One of the most exciting projects to undertake is a room makeover. This is an especially exciting endeavor for tweens, who can easily turn redecorating their bedroom into a summer project. The first step to a tween bedroom extreme makeover is to pick a theme. A simple internet search will unveil countless fun and stylish bedroom themes for inspiration: ladybug themes, beach themes, tropical themes, Victorian-style bedrooms, animal print, hearts, stars, flowers, safari-theme, and the list goes on and on. The best way to pick a theme is to think long-term, and to avoid something too trendy that your tween might not like when back-to-school rolls around in a month or two. The easiest way to really make a theme stand out is with the bedding.
One of the coolest sites we've come across is ArtisticSensations. They offer a whole "Teen Room Decor" section with lots of accessories and fun bedding ideas. I'm sure one of our resident tweens, Miss Mags, would flip over the Sugar Coated Skulls Bedding. Just like her, she is both sassy and sweet. From fuzzy phones to funky chairs, this site has a great variety and is organized in a lot of great room themes for easy shopping and inspiration.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the redecorating process for tweens is the accessorizing. The accents and accessories are what make the whole room come to life. The best part is that they don’t have to be expensive or fancy; the simplest accents can be made by you and your tween for a personal and creative touch!
Here are some great do-it-yourself room decor ideas for you and your tween to enjoy together:
Personalized Picture Frames
Craft stores sell plain wooden picture frames of all shapes and sizes, as well as acrylic paint. You can paint a few frames to match your theme, and decorate them with large, three dimensional stickers that match the theme of your room. Be sure to wait for the paint to dry before applying stickers and you may want to use a hot glue gun to ensure that the stickers won’t come off.
You can find a small, clear fishbowl or pail at pet stores or stores such as Target. Fill it with sand or pebbles to suit your taste, and then fill it with an accent of your choice. For example, for a beach theme, you can fill it with seashells (you can hunt for them at the beach or find them at Michael’s). For a safari theme, you can prop realistic-looking wild animal toys – giraffes, lions, zebras—into the sand. If you choose to use pebbles, you can buy them in bags at craft stores, and decorate with artificial flowers. Candles also do the trick for older teens. Crayola colored sand, available at Michael’s, can provide a colorful kick.
Cereal Box Organizers
Cut off one corner of an empty cereal box. Start by cutting off the top of the box. Then, halfway into the top of the box, cut at a 45 degree angle. Do this to the other side of the box as well. It may help to use a craft knife rather than scissors. (Or start with an existing plain magazine holder.) Then, wrap the box in colorful, theme-appropriate wrapping paper. You can also paint the boy with acrylic paint or spray paint for quicker results. Once the paint has dried, you can decorate the box in a variety of ways. You can cut shapes out of a sponge (hearts are the easiest, but you can try stars, leaves and other shapes if you have a stencil) and dip the sponge shapes in paint –spongy side first—to create “stamps”. You can also glue beads onto the box, as well as apply stickers. Be as creative as you like! The box is a perfect place to store magazines, papers, and schoolwork. Make more than one for an extra-organized desk area!
Blog post by Khassaundra Delgado
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