DONE in a WEEKEND
QUICK DIY UPDATES FOR YOUR CHILD’S ROOM
Want to try an inexpensive update for a child or teen’s room, but you don’t consider yourself a crafter or do-it-yourselfer? No talent? No problem. Here are four DIY ideas that are easy, inexpensive and, best of all, can be done in a weekend. Each is a project kids can help with and — as with anything worth doing — they’ll appreciate it more if they have a hand in it.
INSTANT WALL MURAL
Everyone knows a quick way to change the personality of a room is by brushing on a new paint color, but why not take it one step further with the addition of a wall mural?
Removable wall decals are one of the hottest trends in wall decor right now, according to Design Recipes, a website run by Cathy Hobbs, one of 12 contestants on Season 6 of HGTV’s “Design Star.”
Inexpensive and easy to apply, peel-and-stick wall decals add instant personality to a room, fit small or large spaces, reflect a child’s interests and can even be personalized with the child’s name.
While you can find a limited selection of designs in local stores, the best variety is found online. Amazon.com offers popular characters such as Disney princesses and characters from “Star Wars” and “The Avengers,” as well as themed packs of construction machinery, jungle or sea life
and alphabet animals.
Among others, Target. com carries nursery decal collections for $19.99, glowin-the-dark fairies for $14.24 as well as Fathead sports scenes and college logos. What New England Patriots fan would turn down a lifesize Tom Brady on their wall (Fathead, $99.98)?
To apply: First paint the wall a solid color if you’re not planning to leave it white. Remove decals from their package and cut each motif away from the larger sheet. This will make them easier to apply. Hold each piece up to the wall to decide its placement and lightly mark the spot with a pencil if needed, before peeling and sticking.
To apply each decal, start peeling off the backing from one edge. Smooth the sticker with your hand as place it on the wall to prevent bubbles from forming underneath. If you wish to remove a decal to change its placement, it’s easier to do so before the whole piece has been applied. Once it’s down, you risk pulling off paint when you pull up the sticker.
CUSTOM MEMO BOARD
Even in this age of cellphone photos, teens still fill bedroom memo/tack boards with glossy photos of their favorite moments. You could pay nearly $30 for one of these fabric memo boards at a big-box bed-and-bath store or custom-make one for half that amount.
Purchase a cork board (or use a piece of plywood if custom-making the memo board for a specific space). Wrap the board with batting, pulling the edges over the back before stapling into place. Cover the board and batting with a bright fabric and staple fabric in place to the back of board.
Using a ribbon in a contrasting color, criss-cross the full board. Attach the ribbon’s ends with decorative upholstery tacks. You can find a package of 20 antique-gold, round tacks for $2.99 at Hobby Lobby. Then tap a tack into the center of each X formed by the criss-crossing ribbons. Attach a means of hanging the board to its back and you’ve nailed this project.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress. com or 423-757-6284.