Paint stores often offer a table of inexpensive custom-mixed "accident" colors.
Paint is hands-down the cheapest way of changing, brightening up or customizing your kids' bedroom walls. This simple decorating idea also is relatively easy and cheap to change when your child outgrows it. Painting a child's bedroom is a creative project that will make her feel like she has a space of her own.
Colors and Patterns
Painting techniques give you an almost unlimited number of textures and looks.
Kids love color. Let your child pick the color he wants for his room. If you're worried he will pick a color that will be extremely hard to paint over, such as black, you have a couple of options. Offer a range of choices and let your child pick the one she likes best within those pre-approved choices. Alternately, instead of painting the entire room in the chosen color, pick one accent wall and paint only that wall, leaving the other walls white (or another neutral shade).
Instead of a solid color, paint such patterns as thick vertical stripes, or paint the walls only up to a certain level. Be aware that patterns require more time and thought. Unless you're aiming for a rough, primitive effect, you will need to draw and mask off the pattern's borders carefully, so they are straight (see Resources). Create a design with such patterns as big or small polka dots, cheetah spots or zebra stripes. Use a feather duster for a rippled, two-tone effect.
Murals
The advantage of designing your own mural is that you can incorporate all your child's interests into it.
Even if you don't have an artistic bone in your body, you can paint a mural on the wall of your child's room or hire a local artist to paint one for you. Choose an artist experienced in mural painting, as the preparation and other requirements of mural painting differ from, say, oil painting. Professional muralists often charge by the square foot. You may be able to negotiate a discounted rate if you do the preparation work, which may include a fresh coat of white paint or painting the background color.
If you prefer the do-it-yourself approach, choose a simple design. There also are kits that come with everything you need to paint a mural, turning the wall into a big paint-by-numbers project. It's not as hard as you think--just read the directions carefully, choose a mural your child will love for at least a few years, and cover anything you don't want spattered with paint.
Novelty Paint
Paint a wall or section of the room with chalkboard paint.
Chalkboard paint is relatively inexpensive when compared with a mural. This novelty paint turns the wall into a fully functional chalkboard. Paint just one wall or paint the whole room with chalkboard paint--from kid-height down. This wall paint idea should keep your children from drawing on the rest of your house's walls.
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