Fantasy Bedrooms for Kids

Bedrooms should be everyone's escape from reality. This even applies to kids who need a break from their daily pressures of school and sports. You can make your kids' dreams come true by transforming their sleeping areas into fantasy lands . All it takes is input, creativity and maybe even some familial pitching in to make this happen.

First of all sit down with your offspring and brainstorm. Even a three year old will have very definite opinions on what his or her room should look like. If your little one was mad for the movie "Cars" then transform the room into a race track with Lightening McQueen, Mater and Doc Hudson stickers . Is the family princess longing for her own realm? Then paint a storybook castle on one wall and magical forests on the other three. Older kids may want something to reflect their likes and hobbies. For a ballerina you could paint a barre around the room (or install a real one for extra practice). Your soccer champ may want his walls painted to look like a playing field. For more scientifically inclined young ones you could paint the solar system or Jacques Cousteau deep sea scenes. Later stickers, like stars or fish, could be added on Older kids also love scenery. Young teens can choose anything from a Maui beach scene to a Tokyo street corner to give jazz and style to their sleeping quarters.

How do you manage to give your kids this new look? There are two ways, one use the easy way that is going to www.wallnutz.com or two, the somewhat hard way and create the designs yourself. Wallnutz is heaven sent for those parents who are not artistically gifted. This site has all sorts of cool stuff for great painting and redecoration and caters from infant to high school. There are paint by number murals with all sorts of themes from simple Old MacDonald farms to gnarly tropical beach fronts. Wallnutz also carries wallpaper stickers that look like you painstakingly did the work yourself. Your kids can choose from cute block alphabet cutouts to cats and dogs to jungle animals along with everything else in between. This is not just for the Oreo set. Tweens can choose flip flop cuts outs and surfboard stickers along with hearts, hot dots, or vintage planes. The company also has color wash sets that lets you paint soft clouds on your child's bedrooms walls. There are also kits for cute gingham and striping effects as well. Prices will vary from $8.00 for sticker sets to $34.99 for the larger wall mural kits. If you plan on taking the other route then buy heavy construction paper (Staples or any good art store will stock this) and trace designs on them. Cut them out with a sharp art knife and then tack onto the wall. You can spray piant over the cut outs or just use a palette and regular brushes.

Once everyone is in harmony with how the room should look, it's time for prepping. If your kids are old enough , they can help with this task. First clean the walls' surface. You can use Mr. Clean Magic Erase to remove minor marks, like crayon, fingerprint and food stains. For a complete cleaning then use tri-sodium phosphate or TSP (you can buy this at any local Home Depot or paint store) and water. This is a strong cleanser so make sure you're wearing gloves when cleaning. Remember for a smoother painting surface to fix the walls first. Spackle any holes or dents along with cracks. Let dry a day before applying a primer. Then use a semi or high gloss finish, making sure the final brush strokes are in the opposite direction of the room's light. This cuts down on any glare from sun or artificial light. Start with the molding and trim. Usually these parts are painted in the traditional white but for a kid's room you can use colors. If you're planning on painting the room candy pink then paint the molding and trim a deeper rose Another way is to go lighter, if the room is an bright yellow, use a lemony yellow on these areas. However if the room is going to be an allover look, say the deep sea or outer space, then paint the molding trim and walls all in the same color. Wait a day or two until the paint has completely dried to add any stickers.

Give your youngsters a fantasy bedroom their friends can only dream about. It's easy and fun to do plus being a great family project. It is the best fantasy both your and your kids will have.