Bold or Simple
Ways to make your child’s room unique.
by Dena Fishbein
PARENTGUIDE NEWS DECEMBER 2005

Here are some quick, easy and inexpensive ways to dress up your child’s room. It’s all about embellishing— which means you don’t have to start from scratch! Take everyday items that you already have or things you’ve bought inexpensively and add a bit of paint, maybe some great trim and a few embellishments and you’ve got a wonderful unique piece of furniture or an accessory that looks like something really special that you must have paid a bundle for! You’ll delight yourself and your child with these great ideas. Most of them are simple enough to do with your children— so their rooms really become their own. Have fun and happy embellishing!

Wall Décor
• Wallpaper a ceiling in a graphic polka dot, plaid or stripe. Believe me, wallpaper on a ceiling is a great option— much easier than painting.
• Use a circle stamp to stamp playful polka dots over freshly painted walls. Try color combinations on small boards before tackling the walls.
• Tape out walls with painter’s tape and paint a 2"-4" wide stripe on walls with a foam brush.
• Add a single chalkboard wall for your budding artist.

Accessories
• Customize pillows by adding simple trims such as a wide rick rack or one of my favorites— pom pom trim. Add colorful buttons to corners for a little extra detail.
• Design your own bed linens by stamping a simple design on the borders. Make sure you use a textile ink that won’t wash out.
• Lamps— stamp the lampshades and add a ribbon or unusual trim edge.
• Photo frames— how about creating a vignette with favorite photographs displayed in frames that have been embellished with vintage buttons, scrapbook paper, trims and personalized with alphabet letters? Frames come in a wonderful range of styles. Look in scrapbook stores for these!
• Bulletin boards— Kids love to have a spot to post their special papers, artwork and photos. Find a nice old frame and cover a piece of foam core in a favorite fabric. Fit into the opening of the frame and you have a charming bulletin board. Decorate tacks with miniature embellishments such as paper flowers, small acorns, shells or bits of costume jewelry. Adhere with a hot glue gun.
• Add a soft throw or blanket at the end of your child’s bed or cushy chair— they’ll use it when they want a little extra warmth or just to cuddle up in when reading in bed.

Furniture
• By adding new knobs and handles to your existing furniture, a piece will look more unique and customized. If you have a flat wooden knob, try adhering a large button to the front of the knob using a strong adhesive.
• Paint an old desk or dresser a solid color and then add a simple stripe or polka dot in a coordinating color.

Floors
• If you don’t have wall to wall carpeting, a small area rug by the side of the bed is nice on the toes when hopping out of bed.
• Try painting a simple floor cloth— use artist’s canvas that’s been coated with gesso. Paint with acrylics and add three coats of a non-yellowing polyurethane seal.

Storage
• Embellish containers with scrapbook papers and supplies to coordinate with your room décor.
• Label the outside of boxes with supply contents using scrapbook alphabets in a variety of fun styles.
• Tuck your little girl’s hair accessories into hanging canvas jewelry pouches. Hang these in the closet. The clear plastic pockets will make it easy to find just what you’re looking for.
• Buy inexpensive shelves and dress them up with shelf edging paper. Make your own by cutting strips of wallpaper with decorative edged scissors. Adhere with strong double stick tape— or add a variety of pretty trims layering a thin one atop a wider one for a custom look. Fabric works beautifully for shelf edging too. If you have a ruffler on your sewing machine try that. Adhere the ruffle with upholstery tacks every four inches.

Window Coverings
• Inexpensive white roller blinds are a wonderful blank canvas— perfect for embellishing. Try adding trim to the bottom edge and a whimsical tassel.
• Paint or stencil a design directly onto the shade.
• Get a paper punch in a great shape— a big mod flower or circles in a variety of sizes. Punch out the shapes using coordinated scrapbook paper that works with your room’s décor. Use spray adhesive or a good stick flat glue to adhere the shapes onto your blinds.
• If you have simple curtains in the room, try adding delightful tiebacks that are embellished in a variety of ways. Cover tiebacks in silk flowers that have been sewn in place. Add some graphic trim such as rick rack in a contrasting color for a bolder design statement. A very simple tieback can be made by pulling back your curtains with a big beautiful wide ribbon tied in a bow. How about sewing an embellishment at the center of the bow for a bit of detail? try a vintage button or a piece of rhinestone jewelry for a more hip, glam look.

Host of the new weekly television series, Embellish This! on the DIY Network, Dena Fishbein is America’s leading crafts specialist concentrating on everything from children’s projects to home décor. In addition to her extraordinary artistic, decorating and craft-related skills, she has also built an empire consisting of a design licensing business with over 200 million in worldwide sales, her own television show, a syndicated column and publishing program. Dena released her first book, My Sweetest Friend (Andrews McMeel Publishing). In fall 2005, her second book, Embellish Your Home (Sterling/Chapelle), the first in a series of home décor and design books will be available in bookstores. She is currently working on her Designer Scrapbook Series (Sterling/Chapelle) book due out in January 2006.