pom poms

Decorating a Kids Room on the Cheap

May 12, 2011 at 4:24 pm , by Sue Erneta

We just moved in December and though we’ve been working like crazy to renovate our old house, it seems as though none of it is done. Except Lily’s room. What began as the plaid wallpapered office of an elderly man, is now a really pretty room that my almost-three-year-old loves. Here are my tips for a great kids room on a budget.

Ask the kids what they want – Even at her young age, Lily had an opinion about the colors she wanted. Pink and red were all she asked for. Red became the accent color and we chose a coral-y pink for the walls – Benjamin Moore Shell Pink – and got the Ben formula because it was low VOC making it a lot less stinky than most paints. (Thanks to Lily’s Aunt Julsie who helped out on this painting job! And a shout out to my dad, brother and nephew who came to visit and spent 48 hours removing wallpaper! THANKS!)

Take a freebie if it’s offered to you - Everyone wants brand-new items for their babies but there are plenty of items in perfect condition on Craigslist – or you can even snag a freebie from a friend. Lily’s toddler bed was a hand-me-down from her big sister and even then we got it for free when I friend of my mom’s offered it up!

Shop at Ikea - It can not be beat for cute, fun kid’s stuff. The bedding, red table, picture frames, heart shaped mirror, rug and the knobs on her dresser are all from Ikea. Her duvet and duvet cover are actually twin size so we just folded it in half.

Go bold with big statement pieces. It’s a kids room – it should be fun! I really love the huge 20×30 custom-made “Lily” sign from MadeByGirl.  The colors were perfect with the room and she loves the alphabet so this was a no-brainer. And her pom poms really make the room!

Shop on Etsy. I found the pom poms from Party Poms for less than the tissue paper would have cost me to buy. They arrive all folded up and I just helped them “bloom” and hung them with the clear fishing line that was included. (The reversible tissue box cover is also an Etsy favorite of mine. It’s from Head to Toe. I have one in every room!)

Repurpose things you already have – The ribbon curtains (which I got at PB Teen years ago), the white lamp (from Target), and the rocking chair (a gift) were all from the girls’ shared nursery in our old house. For the lamp, I just removed the old pastel striped lampshade and added this new one from Target. Her dresser used to be plain solid pine and it lived in our bedroom many years ago. We just painted it to compliment Lily’s  room.

Be creative. Wondering what that striped panel is on the wall? It’s a big hole that opens to a storage space. (The former owners of our home had an old TV in it.) We’re just using it for storage so I had to figure out a way to cover up the hole. So, I bought this fabric at Ikea that matches her bedding and wrapped it around a piece of cardboard from a moving box. It’s not perfect. But it’ll do for now!

So, what do you think? Not bad, huh? Especially considering it cost about $200. So, tell me…how have you decorated your kid’s rooms?