How I create a Great Room for my child under 150AED 1. Paint Colors and brightens the room. Use foam stamps to stamp a theme design, or stencil around windows and doorways. A cheap cleaning sponge cut rough at the edges can be used to create some design. Kids will love sponging too! For a “beachy” look, use shells to outline the shape of a shell with a dark color. Then, sponge the inside with a light color. 2. Add depth to the wall design. This gives a fantasy feel to the room. Use contact paper or craft foam cutouts, paint a simple mural over the wall, tack felt flowers in your "garden," decoupage computer cutouts onto the wall. Cut out a fairy castle out of plywood (or cardboard, or foam core), paint, and create a headboard. Use ribbon and glue or tacks to create a chair rail. Glue hot wheels to the wall end to end all the way around the room. Use magnetic paint and create "game boards" around the room, pick up magnetic alphabets to play hangman, or glue magnetic strips to checkers to make game pieces. You get the idea. 3. To avoid buying new bedding for the whole room, I use sheets to make some pretty easy changes. Go to Satwa and you’d be in fabricland. Flat sheets can be purchased at a discount for as little as 5AED per metre in several great colors, and can be used to easily create duvets for existing comforters, simple curtains, and custom pillowcases. If you don't sew, you can use iron on fusible tape (IKEA sells these). Purchase the heavy duty variety. Leave one end open to insert the old comforter, then secure with Velcro, or sew ribbon to each side and tie closed. Forget paying AED50 a piece for pillow shams, they are easy to make for just AED10 or less. 4. Finally, add some personal touches. Create a sign with the child’s name to hang on his door. Something like “RUSSELL’S CAVE” is cool. Or simply pick up some cheap frames (check weekend bazaars or flea markets in Jumeirah Park once a month) and decorate it to match the theme of the room. 5. Organizing You don't have to buy expensive storage cubes for my kids' rooms. Covered boxes, sewn drawstring bags from extra material, even an old suitcase under the bed make good storage. A wall of simple metal-strip utility shelving (they sell it in white, as well) can accommodate a large amount of stuff, especially for the older kids, and is relatively cheap at home improvement stores. I save old baby-wipe containers to store crayons, hot wheels, and that endless supply of useless toys from the fast food joints! You can cover them with contact paper. Try labeling what goes where, even for the older kids, so there is no arguing about what "putting it away" really means! Sturdy cardboard boxes covered with contact paper, fabric, or gift wrap from the 10 Dirham shop (several in Sharjah – one on Itihad road, near City Center) can be set on their sides, stacked and even attached together to make cubbies. Finally, i remember that I am making memories for my kids, not The neighbors. Bedrooms should be very personal affairs, so I letmy child feel his hearts desire in their special place, and not have to worry about what people will say if its not the Barbie or Hot Wheels room like the kid down the street. Enjoy yourself, and give them the fantasy room of their dreams with your heart, not your wallet. by Jin (a DMC member)
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