Inexpensive Ways to Create a Fun Children’s Bedroom

Creating a stylish, yet fun bedroom for your kids doesn't have to be expensive - there are plenty of easy ways to decorate and spruce up their personal space. As it’s for the kids think bold, bright colors and try to pick a consistent theme that can be used throughout the room.

Consult your kids

One of the easiest ways to keep your kids happy with the end result is to involve them in the decorating process. From bedding designs, to wallpaper and funky storage units – there are a variety of styles to suit everyone.

Children’s tastes will change according to age and you can probably never be too sure of what will appeal, especially when it comes to teenagers. Pick up some home decorating magazines or go online to view children’s bedrooms by interior designers, and then use these ideas as a starting base.

Choosing the right color scheme

A wall color scheme is one of the most important starting points. Colors can be used to complement other features of the room such as duvet covers and furniture such as tables and cupboards. Choosing bright colors also has the advantage of opening up a smaller space, making it appear larger. If bedrooms are small then remember to stick up a large mirror or two in order bring in more light and to open up the room.

Brighten up blank wall spaces

An easy to implement, fun idea is to paint some items directly onto the walls using stencils. Get your kids to choose the images they like such as balloons, animals, aeroplanes or boats. Match up the design colors to ceiling or table lampshades and consider adding the same stenciled designs to cupboard doors. This is a great way to set a theme in place throughout the room; getting the colors and design right will make the room look unique and funky.

Avoid a cluttered look

Keep it simple and avoiding cramming too much furniture into your children’s bedrooms. Kids amass a huge amount of toys, books and clothes, and storage options are the best way to keep a room tidy.

Also take care to choose the right size of bed - they now come in a variety of shapes and sizes including the always fun bunk beds, so take your time and consider the amount of space available and requirements that you have.

These easy to implement ideas aren’t expensive and are a great way to get your kids involved in redecorating their rooms. A bright and fun bedroom will be someplace they will look forward to spending some time in rather than dread!

Sources – houseandgarden.co.uk, Elledecor.com

Honeywell #HomeTips Twitter Party with Evette Rios (Giveaway)

Join @HoneywellPlugIn on Tuesday, 2/19, at 8-9pm EST for a Twitter Chat with home & design expert Evette Rios from ABC’s The Chew.

Ask Evette questions in real time and get the advice you need on decorating, entertaining and more– including a chance to win $300 worth of Honeywell gadgets! Use hashtag #HomeTips to join in.

Honeywell would like to offer one of my readers the chance to win a Germ-Free Cool Mist Humidifier. It's been a dusty, dry winter here in Kansas and I know what a difference bringing humidity into your living space can make, especially in your bedrooms. Enter to win using the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For a chance to win the Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner, go over and visit my friend Kate at The Guavalicious Life.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that no compensation was received in exchange for this post. Honeywell is providing the prize for my readers. As usual, all opinions are my own. 

Rwanda Path to Peace Baskets

A few months ago, I wrote about fair trade and the Heart of Haiti project. Macy's sells lovely artisan-made gifts from Haiti through a collaboration with Fair Winds Trading, and their partnership also distributes gorgeous baskets woven by women in Rwanda via Rwanda Path to Peace.

Rwanda Path to Peace was founded in July 2005 as a way to promote lasting economic security to the women of Rwanda. The country's volatile political history has been divisive, to say the least, and the project gives women a way to use their traditional crafts as a sustainable way to take care of their families. It is strengthening the sense of community by allowing women who were once on opposite sides of the conflict to work together. The steady income provides confidence and independence, as well as more tangible necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare and education. Mothers are providing for their children's brighter future. 

Did I mention how beautiful these baskets are? They are stunning, especially when grouped, as in the photo below. I want to live there.

I received the bold, black and white Imvura Rain Fruit Bowl:

 

The pattern, woven of sisal and sweetgrass, represents the life-giving rain.

Baskets woven by the women, exported to the US and sold exclusively at Macy’s Department Stores are the number one export out of Rwanda under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. 

Here are just some of the ways Rwanda Path to Peace has impacted the basket weavers.

• Strengthening Families
• The Rwanda basket weaving project is strengthening families. Domestic violence in Rwanda is not uncommon, but now that women are bringing income into the home husbands are showing increased respect for their wives and in many cases domestic violence has ceased.  Husbands now offer to tend the children while their wives weave, which helps create stronger family bonds. The men are also assisting by harvesting and transporting raw materials and finished baskets, creating another income stream. Earning a steady income eases much of the stress of domestic life, and we have heard many stories of homes that are now more peaceful because there is an income from sales of baskets.

• Impact on HIV/AIDS
• The project has greatly improved conditions for HIV positive weavers. They can now afford good nutrition, so their medications are much more effective. Weavers with HIV no longer feel hopeless and stigmatized, but instead are respected for earning an income, like anyone else. They have their pride back, and are no longer ashamed.  Instead of being resigned to hopelessness, as they often were in the past, they are now making plans for life.

• Changing lives of children
• The Rwanda Path to Peace project has directly impacted the lives of thousands of children. Income from the weaving project provides food, clothing, healthcare, school uniforms, shoes, and school supplies.  We heard that before our project many of the children had only one set of clothing. Their clothes could not be washed during the week because they didn’t have another set to wear.  Now many children have two sets of clothing, so they can wear clean clothes all the time.  Their mothers can also afford to send them to school with a biscuit so they can eat during the day.  They are drinking clean water because the mothers can afford water-purification tablets.  As in many African nations, adolescent and teen girls would often drop out of school due to difficulties based on the lack of feminine hygiene products.  This problem has been solved so girls remain in school – free to learn and engage in sports activities.  The children have paper and pencils so they can learn to write.  The weavers’ children are very proud of their parents’ ability to provide them with these life-changing luxuries.

• Public Health
• Weavers are now able to afford mosquito netting, greatly reducing the incidence of malaria.  Many families now have clean water because they can purchase water purification tablets.

• Reconciliation
• The Rwanda Path to Peace Project is helping Rwanda in the process of healing and reconciliation. Weavers, organizers, suppliers, and government officials are working closely together to insure the success of this important project. Where there had been conflict and separation Rwandans are now working together for their common good. Weavers whose families had been at odds now work side by side making baskets and providing an income that helps improve their families and communities

One criticism: Fluffy says they should make the baskets much, much bigger…

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the bowl shown above to facilitate this review. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own. 

Home Office Redux with Glidden Testers

Remember those Glidden Testers I was contemplating? Who thought I would pick the Spanish Olive?

Me, too! Green is my favorite color, particularly pea soup green. Since my challenge was to break the color rules, however, I opted to forego the obvious. I loved the darker swatches but my office is pretty small with just one small window and I didn't want it to feel even smaller. In the end, I decided to go with the yellow: Glidden Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I thought the sunny color would open up the room and maybe even perk me up a little.

By far, the worst part of the repainting project was emptying my office. I knew I come from a long line of hoarders but pulling everything out of the room made me face up to just how much junk I've been keeping around for no reason. Cardboard boxes for example. How many of those do I really need to keep on hand instead of recycling them? Gee whiz! Look at how all of my detritus filled our living room:

Okay, so I forgot to take any photos of my "before" space before I cleared everything out. Trust me, it was bad. Like papers piled six inches high on my entire desk bad. This really needed to happen. Here's some proof of the stark whiteness of my office (the black dropcloth is covering my desk and computer):

You can see my sample paint swatches on the wall to the left:

I was really pleased with how easily the Glidden Brilliance Collection 2n1 formula cleaned off of the moulding since I am too lazy to tape before painting. It was also not very smelly and has low VOCs, which was great because it's been well over 100º so there was no way I was opening the window. Painting was pretty straightforward, although it did take about three coats to get the opacity I wanted– possibly because I am not the most uniform painter in the world and tend to leave big streaks. Really, though, the biggest payoff was seeing how great the color looks with my stuff moved back in. Here's a picture from the same vantage as the first white walls photo:

It's a pretty drastic change, right?! I absolutely LOVE it. The color is a bit hard to photograph- I tried to take a photo of the full-screen paint selector from Glidden.com but the color is so bright that it throws off the digital camera's light metering. Heh.

I love how it looks with my Russel Wright vintage folding chairs and thrift store paintings. I need to hang them and get a bunch more out of storage.

The new color is making me giddy about decorating again. Check it out, I even put up some whimsical birdie decals!

Here's the view from the other door:

And my computer nook, where all the magic happens. Kind of.

I am really enjoying how non-neutral my walls are and how the color makes everything pop.

It makes a fun backdrop for all the little trinkets I've picked up here and there throughout my life. Time to break them out of their boxes and put them on display…

Wondering how the other Social Fabric community members took on the Glidden challenge? See everyone's results on the Glidden Testers website or search the hashtag #GliddenTesters on Twitter.



In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that this project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Glidden Testers/Paint #collectivebias. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own.

Break the Color Rules with Glidden Testers

My husband is an artist and we have tons of colorful paintings and sculpture displayed throughout our home… not to mention the omnipresent scattered kids' toys that add a riot of color to any given space. We try to keep our decor neutral so it doesn't clash with everything else in our lives. As a result, our walls are plain, stark, boring gallery white. I was happy to undertake the challenge to "Break the Color Rules" by repainting one room in my house.

First I visited Glidden.com to see my paint color options. Unsurprisingly, they are vast! I really like the Glidden Color Palette tool, which lets you visualize what a color will look like in a room with a click of the mouse. You can "drop" colors onto walls or moulding. In fact, you can even click to make the color swatch fill your entire computer screen so you can use your monitor as a giant paint swatch! Awesome.

Another excellent website feature is the paint calculator. You add in your measurements and it tells you how much paint you need to buy. Handy for the math-phobic like me. The website will generate a printable shopping list for you, too. Technology is a beautiful thing.

In the end, I decided I wanted to see the colors in person, so I headed to Walmart to buy some of the new Glidden Testers. These 2 oz. bottles of paint feature an easy-to-use brush attached to the resealable cap. Each bottle covers 2 square feet, so you should be able to get a decent idea of what the color will look like on your wall– no holding up a tiny paper swatch and squinting at your room, trying to visualize your results! Even better, they are stocked in a pretty huge variety of colors so you can pick a bunch and test them out. See my ThisMoment story below to fully experience my shopping trip!

My mission was to "Break the Color Rules" so I wanted to choose bright hues that I would ordinarily shy away from. Since I've decided to paint my home office, I also totally disregarded my husband's art school-honed sense of color theory. I just picked shades I was drawn to, the way you would shop for shoes or a handbag. It was exhilarating! I highly recommend scoping out some colors the next time you're shopping at Walmart. Obviously, I couldn't control myself. I was supposed to pick out three colors for my room and I ended up with six. But what a lovely half dozen!

From top to bottom: Bittersweet Chocolate, Black Tulip, Spanish Olive, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Blooming Fuschia and Vibrant Day Lily.
My husband HATES the pink. Ha!

The Glidden Testers are also about the same size as bottles of acrylic paints at the hobby store, so if you're a DIY aficionado, you might want to pick some up for crafting– house paint typically has excellent coverage and the rainbow of colors available is impressive. Hey, you know what? There's a coupon link on my sidebar that will give you $2 off per bottle, bringing the price down to less than a dollar in my store. Stock up, mini-Marthas!

The paper swatches are pretty accurate; they look about the same on my wall as on the cards

Aren't you dying to see what I come up with? Me, too! There are plenty of other Social Fabric community members embarking on their own painterly makeovers, some with the same "Break the Color Rules" mission as mine and still other brave souls are actually letting their readers vote on their color schemes! Yikes! You can check out everyone's progress on the Glidden Testers website or search the hashtag #GliddenTesters on Twitter.



In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that this project has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Glidden Testers/Paint #collectivebias. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own.