’t soon outgrow. If your daughter is into beach volleyball, surfing, waterskiing, swimming or other water sports, this will be a natural theme for her bedroom. What could be more fun that a beach bedroom? Read on for some great ideas on decorating your girl’s bedroom with a surfer, tropical beach or beach sports theme.

Picking a Surfer Girl’s Bedroom Colors and Patterns

Start the room by giving it a tropical background. Paint the walls sunny warm colors like Mango orange or pineapple yellow. Attach wall appliqués such as hibiscus flowers or surfboards for an instant punch of the islands.

Bedding can be a combination of solid and patterns in complementary tropical colors such as lime green, hibiscus pink or ocean blue. There are also countless patterns in surf and Hawaiian designs available on the market.

Raffia Embellishments

Raffia fringes are easy to apply and lend a Hawaiian hula look to wherever you use them: desks, dressers, and window valances. Party supply stores often have raffia table skirts that are ready to go. They also make a great replacement for a traditional fabric bed skirt.

Take a plain lamp and shade and decorate them. You can go floral, using silk or plastic flower leis around the top and bottom rim. Or continue with the raffia theme.

Create overlapping rows of raffia fringe and cover the entire lampshade. Find some toy surfboards and use a glue gun to stick them to the lamp base.

Beach Bedroom Accessories

We’ve compiled a few girls’ beach and surfer bedroom accessory ideas for you:

• You can string shell shaped party lights across the headboard or along a window valance.
• Colored lights will give you bedroom the feel of an outdoor beach bar.



• Add a tiki lamp to give your room a tropical feel or how about a surfboard lamp?
• Replace standard drawer pulls with ones in Bamboo or clever shapes such as fish, shells, surfboards and Hawaiian shirts.
• An actual surfboard mounted to the wall makes for a fun and unique headboard.
• Buy several framed vintage surfer posters or make your own beach scrap wall.

Painting a Blue Sky Bedroom Ceiling

A beach and surfer theme is all about the great outdoors, and one surefire way to bring the outdoors inside is to paint a sky on the ceiling, complete with fluffy white clouds. To do this project you will need:

• Sky blue satin latex paint
• White satin finish emulsion paint
• Glaze
• Paint tray
• Measuring jug or cup
• Sea sponges, two or three different sizes, hand sized and smaller
• A piece of cheesecloth–big enough to form into a hand sized ball
• A piece of board approximately 3′ x 2′ or heavy cardboard pieces for practice
• Pictures of clouds for reference

Instructions to Paint Your Ceiling Sky

1. Start by paint the ceiling sky blue; try painting swatches of several sample shades before you pick the one you want to use.
2. Before you attempt to add the clouds, practice on a piece of board or canvas. Once you are ready, you can begin painting clouds onto the ceiling; but don’t begin in the center! Clouds are irregular and should not be symmetrical.
3. Mix white paint and glaze at a 4 to 1 ratio (i.e. 4 cups glaze to 1 cup white paint). Pour into paint tray.
4. You will use the cheesecloth to soften the sponge marks, so wet it and wring it out completely.
5. Keep several pictures of clouds on hand for reference.
6. Wet the sponges and wring them out completely.
7. Dab sponge into white paint. Remove excess paint by scraping it on the edge of the paint tray.
8. Begin dabbing in a straight line: as you will see from your cloud pictures many have a straighter bottom.
9. Begin dabbing above these. Twist and turn the sponge as you dab to create a variety of textures and variations.
10. When you are happy with the shape, use the cheesecloth (ball it up) and dab over the clouds to soften them.
11. Build up the clouds by dabbing toward the center and fading out toward the edges, and soften again with the cheesecloth. The center should be denser, but this is best done in small steps. You can always add more paint, but it’s hard to remove any!
12. Vary the sizes. On a typical bedroom ceiling, 20 to 24 inches are good sizes.
13. Fill in between the larger clouds with small ones, and even some thin wispy clouds.
14. If you don’t have the time or desire to paint your own mural of clouds, there are many wallpaper decals and appliqués out there. You can find paint by number murals.
15. Once your walls are fabulous, add potted palms or even large fake palm trees to the corners of the room.

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Admittedly, pink is not really a theme, but rather a color. However the color pink evokes a room that is soft, feminine, playful and cozy.

It can be filled with dots, ruffles or lace, but however you decide to decorate your daughter’s pink room you can be certain it will be fabulous.

What Kind of Pink

Painting the walls is the first and most obvious step to creating a pink paradise for your girl. Pink and white makes for the most classic girly look, while pink and brown creates a luxurious, “just-opened-box-of-chocolates” feeling.

And pink and black? What could be more chic and sophisticated? For girls who want an edgier, more energetic style, try hot pink and lime green.

Or you can turn pink and green into a softer cottage style by using soft, pale pinks and sage green.

Sugar and Spice

You can embellish your girl’s room with polka dots, ruffles, lace or flowers—or all of the above! Just be careful that you don’t overdo it. Chose several items in the room to embellish and leave the rest simple. It will have more impact that way.

Create the Perfect Polka Dots

One nice effect is to cover the walls in a very pale pink flat latex paint, then paint polka dots on top of that in a slightly darker semi gloss pink to make the circles pop. The effect is more subtle than using a contrasting color, but the overall effect is powerful.

To create perfect circles, cut out templates from cardboard and trace around them with chalk onto the painted pink wall. The dots can be placed evenly or randomly and the sizes can vary or you can use all large dots. A paint can lid makes an ideal size to base your template on.

A pink wall also provides the perfect backdrop for wooden or appliqué letters that spell out the girl’s name or adjectives that describe her.

Cozy Glamor

Girly means cozy and glamorous, as well as feminine. Create a private reading nook by taking a corner section of the room and hanging a soft fantasy bower over the area. A white shag carpet and lots of cushy pillows completes the special spot.

Another way to get that elegant feel is with a sheer canopy over the bed. Don’t worry if your girl doesn’t have a canopy bed; you can create the same effect simply and inexpensively.

All you need are three standard curtain rods, and sheer drapes. Hang the rods on the ceiling over the bed where you want the drapes to fall. One above the head and one on each side are probably sufficient.

Be sure to attach the curtain clips onto the rod before installation, unless the clips are the kind you can attach after the pole is hung. You are ready to hang the curtains!

Dressing Table/Vanity

What girly room would be complete with out a fancy dressing table and chair? If yours is too plain, simply embellish. You can find a nice white chair cover for the chair.

Put a big pink bow on the back of it, or edge it in lace. Paint the dressing table white, and edge the mirror in lights; you can find low cost LED rope lights that don’t need to be plugged in.

Details, Details

When creating a special feminine mood for the room, remember to pay attention to the details. Here are a few tips for adding that special extra touch:

• Replace the standard overhead lighting with a small chandelier. Many inexpensive ones are now available and you can even find them in pinks and lavenders.
• Use decorative tiebacks on window treatments, in pinks, jewels, or glass.
• Replace plain drawer pulls with crystal ones.
• Hang a white display shelf for dolls or collectibles.

• Cover a plain nightstand with decorative fabric in a toile pattern, floral or stripes. This can be as simple as using a sheet that matches or contrasts with the bedding, trimmed with a ribbon at the hem.
• Find an old coat rack and paint it white. Drape it with a pink feather boa, a few fancy purses, hang dance shoes or ballet slippers on it.
• Replace the plain switchplate with something decorative. You can find these premade or can decorate your own to match the room.
• A stack of pretty floral hatboxes (stack them large to small) provides storage and adds to the décor of the room.
• Pink goes great with black, yellow, white and some shades of green and blue.

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If your girl is into rock music, there are many things you can do to reflect her tastes, whether they lean toward alternative, pop, or hip hop. The key to creating a fantastic rocker girl bedroom is drama! And the easiest way to create drama is through color and pattern.

Rocker Girl’s Bedroom Wall Painting and Decorating

For the perfect background to display your rocker girl’s edgy, modern style, paint the walls, and don’t be shy. Consider black, dark purple and red. Don’t be afraid to mix it up, combining wildly contrasting colors with animal prints, abstract prints and sparkles.

Wall stickers come in all types these days, and finding Hannah Montana, High School Musical, and Camp Rock wall stickers are easy ways to add a your daughter’s favorites. There are also many more generic music stickers available, such as musical notes and stars.

Wallpaper borders are simple to apply, and you can find many that have musical themes. Or use stencils or wall stickers to give your daughter’s bedroom walls a more custom look.

You can create an instant wall mural with old records. Find old (not valuable) records at a flea market or on an auction site and simply glue gun them to the wall. Cover the wall, or create a pattern. Use them to create a headboard, or cover a window valance. You can also create a matching “wind chime” out of old 45 records.

Girl’s Rock and Roll Bedroom Display Ideas

There are hundreds of uses for old records and even create something useful out of them, such as a peg rack for the wall. Peg racks are a great way to help organize clutter, and can be used for anything from hanging up backpacks, clothes, or accessories.

To create a coat rack out of old records, simply screw them “B” side down onto a 1×4-inch board. Use as many records as you want pegs, and attach a decorative peg, wooden dowel or hook to the center of each LP.

Display rock concert ticket stubs, programs, stickers, and CD covers of favorite artists on a cork board. Or, if you prefer something more permanent, create a special collage of these items.

Old CDs can be glued to cork backings and used as coasters. You could even create a chair rail effect by gluing them edge to edge in a straight line along the wall at chair rail height. Mount them recorded side out for a flashy, mirror-like effect.

Paint the wall below the chair rail a dramatic color, and get creative above the rail; paint musical notes or scales. Using a projector can make painting a mural much easier. Simply pick your images, and trace them onto a clear acetate projector sheet using a black felt pen. Then, project the image onto the wall, and trace the image using chalk. Fill in the chalk lines with paint!

If you really wanted to get creative and your girl’s room has enough space, you could build a little stage or make up vanity themed in her favorite musical genre; again a little paint and some stickers or any of the wall decorating ideas mentioned above can be used to enhance furnishings to match her bedroom music theme.

Putting On Some Musical Touches

Embellish a wall mirror with glittery stars around the edges. Party supply stores usually carry a variety of these, and they can be easily attached with a hot glue gun.

Replace the boring old ceiling lamp with an actual stage can light suspended from the ceiling. You can find affordable ones on auction sites.

Mount one or two real instruments on the wall. You can find used or discarded guitars, drums or other cheap musical instruments at garage sales or flea markets or look on eBay.

Window coverings should be colorful as well. And you can take standard window drapes and embellish them with rhinestones, stars or find window coverings with a musical theme.
The same is true with the bedding, but don’t go overboard. If you’ve put a lot of graphics on the wall, it’s best to treat the bed more simply with solid colors and bold prints, verses pictures of your child’s favorite ‘Tween’ star.

And of course, no Rocker Girl’s bedroom will be complete without an iPod music player she to which can dock her iPod or friends’ MP3 players and turn up the tunes! Add a keyboard and microphone so they can sing and play along to their favorite hits.

Hip Hop, Rock and Pop Music Bedroom Theme Tips

• Girls; be sure you check with mom before decorating your room or you’ll be sure to start World War III with her!
• Start by getting rid of old stuff and clearing out your bedroom to get a fresh start on your girl’s music theme bedroom.
• Pick a couple of complementary colors or contrasting shades of the same color to establish your color scheme; examples are colors such as black and red, green and yellow or purple and blue.
• Use bedding (bedspread, blanket, sheets and pillows) to reinforce your color scheme.
• A lava lamp or black light will give your bedroom a retro 70s rock and roll look.
• You know what to do when it comes to posters and wall art; remember your musical tastes will change so painting walls in a more ‘generic’ style is better than painting or putting up wall stickers of your favorite musician or band. Use posters so that you can switch them out as your favorites change over time!

» Go Back to Girls Bedroom Themes & Decorating Guide

Our Boys Room Themes & Decorating Ideas shows you dozens of themes and hundreds of useful tips on decorating a boys room in style, on a budget, when he’s ready to move on, etc. Below you can view all the potos from our Boys Room Decorating articles in one place in the Boys Room Decorating Photo Gallery. Click on any image to view a full-size picture.

» Go Back to Boys Room Themes & Decorating Ideas

Whether your son is into NASCAR or just likes playing with Matchbox cars, a car bedroom theme might be right up your alley.

There are some major advantages to using a theme like this: the allure of cars is universal; it’s easy to find plenty of accessories that would work in this type of room, and they’re not going to lose their popularity and appeal next year like a lot of cartoon characters might.

If you think that your child might like to have a car bedroom, read on for some design tips to get you started.

Car Bedroom Theme Basics

Take a little time to decide what kind of car room you’d like to decorate and what kind your child will respond best to. You can take a general car approach, with neutral colors and a variety of different types of cars.

You can decorate the room with racecars for the aforementioned NASCAR fan, or focus on a particular car and driver for a dedicated fan. Or you could also decorate the room in a garage theme, with cars, wrenches, and other tools all mixed in together. Take the time to find an approach that will really capture his interests, and you’ll end up with a unique room that he’ll love to be in.

Your colors may vary depending on the approach you choose. A general car approach can work with just about any color scheme. Blues, greens, reds, and so on will all work with this type of theme.

If your NASCAR fan has a favorite car, then you’ve got it easy color wise because you can pick the major colors in the car and the numerals. For a garage room, you’ve also got a lot of colors to choose from. Gunmetal grey or a grey-ish blue are two particularly good choices for walls that work well in a bedroom but still suggest a garage-ish kind of feel.

Try some metal furniture, particularly if you can find something with bright, almost chrome-like accents. There are also plenty of beds shaped like cars that would work terrific in this kind of room. Or give a plain bed a race car-like feel by placing two wheel-shaped pillows on either end and attaching a stick on number to the side.

Car Theme Bedroom Window Treatments

Car printed curtains are easy to find if you’re going the general car route. Actually, you should also be able to find NASCAR prints without much trouble. Unfortunately, if you’re going for a mechanic or garage look, you may have a slight problem finding window treatments that would work, but there are plenty of simple solutions that you can implement.

If you’re going for that type of design or if you’re just interested in a do it yourself approach, consider making curtains or a roller shade. Start with some plain fabric, a plain roller shade, or a plain curtain panel in a color that works well with your color scheme.

You’ll need some silver metallic ribbon to attach to the curtains. Attach the ribbon in two vertical stripes on either end so it looks like chains or racing stripes. This will look particularly good if you manage to get some bright metallic furniture. Or, if this idea doesn’t strike your fancy, start with a plain curtain and get some car iron on patches to attach in a line along the bottom.

Car Themed Bedding

Car bedding is very simple to find, so if you’re just looking for a car print, you should be able to locate one at any local bedding store. But if you’re looking for something a little more customized, consider mixing and matching some bedding. For race car lovers, find a black and white check patterned sheet set and top it off with a comforter or blanket in the color of his favorite car.

For the boy who loves to tinker on cars, get something with metallic accents or attach iron on letters to a comforter to read “John’s Garage” (obviously, you’d want to customize the name). Pile on car shaped pillows, wheel shaped pillows, et cetera, to really make the bed a car lovers paradise. If you can’t find any that you like, attach or paint his favorite race car number onto a throw pillow and give that center stage.

If you really want to go all out, get your son a race car bed; they have a great selection over at All Childrens Furniture.

Car Bedroom Theme Accessories

Well, your first and most obvious accessory is plenty of cars. Model cars, plastic cars, even Matchbox cars can be displayed on shelves. For smaller cars like the Matchbox brand, consider shallow shelves or shoe organizers with clear plastic pockets to keep the mess in line while still allowing them to be visible.

Racetracks can be placed around furniture or on top of tables to allow them to act as a part of the décor without being a trip hazard. By allowing toys to double as decorations, you’ll save a lot of money and make sure that the room is fun to play in at the same time.

Once you’ve added plenty of cars into the mix, consider what you can do to make this room special. For a race car room, take a large paint roller and some black paint; make a wavy path around the circumference of the room; add a yellow dashed line, and you have an instant street! For a mechanics room, hang NASCAR hats and display a rack of play tools and overalls for pretend games.

String some nuts and bolts on a sturdy length of rope and drape them over a doorframe or use them to tie back a window. Hang a checkered flag or a yellow caution flag (or both) on the walls. Hang a photo of a favorite car and paint bright yellow flames coming out the end.

Really, the sky’s the limit if only you let loose and have a little fun. You can be assured that he’ll do the same in his very own unique car bedroom.

If you’re looking for a bedroom theme for a younger boy who just isn’t into cartoon characters just yet, think about doing his room in a dinosaur theme.

Dinosaurs are pretty much universally loved among younger boys, and they offer a lot of opportunities for creativity to make the room special just for him.

Another added advantage of doing a room in a dinosaur theme is that it offers him a chance to learn more about these interesting creatures.

Read on for some ideas on how to make a dinosaur room that will make your little guy jump with excitement and give him a place to let his imagination run wild!

Dinosaur Themed Bedroom Basics

When it comes to designing a dinosaur bedroom, most people just add a bunch of dinosaurs to the room and call it quits.

While this is certainly an option, you can do a lot more with this theme that will really personalize the room and make the most out of his learning opportunities.

So take a few moments to consider exactly what kind of room you’d like to do. You could mimic an entire jungle habitat complete with dinosaurs. Alternately, you could do a desert habitat. Let your child help to research which dinosaurs would be in each climate and try to decorate accordingly. Or, if he’s crazy about one particular type of dinosaur, like the ever popular Tyrannosaurus Rex, concentrate on that creature in particular.

Carefully select your colors based on the type of theme that you’ve selected. Jungle rooms should be done in greens and browns. Desert rooms generally look best in tans and browns. You can stamp leaves on the wall for jungle rooms, or use rocks in desert rooms.

By taking the time to create an attractive backdrop, you’ll really showcase the rest of the room. You could even intensify the outdoorsy feeling by painting the ceiling sky blue if you’ve got the time and knowhow.

Or, if you’ve selected a single dinosaur species to focus on, make the most of the walls by stamping dinosaur footprints around the room.

Ideally, you’ll want furniture made from natural materials. Wood is probably your best choice. Go for something rugged that will work well with the rest of the room and has the added advantage of being nice and durable. With luck, you won’t have to replace it as he grows older.

Dinosaur Themed Bedroom Window Treatments

As with most other themes, your first and easiest option is to purchase curtains in your theme. Dinosaur printed curtains are easily available at many stores, and you can definitely get them online if you’re not successful in your neighborhood. You should be able to find curtains printed with a variety of dinosaur species; dinosaur prints were another option that we found very easily by searching online.

You can also customize your window treatments. Consider tying your windows in with the rest of the room, especially if you’ve selected a particular dinosaur habitat.

For a jungle room, try a bamboo stick blind or something accented with imitation palm fronds or other large leafed plants. Bamboo blinds and other natural materials like wood would go well in a desert dinosaur room. These choices also help to tie the colors in the room together more thoroughly and have an added advantage in that they can often be used in other bedroom designs.

Dinosaur Themed Bedding

With dinosaur bedding, you’ve got a lot of the same choices that you do with window treatments. You should be able to find sheet sets printed with dinosaurs or dinosaur prints pretty easily. If you’re looking for something a little more creative, or something that ties into your color scheme a little better, consider some of these options: Get plain sheets and a comforter or blanket in your colors of choice. For example, in the jungle room, you might try brown sheets with a green comforter. Then, get some dinosaur shaped iron ons.

Depending on the type and size of the iron ons, you could apply them randomly to the comforter, place one big one in the center, make a line of them walking across the top, and so on. You could also leave the comforter plain and attach them to a pillowcase. Dinosaur shaped pillows can also be purchased to match with an otherwise plain looking bed.

Dinosaur Bedroom Accessories

Obviously, you’re going to want lots of dinosaurs in the room, but what kind? Since these things add up fast, one simple way to really up the dino presence in the room is to put up some shelves and display plastic dinosaur toys. These can be removed from the shelves for play and then put back to serve as decorations when not in use. You can also do this with stuffed dinosaurs although that will obviously be a lot more expensive.

But what else can you do to make this dinosaur room a little more interesting than all the others? Adding a personal touch can really make a difference when it comes to any type of bedroom, and that includes dinosaur rooms. Yes, dinosaur posters are cool. But you could hang a small chalkboard in that same space (or paint a small wall with magnetic chalkboard paint) and use dinosaur magnets instead. Not only does this serve as a great decorative statement, but it’s also a way for him to have a little fun.

Consider buying a kit to make a plaster cast of a “real” dinosaur print. He’ll be really proud to have show off something that he made himself. Or make a mini caveman dress up set, with fake fur scarves and foam clubs so that your little guy can go hunting for dinosaurs with his friends. Make multiple costumes so everyone can play, and display them from pegs in a corner of the room. Just make sure that he watches out for that Tyrannosaurus Rex!

By taking a little time to make some of those decorations, you’ll not only save money but you’ll also create some great memories and a room he can be proud of.

If you need a bedroom theme for an older boy, a boy who’s not quite ready for an adult room but isn’t quite ready for a kid’s room either, then look no further. A skateboard themed room might just be the right choice for your son.

The skateboard theme is still fun and youthful, but it also works for tweens and teens who have outgrown most of the character themes. Keep reading for some advice on how to make your son’s room into a skateboarder’s heaven.

Skateboard Bedroom Basics

The skateboard bedroom is fairly straightforward in terms of a theme. If your son is particularly into the sport and wants to choose a professional skateboarder to feature, then you might want to start with that as an inspiration and let the theme develop from there.

But one of the best things about a skateboard bedroom theme is that it doesn’t all need to match. Skateboard style is a mishmash of colors and designs that all work together to create a cohesive whole. So your job is to make it all work together.

Generally, a skateboard room is usually very colorful and can become overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to tone down some of the elements. For example, if you plan to do a killer wall treatment, then it might be a good idea to tone down the bedding and window treatments or vice versa. This doesn’t mean that your bedding needs to be plain. For example, you could try black and white or black and grey bedding, with a skull and bones throw pillow to tie the bed into the theme. Or camouflage is always a good way to go when it comes to bedding and window treatments in skateboard rooms.

In a skateboard themed room, industrial looking furniture will look the best. So you can go smooth and sleek with metal and glass furniture accented with chains, or you can go rough and rugged with unfinished wood planks that bring to mind homemade ramps and skateboard parks.

Boy’s Skater Room Window Treatments

There are plenty of places online that sell skateboard themed window treatments and bedding; so if you’re in the mood for curtains you’ll certainly find some there. You can get prints with skaters on them, or try something a little more generic like the aforementioned skull and bones or camouflage prints that you should be able to find at a local store. Tie them back with industrial looking metal tiebacks to complete the look.

If you’re looking for something a little more original, you have plenty of options. Try making a roller shade out of some metallic looking fabric to reflect a little light back into a room that seems too dark or small. You can buy roller shade kits at most craft and fabric stores, and they’re very easy to make. You could also buy indoor shutters and spray paint them in a metallic sheen, and then you could even customize the border of the shades with stickers picked out by your child.

Skater Bedding Ideas

When it comes to bedding in a skateboard room, generally less is more. As we’ve already mentioned, the walls and accessories in a skateboard room can generally get a little overwhelming, and if you go crazy with the bedding too, you’ll get an instant headache the minute you walk in the door.

Best to treat the bedding and window treatments as anchors for the room; by sticking to a couple of colors and a single pattern, you’ll allow the accessories to really stand out. Consider simple patterns and darker colors to compensate for the rest of the room. And there’s certainly no reason that you can’t use a plain sheet and comforter set and accessorize with a skateboard themed throw pillow to tie it in with the rest of the room.

Skater Bedroom Accessories

The skateboard room is really all about the accessories and the walls. If you look at skateboards, most kids decorate them with random stickers in a variety of colors, and they stick them on every which way without much of a pattern. Similarly, if you think of a skateboard park, the basic lines are pretty simple, but the parks are often decorated with large, bright murals (and if the park isn’t already decorated, the chances are good that someone will come along with a can of spray paint and decorate it with graffiti).

These elements should be your inspiration, but we’re not suggesting that you let your children loose in the room with a can of spray paint unless you’re really confident in his abilities and don’t mind putting on a bunch of layers of primer to cover it up later. If you do have a budding artist, get a prepared canvas or a plain white sheet and let him spray paint his own designs on that and hang it in the room. This gives the same feel as a mural but is easily removed later when you move out or when he does.

And if none of you are particularly artistic, you can always buy wall murals, wallpaper, or stickups that give the right industrial type vibe. Look for wallpaper to mimic an unpainted brick wall, look for stickers that mimic street signs and stick them up randomly. Pretty much anything you’d find on a city street is fair game.

If you want something a little more unique, gather stickers from around your town, and especially from local skateboard shops, and use them to cover an old coffee can or picture frame. You can store CDs in the coffee can when it’s done.

Really, the key to a successful skateboard room is to have fun!

When it’s time to update the nursery into a little boy’s room, consider an animal theme. One sticking point that many parents run into is that your little guy is beyond the cribs and nursery themes, but his interests are still developing.

Thomas the Train may be hot with him this week, but next week he may move on to Barney, or the Wiggles, or someone else new and exciting. By sticking with a more generic theme, you may be able to eke a little more use out of it before redecorating with the next big thing. Read on for some ideas on how to turn his bedroom into a wild kingdom.

Animal Bedroom Basics

Picking a theme makes all of the difference between an animal bedroom that looks well designed and one that looks messy and jumbled.

Rather than picking animals at random, decide on a theme first and let the rest of the room evolve naturally from that. For example, you might focus on zoo animals, jungle animals, or desert animals, just to name a few of the options. Each type would have different animals in the design: the zoo themed room would have to have lions, bears, elephants, giraffes, and the like.

The jungle room would have monkeys, snakes, zebras and lions. The desert room would include wolves, jackrabbits, bobcats, and bear. Or, if there’s one particular animal that has meaning to your child, you could focus on that one animal and give him a bear room, for example.

Similarly, let the color scheme develop naturally from the type of animals that you’re selecting. A zoo themed room might have some brightly colored accents, like the booths and balloons that are normally found at the zoo. A jungle room is going to need some deep greens and browns to evoke that rainforest feel. And a desert room would work particularly well in tans, browns, and dark greens.

Generally, wood furniture is going to look the best in an animal themed room, since you’ve got a nature related theme. However, that doesn’t mean that metal or modern looking furniture has to go; it can be toned down with the right accents and bedding to make it work.

Animal Window Treatments

Depending on your animals or animal of choice, you may be able to purchase a set of curtains that would look great in your son’s animal bedroom. Zoo themes are particularly common, and they include a variety of animals in the prints that do a good job of tying the room together and making it feel cohesive.

However, if you select something a little less common, you may need to tackle the treatments yourself. One thing that you can do is try to find some fabric and make some simple pocket curtains. They are so easy to make that even beginners can sew them.

But what if you’re designing a hawk bedroom or something equally esoteric and can’t find any fabric that will work with the design? Of course, you can stick with generic mini blinds or solid colored curtains, but you have some other options too. First, consider the habitat that you’re working with.

For forest animals, look for curtains in a leafy print. For desert animals, try a mottled or nubby tan fabric that looks a little like sand. Or you can try evoking a cabin in the woods with rustic shutters; this approach would work well with forest animals like bears. Similarly, plantation shutters would work well in a jungle room.

Animal Bedroom Theme Bedding

Animal related bedding works pretty much the same as the window treatments do. If you’ve got common animals, you shouldn’t have much trouble with the bedding. But if you’re working with something a little less common, you’re going to need to be creative.

Consider your color scheme, and then consider the colors in the animal’s pelt, hide, or whathaveyou. In the example of the hawk room, the bed could be done in shades of brown, grey, and white to mimic the colors in a hawk feather. Use textured fabrics to add a little bit of interest to otherwise solid colors and don’t be afraid of using patterns. Just steer away from modern patterns like polka dots; stripes or plaids tend to work better.

Animal Bedroom Theme Accessories

In an animal room, the accessories really make the theme, particularly if you’ve chosen one of those rare animals that we’ve been talking about throughout this article. So your goal is to add animal related images and materials as much as possible. The most obvious ways to do this are through posters, pictures, and figurines, and you’re definitely going to want some of them.

To create a more finished look, make sure to frame posters in a poster frame or mount them on a piece of Styrofoam. Taping them directly to the wall not only leaves marks on your paint, but it also gives the room a college dormitory kind of feel, which is not what you’re going for.

But why stop there? Don’t forget about books on the animals in question, which can be lined up on a shelve or opened to display a particularly interesting picture. Depending on the animal in question, you may be able to create a learning experience out of the design with some biological models or specimens. For example, mount and hang a bear claw necklace in a bear room.

String and display feathers in a bird room. Post statistics on endangered species; hang a map and tack animal photos in their countries of origin to help children learn where zoo animals come from. Not only do these types of accessories make your child’s room completely unique, but they also help him learn a little more about the wonders of the animal kingdom, and that’s never a bad thing.

Sports themed bedrooms can be playful of course, but they also work well for older children who shun baby-ish designs. The key to having a room that will grow with him is to select furniture basics that will work well as you change around the accessories. Read more for some ideas on how to make a sports lover’s paradise.

Sports Bedroom Basics

Obviously, you’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to sports bedrooms. The simplest, and often the best choice for younger boys, is to decorate the room with a variety of sports themes. In these rooms, basketballs, baseballs, footballs, and more all mingle together.

As your boy gets older, however, he may start to show a strong preference for one sport over another. You’ll need to replace sheets and decorations on the wall, but otherwise it’s simple to move from a general sports theme to something more specific like a soccer themed room. And as he grows further, he may also become a fan of a special sports team, which offers additional decorating possibilities.

As you’d expect, your color scheme will change depending on your approach. If you have a specific sports team in mind, then you’re lucky, because you have their colors to work with. If the colors aren’t your favorite or would be a little too overwhelming when painted on the walls, consider doing the trim or limiting them to accessories, bedding, and windows. For a more general approach, you’ll want to stick with bright, cheery colors; the same colors that you’d find on player’s uniforms and things like that. Browns, whites, and blacks can help to ground the room.

Furniture of any type would look good in a sports themed bedroom. The key here is that especially with younger boys, the furniture is probably going to take a beating, so pick furniture pieces that are sturdy and will wear well.

Sports Window Treatments

Sports themed curtains are very easy to purchase, so you might just skip the creative stuff and buy something that works for you. You can find prints decorated with basketballs, soccer balls, footballs and the like for younger boys. Older boys might appreciate curtains printed with the insignia of their favorite team or league. Or if you’ve got a color scheme for a team but can’t find curtains in that print, layer curtains in the team colors, or sew a ribbon stripe of one team color onto a panel in the other color.

You can also take a slightly more creative approach to the windows in your son’s sports bedroom by making the window treatments. One very simple approach that doesn’t require a lot of craft experience or equipment is to buy a simple roller shade. Lighter colors work better for a project like this. Then, you’ll need a rubber stamp in a shape of your choice such as footballs. Pick out craft paint, and use it to randomly stamp footballs all over the shade, or maybe in a straight line along the bottom of the shade. Now you’ve got a handmade shade that will really add to the decorating scheme without breaking the bank. And another bonus is that roller shades really control the light and are fairly sturdy.

Sports Bedding

As with window treatments, you’ve got a lot of options when it comes to sports themed bedding. There are plenty of sports themed sheet sets out there. One suggestion is to pair those sheets with a plain comforter, duvet, or blanket. That way, if he suddenly switches his loyalties to a new favorite team or sport, it’s a little less expensive to switch out the bedding to reflect the new preference.

You can also dress up those sheets with some shaped throw pillows. You can find throws shaped like most sports balls, so why not throw a football shaped pillow onto the bed to spice it up? Not only will it look nice, but it’s also less likely to break something when your son throws it in the house.

Sports Accessories

It’s only natural that some of your key accessories are going to be sports balls, but how do you display them? You don’t want to trip over them constantly, but if they’re supposed to be a part of the decoration, you don’t want to hide them in a bin either.

One suggestion is to hang one of those mesh corner nets that many little girls use to hold their dolls (just don’t tell him that, obviously). The balls go up in the net, where they can be seen but stay out of the way. There are also some organizers that have mesh pockets or bins, those would work to keep the balls visible too.

For more accessory inspiration, look at the sport in question. String up a net for a tennis room (or if you’re feeling really motivated, put a tennis court up on the wall using painter’s tape and then paint the wall green). Hang a small hoop for a basketball room. Display jerseys or helmets, which can be especially fun for younger boys to dress up in.

Hang pennants, or for a more playful approach, get one of those foam number one fingers to display on the wall. Get a collection of bobbleheads or put up shelves to display a treasured collection of signed baseballs or sports cards.

By focusing on his interests, you’ll get a room that he’ll be proud to call his own.

All you’ll need to do is switch out the toys for something a little more grown up as he gets older. If this sounds intriguing to you, read on for some ideas on how to make your mission to decorate your son’s military bedroom a successful one.

Military Bedroom Basics

You have a few choices in your approach to a military bedroom. If your son is interested in the military in general rather than a specific branch of military service, then you’ll probably want a general military approach.

However, if you have a loved one in the service, or if Billy is absolutely determined to become a Marine (or Navy Seal, or Air Force Pilot, or whatever), then you might consider concentrating on that branch of service in regards to designing your decorative scheme.

The approach you choose will strongly affect your color scheme. A general military theme that doesn’t focus on any one branch could be done in shades of green to simulate camouflage, or in a patriotic red, white, and blue theme. A U.S. Army bedroom would look great in the official Army colors: black and gold. The Air Force’s official colors are blue and silver; the Marine Corps’ official colors are scarlet and gold; the Navy’s are blue and white, and the Coast Guard is blue and orange. While you’re by no means limited to the official colors, it’s certainly a place to start.

Furniture of any type would look good in a military bedroom so long as it has simple lines without a lot of ornamentation. Metal or wood would both work for beds, nightstands, and desks.

Military Window Treatments

Depending on how authentic you want the room to be, you can actually try to replicate the standard military curtains, which are usually tan or green canvas. While you might not be able to find canvas, you could certainly find the right colors in a cotton curtain. Rather than hanging them with curtain hooks, try to find curtains with grommets set into the fabric so that they can just be threaded onto the rod for a more authentic look. They’d look particularly good in a bedroom done in a camouflage theme. You can also find camouflage print curtains if you prefer.

If you’re going for a different color scheme, then you’ve obviously got some other options. You can try buying curtains in the correct colors. Consider dressing them up by sewing on a plain strip of ribbon to the edges. For example, in an Air Force bedroom, you could buy a set of blue curtains and sew on a stripe of silver ribbon. You could also try roller shades, which could be stamped with the additional color in whatever shape or design you want.

Military Bedding

When it comes to bedding, it’s a lot easier to find military themed patterns than it is with window coverings. There are tons of camouflage patterns out there. You can also find blankets and throws with seals for each of the branches on them, or insignia for their sports teams. In our example Air Force bedroom, you could layer plain blue sheets with an Air Force Academy Falcons throw. (The Falcons are the mascot for the Academy sports teams—a great choice for a military buff who’s also a sports fan.)

And at the least, you can always take a low key approach and layer on bedding in the appropriate colors. For example, you could layer red and white striped bedding with a blue comforter and star printed throw pillows for a patriotic red, white, and blue approach.

Military Accessories

The accessories that you select will vary widely depending on the age of your child. Younger boys will of course appreciate military style toys. Put up some open shelving units that can be used to display them; just make sure to hang them low enough that junior can reach it without climbing on the furniture. Army trucks, little plastic army guys, airplanes, etc. will all look terrific in the room and will offer hours of entertainment to boot.

Obviously, older boys aren’t going to respond too well to a room full of toys, so you’ll have to look for some more mature accessories. When it comes to a military bedroom, you’ve got plenty to choose from. Posters with military insignias are easy to come by, as are iron-on patches. You can mount the patches on posterboard and hang them in a frame or shadowbox, or you can attach them to the pillows or curtains to spice up otherwise boring fabric.

Some boys may appreciate more complex model airplanes or ships that can be displayed on shelves or hung from the ceiling. Displaying medals also goes along well with the military theme. And last but certainly not least, what military room would be complete without a flag hanging somewhere inside? Flags are really only appropriate for older boys who will treat them appropriately; if you plan to hang one, please check out the appropriate way to treat our nation’s flag.

You want something that fits their personality without being either too grown up or childish. Why not redecorate your son’s room in a beach theme?

This theme can either be laid back or playful depending on his personality, and it’s a very easy theme to work with. Read on for some ideas on how to create a surfer’s oasis for the boy in your life.

Beach Bedroom Basics

When it comes to a beach bedroom for a young man, you can really go one of two ways. You can stick with a traditional surfing theme, or you can go with a more playful Tiki Room or Hawaiian vibe. The surfing room would be laid back and soothing without being girlish and might be a good choice for a quieter type of guy. The Tiki Room or Hawaiian approach integrates brighter colors and a little bit of silliness to suit a more outgoing sort of person.

When it comes to choosing colors for the room, you first need to know which approach you’re going to take. The surfing theme generally uses beach-inspired colors. Think of the blues and greens of the water on a sunny day, the brown tones found in driftwood, the tans and whites of sand, and the grey hues of the rocks. The Tiki Hut approach uses a much brighter palette.

Think of the colors found in playful Hawaiian shirts and brightly painted surfboards. You can use any color of the rainbow in a Tiki Hut inspired room, although bright oranges and yellows are particularly good choices. However, when it comes to using bright colors on the walls, make sure to use some restraint. Leave the trim white, or if the room is particularly small, you might want to limit your bright colors to an accent wall to avoid crowding the space.

There are a lot of different furniture types that work well in a beach themed bedroom, so you may not need to buy anything at all. A wood bedroom set would work particularly well with both beachy themes, but it’s not the only option. Metal sets work just fine too. If you’ve got to buy a new bed anyway, or if you’ve got a bed but no headboard, you can take a really creative approach to furnishings and hang a hand painted surfboard on the wall where the headboard would go. You can find decorative surfboards from a lot of different vendors on the Internet: Ebay is a good place to start.

Beach Window Treatments

As with just about all of the bedroom themes we’ve covered on Raftertales, you can always save yourself a little time and energy by purchasing some beach themed curtains, hanging them up, and calling it quits. You may be able to find them at your local store, and if not, there are plenty of online vendors that carry curtains printed with surfboards, woody station wagons, and hula girls, so it shouldn’t be too tough to find something that suits the room.

If you’d like to take a more creative approach, here are some ideas. For a traditional surfer’s room, hang shutters instead of curtains. You can distress them, whitewash them, or even decoupage them with surfing posters or pictures from surfing magazines.

And for a Tiki type theme, consider hanging some beaded curtains or strings of outdoor lights over the windows. Obviously, you’ll need a roller shade or some blinds for privacy and light control, but you’ll get a great design statement for your trouble.

Beach Bedding

Bedding in beach rooms is generally fairly low key. Yes, of course you can purchase sheet sets in surfing prints; most will be in paler colors that better suit the more traditional design. And with some hard work, you might be able to find some Hawaiian prints that would work well in a Tiki room, but many sheet sets of this kind are flowery prints that may look girlish.

Consider pairing a piece or two with stripes to keep it from being too feminine. And really, you don’t need to use either of these, particularly if you’re using a lot of accessories to decorate. In that case, you may want to stick with plain bedding or a simple pattern that allows the rest of the room to shine.

Beach Accessories

You’ve got a lot of options for accessories in a surfing themed room. As mentioned above, you can find hand painted surfboards from various online vendors, and if you don’t find one that suits your fancy you can even special order them. There are plain boards, boards with pegs, and even surfboard shaped shelving units. A surfing room just wouldn’t be a surfing room without a board or two! Other options for the surfing room would be models of woody station wagons, old tin beach signs or surfing signs, or even framed ocean photos.

The Tiki room needs a little more playful approach when it comes to accessorizing. Little hula girls and flower leis make good decorating choices. Hang strings of outdoor lights or rest a tiki lamp in the corner. Hang some Tiki masks on the wall. And as with the surfing theme, you can find tin Tiki signs that would look great.

Either way you go, you’ll have a room that your son will want to spend time in, and that’s what counts!

But one thing is for certain; he loves outer space. He likes playing with spaceships, thinks Buzz Lightyear is the coolest, and is thrilled by glow in the dark stars and moons. If this sounds anything like your little guy, why not redecorate his bedroom in a space theme?

A space bedroom is easy to do, and its universal appeal might just carry you through a little longer without a redecoration in the near future.

Space Bedroom Basics

As with most bedroom themes, there are a lot of takes on the boys’ space bedroom. You could decorate using an outer space theme focusing more on astronomy. Glow in the dark stars, comets, and solar system models would all be great contributions to this more minimalist approach that would really suit the tastes of an older boy not quite ready for an adult style room.

You could focus more on spaceships and astronauts; there are plenty of fabric choices and stick-ons in this category that would make for a very attractive room. Or you could take a more playful, even cartoonish approach and use little green aliens and characters like Buzz Lightyear or the Space Monkeys. Brighter colors and silly accessories would make this a great room for younger boys.

Color-wise, space themed bedrooms often run into a problem. As a backdrop for all of those stars and spaceships, you need a dark color like a deep blue or even a black to make them pop and simulate the expanse of space. Especially in smaller bedrooms, all of those dark colors can become overwhelming and make the space seem smaller than it really is.

So what do you do if you’ve got a bedroom the size of a closet but your little guy is still space crazy? You have a few options: you can paint one wall as an accent wall and leave the others in a lighter color. (One really interesting idea is to use a black magnetic primer under the paint and buy magnetized planets, stars, and spaceships for your son to play with.)

If you’re particularly handy with a paintbrush, you can make a mural on one wall, again leaving the other walls lighter to open up the space. Or lastly, you can paint the ceiling to simulate the night sky, leaving the walls unpainted. This last idea is best left alone if you’re a beginning painter, though, because it’s tough to get even coverage on a ceiling with such a dark color.

Furniture-wise, think streamlined and metallic whenever possible. A simple metal bed frame, desk, and nightstand are relatively cheap and will transition well to a more adult design later.

Space Window Treatments

For younger boys, simply making or purchasing curtains in a space themed print may be the best way to go. Certainly, it’s the easiest to implement. But if you think that the space design will be sticking around for a while, why not try something a little more creative?

Get an affordable fabric roller shade and paint circles on it. With a few strokes of a paintbrush or Sharpie, you can turn circles into planets (add some rings for Saturn), moons (add a few craters), or a comet (add a flaming tail). A rocket is easy to draw: a triangle in silver paint, attached to a rectangle. Add a red tip to the cone and flames coming out the end and you’re set.

Space Bedding

If you’re running a little short on time and energy at this point, there’s nothing wrong with heading out to the closest store and buying some space themed bedding. But you can save a little time and money with a more customized approach. Try layering shades of black and dark blue to simulate space and then add some circular throw pillows.

To make it even more fun, how about one pillow in blue and green to represent Earth, another in red for Mars, and so on? Or for a budding astronaut, integrate some metallic silver into the mix. Most metallics don’t wash very well, so it’s best to keep them off of the sheets, but throw pillows would be a great place to get a little silver trim into the mix. And for the alien fanatic, glue some googly eyes to bright green pillows.

Space Accessories

Basic accessories for a space bedroom are pretty common sense. Glow in the dark stars cover a lot of space at a little price, but they’re difficult to see with the lights on if you don’t stick them onto a dark colored background. Spaceship models can be hung or displayed on shelves. And solar system models are great ideas for older boys but not necessarily for the younger set.

You can also get a little more creative, of course. Buy some circular picture frames and hang up photos of family and friends. Use pipe cleaners to create rings around planets (just don’t cover anyone’s face!), make a comet’s tail out of paper or fabric and attach it to a photo, or even make a big moon and glue faces of family and friends into the craters if you’re really crafty.

If your little boy is crazy over Woody from Toy Story or has a blast playing Cowboys and Indians, why not decorate his bedroom in a cowboy theme?

The cowboy theme is simple to do yourself, even if you’re not particularly crafty, and it uses some basic colors that will transition well into a more mature design once he hits his teenage years.

Read on to learn more about how to change that drab bedroom into a cowpoke’s paradise.

Cowboy Bedroom Basics

You can take a couple of different approaches to the cowboy bedroom. You can apply a little paint to the walls, buy some Woody sheets and hang some cowboy hats on the wall, and call it quits.

You can take a cowboy/western approach and implement western gear and patterns into the mix. Or you can decorate Cowboys and Indians style, mixing traditional western gear with some Native American touches.

By taking the time to decide exactly what kind of cowboy bedroom your son will enjoy, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches later.

Generally, cowboy rooms are done in primary colors and dusty tones. You don’t want bright and cartoonish colors in the room unless you plan to decorate in cartoon cowboys. Otherwise, stick with shades that you’d find in Western bandanas and country decorating: brick red, slate blue, sunshine yellow, wood brown and creamy white would all be terrific choices.

Consider brightening up the room by adding some color to the trim or walls. However, in most cases it’s not the best idea to paint both walls and trim in contrasting colors, since that can be really visually overwhelming. It’s probably a good idea to leave the trim white and paint the walls or vice versa, unless you really know what you’re doing paint wise.

When it comes to furniture in a boy’s cowboy bedroom, rugged, unpainted wood basics are probably your best option. They are easy to find, relatively affordable, very durable, and will transition well into whatever design your son wants next. A simple varnish or stain will protect the wood and make the pieces shine, and your bedding and accessories will add plenty of cowboy flair to these basic pieces.

Cowboy Window Treatments

You have a few options when it comes to window treatments in a cowboy bedroom. For a cartoonish take on the cowboy theme, you might simply stick with purchased curtains in a Woody pattern. Or, you could buy some denim patterned curtains and add some Woody “iron-on” patches in the corners.

For a more traditional take on the cowboy theme, you could take those same denim patterned curtains and glue some gold braided trim around the edges.

Or purchase some brown shutters and hang them like saloon doors over the windows. You could even stamp on a sheriff’s star or some other design at the top to make them look more like doors. Or how about hanging café style curtains in a gingham check?

Cowboy Bedding

As with most kids bedroom themes, you can purchase cowboy themed sheets at most department stores or superstores. If you choose to go this route, it’s not a bad idea to go for a more generic comforter in a solid color that matches the sheets.

It’s much more cost-effective and will transition well to another theme if necessary. You can also stick with simple flannel or cotton sheets in a plaid or check pattern, which will add to that rustic cowboy feel.

Accent pillows are a real help in integrating plain bedding with the rest of the room, look for pillows shaped like cowboy boots, or add an iron on transfer of a horse or cowboy to a plain accent pillow.

Cowboy Accessories

With a cowboy bedroom, the accessories are really important and help to tie the room together. You can make a lot of them yourself with very little craft skill required. For example, no cowboy would ever go anywhere without his lasso.

You can make one out of a simple length of braided rope. It could be hung on the wall, draped over a dresser, or used to hold back curtains; just make sure that it stays out of the reach of young children! You can also use lengths of rope for decorating. Wrap a long piece of sisal rope around a plain lamp base to make it work with the rest of the room. Glue it onto picture frames that don’t match the rest of the decorating.

Wooden horses, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, and bandannas are all great items to place on shelves or on top of dressers. Put a rocking horse in the corner.

If your theme is Cowboys and Indians, add some Native American elements by hanging a dream catcher over the bed and a toy bow and arrow on the walls.

Arrange cowboy hats and Indian headdresses on pegs for dress up time and add a pair of beaded moccasins alongside the cowboy boots. This will ensure that your son’s cowboy room will not only be attractive; it’ll also be fun!

Does your little boy go absolutely crazy over Superman, Batman, or the Hulk? Does he spend most of his time vanquishing the imaginary forces of evil in your backyard?

If your little boy is interested in a superhero bedroom, you can of course head out to a random superstore and pick out all of the superhero accessories, but you’ll get a more personalized look at a better price if you do it yourself. Consider these simple tips to get a super look at a super price.

Superhero Bedroom Basics

The first thing that you’ll need to determine when it comes to your superhero bedroom is what heroes you’ll be incorporating. If your child has a strong preference for Spiderman, the Incredibles, or the Teen Titans, then you may want to focus on this hero or group.

Your color scheme would be based on the hero’s costume: red, blue, and black for a Spiderman bedroom, for example.

If your child has problems picking one favorite (when asked for his favorite superhero, my son lists four right off the bat), then consider a more generalized approach not focusing on any one hero in particular. Good color schemes for this type of room focus on primary colors. Most superhero costumes integrate one or more primaries, which will tie the room together.

Since superhero color schemes tend to be pretty bright, keep the furnishings and walls fairly painless. If your child absolutely must have a bright red wall just like Spiderman’s suit or a green one to match the Hulk’s skin, then consider painting one accent wall in that color and leaving the rest of the room in white. That way, you won’t need to shield your eyes in pain every time you walk in.

You can also break up large expanses of color with superhero posters or select a wall with windows or doors to keep the color from being overwhelming. Just leave the trim or doors white to tone down the color.

When it comes to furnishings in a child’s bedroom, it’s always best to leave them basic. Yes, you can paint the furniture red and black and stencil an Incredibles symbol on top of the nightstand, and it would look amazing. However, when your son gets a little older, that nightstand might not be so cool any more, and it’s going to be difficult to paint over that symbol. Before you custom paint any piece, make sure that you’re willing to replace it in a couple of years.

One alternative is to purchase some vinyl wall stickers in a superhero theme and use them on the furniture instead of the walls. You’ll get the same look in the end, and you won’t have to throw out the furniture when all is said and done.

Superhero Window Treatments

With all of these bright colors and patterns in the room, carefully consider your window treatments. If you’ve chosen a bright color for the walls, layering on another bright color or pattern on the window is going to be visually overwhelming to say the least. In that case, it’s better to stick with plain white curtains or blinds. But there’s no need to leave them completely generic!

You could accessorize blinds with a small, bright colored valance at the top of the frame. You could hang a small superhero Christmas ornament or figurine from the curtain tiebacks. Whip out your sewing machine and trim the curtains with ribbons in the superhero color scheme. Or add some iron on patches to the bottom of plain curtains to tie them in with the rest of the room.

Superhero Bedding

Obviously, you can purchase superhero sheets and bedding at any major store. The unfortunate reality is that those sheets are a little more expensive, and you run the risk that the superhero du jour will change from year to year. Purchasing an entirely new set each year will get a little expensive, so consider the following options.

One suggestion is to buy a comforter in a primary color. Blue is always a good choice and will go well with almost any set of superhero sheets. This way, when Billy decides that Superman is much cooler than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, you can simply replace the sheets and keep the comforter, saving a lot of spare change in the process.

You can also do the entire bed in primary colors. Buy an accent pillow printed with the superhero emblem or a stuffed superhero to sit on top. Or get an iron on transfer and add some superhero decorations yourself.

Superhero Accessories

No superhero room would be complete without some superhero pictures. Posters are an incredibly cost effective way to inject a little action into the space, but poster frames can get a little costly. You could tape the posters directly to the walls, but it doesn’t look that great and can leave marks on the walls to boot.

Consider mounting the posters on Styrofoam. You can purchase thin sheets of foam and some spray adhesive at your local craft store for less than half of what you’d pay for a poster frame. You may want to spray paint the visible edges of the foam or cover them with ribbon. And of course, you can cut the foam down to fit any size poster.