Paint adds personality to a toddler's bedroom.
Painting a toddler's bedroom adds personality and makes it a welcoming environment. The possibilities for painting a toddler's room are nearly endless. The interests of the child who will sleep in the room play a role in selecting the paint design. Because your toddler spends a lot of time sleeping in his bedroom, a non-VOC paint is the best option. This type of paint eliminates the harmful chemicals in regular paint. Paint can emit chemicals for a year or two after the room is painted so non-VOC paint is a good investment.
Murals
Murals create a themed wall decoration that accents a wall in the toddler's bedroom. You can easily paint your own mural with the help of an overhead projector. Project the image on the wall and trace it with a pencil. Fill in the lines with the desired paint color. Outline the design with black paint for more emphasis. The theme of the mural depends on the overall theme of the room. For an animal-themed room, paint a jungle tree on the wall. A castle works well as a princess-themed mural.
Painting an entire room in chalkboard paint is a bit overwhelming, but choosing one wall or a section of a wall works well. The toddler can create her own artwork anytime she wants. The chalkboard paint makes it acceptable for kids to color on the wall. Martha Stewart offers directions for making your own chalkboard paint in any color. This allows you to keep the room light or fit the overall color scheme while still providing a chalkboard surface. To make your own chalkboard paint, start with one cup latex paint with a flat finish. Two tbsp. of unsanded tile grout powder is added to the paint. Stir it carefully to make sure there aren't any clumps. Paint it on with a roller and smooth it with sandpaper. Rubbing the side of a piece of chalk on the painted surface conditions it so it works well as a chalkboard.
Stripes or Dots
Stripes of color on the walls adds interest to the paint design. Use painter's tape to mark off the stripes. Paint within the tape lines to get straight stripes. Wide stripes are easiest to paint because they require less taping. You can stripe the entire room, one wall or the bottom half of the wall with a paint or wooden chair rail dividing it. Dots are another easy option for the walls. Find a large circle template for the dots. Place them randomly around the room on the walls using different accent colors. You can also overlap groups of dots in different sizes.
Sponge Painting
Sponge painting is a simple technique that adds interest to the walls. You'll need two colors of paint for the walls. One is the base color and the other is the accent color that is sponged on top. Choose two strongly contrasting colors for a bold look or similar colors for a more subtle look. Experiment with different types of sponges to find the one that creates the result you want. Doing a trial run on a piece of scrap wood lets you practice your sponging technique before tackling your toddler's walls.
Tags: chalkboard paint, toddler bedroom, works well, adds interest, , entire room