Home decorating has been a slow-going, low priority project of mine since we moved in last September. I've been trying to tackle one room at a time and keep my budget under $150 total for each room. That budget has been a bit of a challenge since we didn't have a big girl bed for Alaina when we moved.
This is Alaina's room when we moved in. Don't judge. A changing table and a crib? All of that seems like so long ago already!
The first part of the room redo was obviously to get her a bed. After the drapes had been hung and the bed was in place, the huge expanse of wall above it bothered me. It was too big for anything framed (plus, I don't like the idea of frames above kids' beds) and all the ideas that popped in my head just didn't fit. I've seen variations of butterfly art and always loved it (Alaina loves "buh-flies"), but it goes for a pretty penny, even if it's just vinyl. Definitely not in the budget. While Anthony and the kids were away in March, I printed off these butterflies from the web in different sizes, colored as many as Alaina's magenta marker would allow, then put a tiny bead of hot glue on each corner to secure them to the wall. I was worried about the thin printer paper curling, and it has a little bit, but I like the shadows and dimension that it creates. Win!
Next came the tackling of Alaina's bows. She loves these things. As a matter of fact, she got out of bed last night at 10 for me to put a bow in her hair, then went back to sleep. They were always in her bed, in her purses, everywhere. I researched bow holders and frankly, thought that they were all hideous. I'll be the first to admit that this one is a little garish, but it goes. Frame from D.I. - $3 (spraypainted the same color as her bookshelf). Ribbon and fleece from Walmart - $6. Having Alaina's bows out of reach and off of the floor - priceless.
Alaina's other wall was offensively white, and I had visions of large, simple photos to counteract the "busyness" of the butterfly wall. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for deals on photo canvases. You can usually find great deals on 8x10s, but bigger ones are expensive and don't go on sale often! I found a groupon for a company out of California, and ordered these right away. You can imagine my disappointment when I opened the huge box to find someone else's family photos! We got all that sorted out, and I love them. The pink thing underneath is her bookshelf (it's actually the same one I had in my room as a child!).
And last, but not least, are the chinese lanterns. I've been eyeing these since she was a little baby, but I couldn't figure out how to make them work. As soon as I found her bedspread, the deal was sealed. Perhaps one day we'll buy the cords and lighting, but for now, we just enjoy the whimsical flavor they add to the room.
The final product. Not bad, if I do say so myself! :)
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