Decorating a child’s room on a budget
Re-decorating a child's room can absolutely be achieved without breaking the bank. It’s also about shopping smarter, not harder.
I spent a recent Sunday doing exactly this with my little guy. I woke up a little dusty and thought, the only way through is through! So I asked my son; ‘What do you feel like doing today mate?’ This meant I didn’t have to think.
His reply, ‘Hmmm well mumma, we could decorate my room”
Done. And we had an absolute ball together (along with his 2 year old brother). I will admit, it did involve dragging two heavy little humans around as we ducked in and our of stores, but when the logistics were out of the way, the decorating was so much fun.
Based on my experience, below are some tips and tricks for revamping a child’s room within a reasonable budget (let’s go with $150). As I mentioned above, ‘repurposing’ was a major theme of the day, so we already owned so much of what was used. The new elements were purchased at Target, Bunnings and Adairs.
Baskets and trunks
Both of these options for kids rooms offer a lovely aesthetic and they double at storage space.
They’re a complete win, win! Wicker or fabric baskets (that come in all shapes and sizes from anywhere such as Target, Big W, Kmart, Ikea, Adairs) can also be a fabulous way to fill an ‘awkward’ space or add textured height to walls that look or feel blank.
For example, if you notice there’s a white wall that looks too naked and no furniture will fill the space, look for a taller shaped basket to fill the void. Another option is to place a low wooden stool down with a basket on top.
Spend – 2 x fabric toy baskets from Adairs $35 each.
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Furniture
Furniture never comes cheap, so I’ve found the best place to look for drawers, tallboys, bed side tables and desks for children is online marketplaces such as Facebook or Gumtree. Second hand baby! I am all for it.
When you’re shopping, make sure you’re thinking about function and dimensions rather than focusing on aesthetics. Aesthetics don’t really matter because most furniture can be sanded back (if wooden) and painted. A lick of paint can be transformative in the world of interior styling.
Pending the item you purchased, you can also very easily replace handles or knobs, thereby completely making it your own. By Googling something as simple as ‘Kids Drawer Knobs SPACE” or “‘Kids Drawer Knobs FAIRIES” you’ll be shocked at how many cute options pop up.
I recently found an old timber set of drawers (it was horrible) to use for Hame’s clothes storage, so on Sunday I popped into Bunnings and purchased a can of powder blue spray paint (roughly $11) and some sandpaper ($2). This alone gave the drawers a whole new life. The blue is a gorgeous pop of colour in the room. It’s gone from hideous to being a focal point! This was about 15 mins of work (+ 30 minutes of drying time).
Side note – Bunnings is always such a friendly place to take kids. They have some really cost-effective activities. Paint sets, lots of materials to make race tracks, seeds to plant and mini water cans. It’s wholesome fun and the Bunnings trolleys are so handy for tired mums with heavy kids!
Spend $24.00 for 2 cans of paint and some sandpaper
Artwork
Option 1 – Decals
Decals (wall stickers) are so much fun. They’re usually cost effective, readily available online and beyond easy to apply. To avoid a few classic mistakes (I’ve made both in my time), be sure to follow my 2 tips below.
- Wash/wipe the wall prior (to remove any dust or grime) and wait until the wall is 100% dry before applying your decals.
- Every so often, take a few steps back (2 or 3 metres) and admire your progress to ensure you’re on the right track. The positioning of each decal component is important to get right. There’s nothing more annoying than looking at a warped or wonky shape.
Option 2 Frame their artwork
Framing your child’s artwork is a sweet way to brighten up a room. Even if it’s a few colourful swirls with dots going here, there and everywhere, it can be pretty adorable once framed. If a doodle you love is smaller than an A4 size, you can take them to your local Officeworks and ask for art to be blown up and printed. Quick, easy and … original.
From another perspective, hanging your kids’ artwork offers a kind pocket of pride. They’ll be so chuffed seeing their own work hanging on the wall.
Option 3 – Blown up framed photos
Blown up photos of your children playing candidly in the park or doing something they adore add life and personality into a room instantly. You can achieve vibrancy and personality just by blowing photos up and framing them.
My hint would be to choose a photo that is action based (i.e. jumping into the water, kicking a ball or swinging on the swing). I feel it adds a playful vibe into a room rather than opting for a posed smile.
Option 4 – Floating shelves
If none of the above are within your price range, a simple floating shelf from somewhere like Bunnings or Kmart is a beautiful option! Displaying their beloved books, toys, or soft toys will add so much warmth.
Spend – No spend here. Randomly, I had the giraffe decal in the cupboard. I purchased it online a few years ago.
Decor
Over the years, my boys have collected so many gorgeous looking toys – but they grow out of them quickly as their interests mature. Instead of getting rid of particular toys as they age, I keep them (some, not all) to use as decorative pieces. Think felt animals, wooden cars, old school dinosaur figurines or action figures. While the kids might not play with them, having them displayed in their room will bring a childlike sparkle.
Spend – $45.00 for the octopus on Hame’s bed from Adairs.
Bedding
Styling the bed is a beautiful way to add colour and/or punctuate a ‘theme’ in a child’s room. You certainly do not have to spend a fortune to find sensational plush toys and pillows that add character, layers and texture.
If you find cute things to pop on top of the bed, you can then opt for simple bedding. I like this idea as I’m not worried their room will feel bleak when I wash their sheets. IKEA is a great spot to find big, wild and wonderful soft toys!
Spend – Octopus mentioned above, and I purchased a white waffle blanket from Target for $40.00. The bed covers we had at home clashed with the new aesthetic, so a simple throw simplified the look of the bed – letting the octopus shine!
Lighting
It goes without saying that a string of fairy lights (hello Bunnings!) adds magic to any space. I hung fairy lights over my son’s window frames – the sparkle makes everything look so whimsical!
Another cute idea could be to place glow in the dark stars or big stickers around the room. It’ll add a touch of adventure for kids post lights out.
The choice of night lights and lamps for children these days is remarkable! From ice-cream cones, rainbows, footballs, frogs, bears, lions, mushrooms – you name it you can find it. Again, you really don’t have to go much further than Target, Bunnings or even JB Hi-Fi.
Spend – No spend here as I just used the Bunnings fairy lights we had in the shed for Christmas time.
Wrapping it up
Personally, I adore hanging out in my kids’ rooms – hence why I dedicate so much time to them. And like I said, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. It might not cost anything!
Even on the days we don’t re-decorate (we don’t do it often!), every few weeks I’ll go into the kid’s rooms and change the toys and books on display. Making small changes like this can completely change the overall atmosphere of their space. Plus, they love seeing and experiencing the change. It’s exciting!
Especially if you have a child who doesn’t warm to bedtime … why not make their room extra special to help lure them in?
I can’t help but think that they’re only little once. Why not help their imagination find its wings?
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