The art of raising your little Picasso

Artwork is a great way to stimulate the senses and bring out your child’s personality, along with providing a lasting memory of the early years. Here are five ways to incorporate artwork into your child’s room.

WALL DECALS

These peel-and-stick decorations add instant character and can easily be updated as your child’s tastes change without causing any damage to the walls. Decorate a nursery with trees and jungle characters, then update to your child’s favourite cartoon character or sports team. Decals can even be customized with your child’s name or favourite Dr. Seuss quote.

SHADOW BOX MEMENTOES

Casts of baby’s hands or feet make for treasured nursery artwork that lasts a lifetime. Anne Lacelle Busing of Ottawa’s Wee Piggies and Paws creates casts of baby’s hands and feet and mounts them in a shadow box alongside a precious baby photo. (Lifecast statues can also be done for older children.) The process is easy and painless, with the child’s hand in the mould for just 30 seconds.

SONOGRAM ART

Turn baby’s first photo into a work of art. Yourbabytobe.com creates unique artwork based on sonogram images. Simply send your image and artists use vibrant colours or, if you choose, more muted tones to create a customized portrait of your baby.

MURALS

Hand-painted murals are a great way to bring custom artwork into your child’s room. Dave LaFreniere of Mural Magic recommends choosing themes wisely using the child’s interests as jumping-off points or for a nursery choosing a nature theme such as birds, bugs, trees or clouds. Murals can cost as little as $300 and as much as $4,000 depending on the size and amount of detail.

CHALKBOARD WALL

What’s better than being allowed to draw on your walls? Chalkboard paint provides a fun, interactive backdrop to any child’s bedroom. Paint an entire wall, a door or a framed area with chalkboard paint and let your little one’s inner Picasso loose.