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Wow ‘Em With Walls!
By Becca Williams, creator of WallNutz Paint By Number Mural Kits
www.wallnutz.com
When decorating your child’s room, don’t overlook the largest surface in the room – the walls! They are empty canvases for your creativity. Some time and a few dollars can turn those blank walls into works of art.
· Hang inexpensive wall art. Find posters from children’s museums, video rental stores and bookstores and mount them on foam board. You can have this done by a frame shop, or purchase foam board and spray adhesive at a craft supply store and do it yourself.
· Take pages from old children’s books or calendars and place them in inexpensive frames.
· Frame your child’s artwork. She will be proud to know that you think her art is good enough for a permanent decoration. If your child is too young, use artwork that you and your spouse did as children.
· Hang a colorful quilt on a wall. Attractive quilt clips are available through Pottery Barn Kids.
Paint is also an extremely cost effective way to change the look of a room. A bright solid color of paint can go a long way in converting a blah white room into a cheery environment. When selecting paint types, semi-gloss is your best bet for easily wiping away little hand prints. The following are techniques to get even more creative with paint.
· Naturally, I think murals add a special touch to a child’s room. My company, WallNutz (www.wallnutz.com), provides paint-by-number mural kits for those artistically challenged parents. Painting a mural can be a weekend fun project for the family, since kids as young as six can help. Most of the murals are inexpensive as well – you can buy the kit, paints and brushes all for less than $50.
· Try sponge painting on your walls. It’s easy to paint a base color, then dampen a sponge, dip into the second color of paint and dab lightly on the walls. And hey, if you don’t like it, just paint over the top!
· Use chalkboard paint on one wall. Tape a rectangular area that is 4’ in length by 3’ in height, with the bottom starting 2’ from the baseboards. Fill in with green or black chalkboard paint from a craft store.
· Magnetic paint is also available (www.kling.com), although a more expensive option than most paints. Follow the instructions above for the chalkboard, substituting magnetic paint, and you’ll have a fabulous place for displaying your child’s artwork.
In addition to painting, wood accents can add a nice touch to walls. For example, wainscoting or plate rails are easy to install. Paint the wood white or match other trim in the room, then nail into place with carpenter’s nails. Plate rails are also functional; they make a wonderful display area for pictures or to store children’s books.
Whether you’re doing a complete room makeover or sprucing up older decor, it’s worth spending time and a little money to add some WOW! to your walls.
© 2001, WallNutz LLC. All rights reserved. Article used by permission.
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