Your children’s room and playroom may be the most exciting room in the house, but it can also be the most disorganized. If the closest you get to putting away your kid’s toys, stuffed animals, and games is throwing them on the floor, then you have a problem. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be embarrassed to have guests over. Clean up the disorganization with the following tips:
Key Tip #1: Storage
Storage items are critical when it comes to the organization of your child’s room, so the first thing you’ll need to do is clear some space. Even in a small room, storage items can save space. Here are some ideas that will fit any size room.
Probably the most ideal storage item for a child’s room is something you wouldn’t necessarily expect: fabric boxes. These have several major advantages over other types of storage. For one they are sturdy enough to hold practically any toy or plush animal, yet they are soft and free of sharp corners enough to be safe for children. They also come in many sizes, assuring appropriateness for any space. And lastly, they come in practically any color, meaning it’s easy to find one that fits the theme of your child’s room and matches perfectly. So once you choose a few of these colorful boxes, they can be placed in any empty corner, or even set right at the end of a bed, which is a very traditional place for a toy chest. And remember, organization doesn’t have to stop there, assuring that you have a chaotic box. You can get different sized storage boxes to organize toys by type. For example, get a small red basket to keep small toys in, such as cars and games. Then use a bigger, green box for the large toys, which could include plush toys and dolls. If you have extra large toys, such as giant teddy bears or life sized dolls, place them neatly on the floor, bed, or dresser as a piece of your decorating motif.
If you feel your floor space is too limited for this, here’s another option: hanging storage! Get a couple of colorful hanging wall baskets with pockets. These are extremely functional, save on space, and are fun besides! Place your hanging storage on the door or next to the window and you’ve got the perfect tool to keep your child’s room organized! Just having these storage boxes or baskets will put you on your way to a neat room. You’ll find that cleaning up all the clutter on a daily basis should only take 5 minutes or so, making creating a neat room a snap!
Key Tip #2: Functionality
The key to keeping a room organized is functionality. Even if your toy to space ratio is uneven, you can still keep the room ready for visitors. Just remember to use each space and piece of furniture for a specific purpose.
Room furnishings should be arranged in such a way that there is plenty of space for storage and storage boxes. Sometimes the furniture itself can play a part in this. You can get a higher bed, or add a leg extension, which will create room underneath the bed for you to place storage. This way smaller toys can have bins that fit under the bed and out of sight. Remember to categorize these boxes so certain types of toys go in them, which means you’ll always be able to find what you need. Also, if for some reason you’re not a fan of storage boxes and baskets, you could keep the floor organized by creating a “stuffed animal corner.” First start with the bigger plush toys, for example, lean a big stuffed dog against the wall corner. Then place the smaller toys around it (such as teddy bears and dolls) and other standing toys (like games and other items) can be placed under and beside. This way the toys aren’t spread all over, and give functionality to an otherwise empty, and boring, corner. While this might not be the easiest way to clean up, as you have to arrange the toys every time instead of just throwing them in bins, it does create a wonderful decorating motif.
So there you go, using these tips will make handling clutter in your child’s room a snap! Remember, a little organization will make every part of your house attractive and functional. As a last tip, teach your children to put away toys every time they are finished playing. This assures that not only will their rooms be guest ready at all times, but they will also be taught the all important value of responsibility!
While creating and designing a baby boy’s nursery can be fun, it can also be very difficult. It involves a lot of decisions to be made, such as what colors to paint the walls and what type of furniture and decorations would go best. And though sometimes it may seem like there is more flexibility when it comes to decorating a girl’s room then there is for a boy’s room, you’ll soon see that’s not the case. Take a look at the decorating ideas outlined below and you’ll see that there are many accessories and themes available in order to decorate and design a wonderful nursery for your new baby boy!
Before you start, remember to take a look at the overall character of your home so that your new baby’s room won’t be out of place. For example, if your home is more traditional, choose accessories and colors to match. Or, if your home is modern in style, also make your baby’s room modern. And remember, regardless of which route you go, every nursery will need the basics, which includes a crib, a dresser or clothing cabinet, changing table, and toys and stuffed animals to really make the new room feel like the place for a child. Once you have these basics, you can move on to the task of finding decorations.
This may sound complicated, but it’s really not. We will show you how to create a truly “dynamic” room with only a few accessories and some creativity on your part. We’ll keep things general so that you can adapt these tips into any theme you’d like. Some good ones would be a space theme, a sports theme, a car theme, or a cowboy theme, but you can use your imagination!
Starting with the Basics
First, you need to choose the colors and the furniture for your new nursery. For a boy’s room, darker colors are usually very appropriate. For example, you could use darker green for a sports theme, or golden-brown for a cowboy theme, or dark blue for a space theme. And because you’re going to use darker colors for the walls, you should keep the furniture a lighter color, and one that will be complimentary. For example, white furniture would go great with blue or green walls, and birch would be a great choice for a cowboy theme.
So, once the colors of the room is chosen, choosing furniture becomes very easy. In fact, you can make it even easier by finding a furniture set that includes a crib, a dresser, and possibly a small table. Buying several pieces together, besides automatically matching, can also save you money. When you’re looking at sets, if you can’t find a matching changing table don’t worry. Most dresser’s can also easily double as a changing table if you put a changing pad on top. Just make sure the dresser is deep enough and stable enough to hold your child’s weight without any danger. And this will save on space. Of course, if space is not an issue you can add some fun kid’s furniture as well, such as a little table and chair set or a baby armchair. This will really make it obvious that this is a room for your new little person! Another option is to fill you extra space with a loveseat, which will give you a place to sit and hold your child if they are fussing.
Decorating and Adding Accessories
Once you’ve got the basics, it’s time to move on. Add some storage space with small containers, mounted shelves, and storage boxes. Then get stuffed animals, toys and wall paintings, or wall stick ons.
A small storage shelf is a great way to make sure you have everything you need nearby. Place it above or next to the changing table to store toys, teddy bears, and essential baby items like pacifiers, diaper-rash cream, diapers, etc. You can do the same with storage boxes.
Now that we’re done with the practical, let’s move onto the fun involved in decorating. First the walls. Add some themed murals such as a cloud and plane stick on, or a baseball mural. You can even add a colorful growth chart where you can track your new child as they grow up. Next it’s time to make the room a fun place for children with the addition of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Plush toys are a great way to make a child’s room their own. Place a few teddy bears on the dresser, or on the windowsill. Plush dogs would also be great, because what little boy doesn’t want a dog? Then, you can add another toy that matches your room’s theme. For example, get a plush rocking horse for that cowboy theme, or a star mobile to place above the bed for a space them, or little toy cars for an automobile theme.
So as you can see, with just a little bit of creativity you can easily create a fun nursery for your new baby boy. The possibilities are endless!
Having a new baby on the way is always exciting, but it can also be a lot of work! Often you need to move to a larger space as you get a bigger apartment or a house. Then you have to prepare your home to be baby friendly and safe. Included in this is decorating the baby’s nursery! This can be a really fun thing to do, but the task may seem overwhelming. Luckily, this article will help you simplify the nursery decorating process. If you are expecting a baby girl, why not welcome your new princess in style with a princess themed nursery?
It may seem complicated, but this fun girly theme will be simplified by following the tips in this article. And you’ll be glad to know that this particular nursery theme allows for a lot of flexibility when it comes to furniture and decorating decisions.
Princess Furniture
When decorating a nursery, always start with the basics: furniture. Getting the right type of furniture is key. Classic or vintage furniture is more appropriate for the princess theme then modern. Now, your first basic item would be a nice crib. Next, it’s important to get a dresser or drawer chest, and a changing table. This is all furniture that will make your life easier, but if you have limited space you can opt for a combination dresser/changing table, or a crib that included an extension that can be used as a changing table. And if you do have the space, the ideal dresser for your little princess would be an elegant drawer chest with a hutch. Not only is this furniture fit for a princess, but it’s also practical as it creates much storage space.
Remember, keep things elegant by matching a crib to the other furniture for a more sophisticated look. You can also make your nursery ready for future fun by adding a child sized table and chair set. In fact, there are many princess themed tables that would be appropriate for the room and include a mirror and stool set. This can really add some critical touches to them room and make it look truly princess ready.
Princess Accessories
Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to accessorize the room. First, you’ll need bedding. Pink is a great choice, and you can usually find bedding that has a princess theme. To keep the room royal, get a matching bed skirt, and add a white or pink canopy above the bed to complete the look. Alternatively, if you don’t care for canopies, add a fairies mobile above the bed instead.
Now it’s time to add those important little touches by decorating the dresser, table, and chair. Stuffed animals and dolls are the best way to do this. Use cute teddy bears that are either pink, white, or classic colors to fill the shelves. Then get a princess doll to sit on the child sized chairs. Another fun touch would be to add a stuffed dog under or next to the table, because nothing says royal like a lapdog for your little princess!
Walls, Floor and Ceiling Decor
When you have the decorations and furniture figured out, it’s time to paint the room to match. Pink is a very appropriate choice for a princess, so choose a shade of pink for the walls. Keep the ceiling an ivory white color so that the room is not completely overwhelmed by the pink. These bright colors will give your room a fairytale look, and to take things further, you can even add a chandelier to bring in some magical fairy light at night. Then get a rug for a the floor that has a castle or tiara theme. Light blue or pink again would be a great choice for the rug. Then accessorize the walls with paintings or pictures of castles, or even a picture of a Disney princess to hang beside the bed!
So there you go! You can achieve a truly royal (and fun) look with some themed bedding, children’s furniture, and stuffed animals. Follow these simple steps and before you know it you’ll have the perfect castle sanctuary for your little princess!
Amidst all the fun things you need to do in preparation for a new baby, is to decorate the nursery room. At times, this task might seem difficult. This is why we bundled up these great ideas for you, to help it all come together without too much trouble. We are creating a teddy bears themed nursery from scratch, just to prove that it can be easy and fun. Let yourself emerge in a world of colors, stuffed animals, teddy bears and little cute things ready to welcome your new baby!
So you’re having a baby, congratulations! Whether it’s your first child or not, being an expectant parent is always an exciting experience. There’s many things about this time in your life that are enjoyable, and one of the most fun is getting to designate and decorate your baby’s new room. Below we’ve included a couple of fun filled ideas to help you get started on this great project. And the best thing about them, is that they will fit any budget and still allow you to create an amazing nursery!
Besides these great nursery ideas, we have also included some practical tips for you. After all, it can’t all be fun and frivolous. You’ll need some useful and practical items for your new son or daughter.
So it’s time to get started. We will start by imagining an empty room, but if you’ve already painted, you’re a little ahead so just skip to the parts that are relevant to you!
Teddy Bear Nursery
What’s more popular than a teddy bear? Few toys are as appropriate for baby, and the teddy bear theme assures you’ll have a room just as cute as your new baby!
Painting and Colors
To start with, you’ll need to paint the walls. To create a fun teddy-bear theme start by painting the walls in a bright and exciting color. A couple of great choices would be green, pink, yellow, or brown, but feel free to use your imagination! Then, choose a rug to compliment your chosen wall color. For example, if you chose pink, go with a creamy colored rug. Or if you chose green, go with a dark green rug. Once you’ve got those two things picked out, it’s time to decide on furniture.
Furniture
A baby’s room doesn’t need a whole lot of furniture, but there are a couple of essential items. Most obviously, there’s the crib, as you need a safe and comfortable place for baby to sleep. You will also need a changing table and either a dresser or a clothing cabinet. The changing table is certainly essential, because you will be changing a lot of diapers! And the dresser is important too, because you will soon find yourself with plenty of baby clothes as you get shower gifts and start finding cute things on your own. Two other things, though not essential, are also recommended. One of these is a love seat or small couch, because as a parent, you’ll be spending a lot of time in that room, and it might be nice to have a place to sit! Plus, you will no doubt have a lot of guests over to see the new baby, and it would be great to have a place for them to rest their feet too as they oh and ah over the new arrival. The other thing that is recommended is a twin bed. You will need this eventually anyway as your child grows bigger and graduates from the crib. You can also add a nightstand next to the bed, and a little baby armchair, table, or little ottoman. Remember, it depends on how much space is available in the baby room.
Accessories and Decor
Now for the really fun part! It’s time to “accessorize” the room. First, find some bedding with a teddy bear theme. This bedding can be as budget friendly or luxurious as you want, depending on where you buy it. Next, start decorating the room. Get a blanket to throw over the back of the love seat or rocking chair that has a teddy bear printed on it. Then place a big plush teddy on one of the corners of the bed or on the loveseat. You can also get some smaller bears to be placed on the changing table. This will work best if you’ve placed the changing table against the wall, so the stuffed animals have some where to lean against. Not only will this look great, but it might even keep the baby from crying while he or she is being changed!
If you decided to add a nightstand, you could also place a teddy bear frame on it with a picture of your new family, once the baby comes. Another option would be to find a stuffed animal themed lamp or lamp sheet to put next to the photo frame. These things could also be placed on the dresser, if you didn’t get a nightstand. Then, finish off the room by adding some classic drapes or valances. Drapes are best if the room as too much light during the day, and valances are best if you have a darker room. Colors for the curtains should be chosen to compliment the furniture or the walls and rug.
So there you go! You have created a fun-filled (and adorable) room for your new baby. Take these suggestions and be as creative or classic as you want, and friendly to your wallet as well! Remember, with some bright colors, basic furniture, plush teddy bears and themed décor you can transform a plain room into the perfect place for baby.
t’s that time of the year again! Time for you to go through your home and organize everything that has accumulated throughout the year. That’s right; it’s time for Spring Cleaning! Whether it’s actually spring or the middle of winter, it’s time to get your house in order. This is not an enjoyable task, but it has to get done. After all, we all enjoy our home more when it is clutter free. To help you get started, here are some tips and hints to help you get rid of your old, unwanted stuff, sometimes with minimal effort from you!
Clothes and Garments
Whether you have a bridesmaid dress from your cousin’s wedding four years ago, or a shirt you bought that didn’t fit and you lost the receipt for, most of us have clothes that we could easily part with. So get your unwanted t-shirts, jackets, skirts, jeans, and shoes gathered together into a simple garbage bag. Then, all you need to do is find a simple donation drop off box for garments. These are very common. Many charity organizations have them, whether they be Good Will, the Red Cross, or some other charity. In fact, most of these organizations try to make your donating as easy as possible, and put drop boxes at many stores or supermarkets. This makes it easy for you to rid yourself of your old clothes. Just look for one of these boxes on your way to work or when you’re out shopping, and you can get rid of your clutter with minimal fuss.
Stuffed Animals and Other Toys
For those of us with kids, it seems there are always more toys then are needed. Some playthings they grow out of, and others they lose interest in. In that case, it would be better to get those toys to a child who will better appreciate them. Luckily, many charities encourage us to donate toys. You will often see toy “drives” where you are allowed to drop off unwanted items at your local supermarket and the charity will make sure that the items will get into the hands of those who will appreciate them. Or if there are no local drives, many churches are happy to take your old stuffed animals like teddy bears, plush cats, lions and games off your hands. You could even do a simple search on the internet and find someone locally to take your toys and get them into the hands of needy children in other countries.
Furniture and Home Accessories
These are often the most difficult items to get rid of. After all, they are heavy and take up a lot of space. Still, you will be surprised how grateful others will be take furniture off your hands. Ask around with your friends and family, and perhaps someone will know a college student who would be more than happy to a get a free sofa for their apartment or dorm. They’ll probably even transport it themselves! Remember, your junk could be someone else’s treasure. And if you can’t find anyone, and are at all tech savvy, you could put an ad out on one of the many free internet classifieds, such as Craig’s List. These are all great ways to get rid of your heavy furniture without having to expend much energy or cash on transportation costs. (You could also sell your old furniture for cash if it’s in good condition). And if you have the ability to carry an item a short distance, you could even set it at the end of your driveway with a “free” sign on it. Someone will probably stop by and happily take it off your hands! Furniture doesn’t have to be as difficult to get rid of as you think!
So as you can see, no matter what form your unwanted clutter takes, there’s always a way to get it into the hands of someone who will appreciate it. You can donate them to friends, family, or acquaintances, give them to a charity to place with the needy, or simply have someone pick them up from your door! Remember, spring cleaning does not have to be incredibly difficult. Just keep in mind these tips for making your clutter someone else’s treasure. Good luck!
Coming up with a great idea for a baby shower isn’t always easy. You want to do right by your good friend or family member, but you have no idea where you should start. There’s no need to worry, because included below are some amazing ideas with which to give yourself a starting point and inspire your inner party planner.
Color
Conventional wisdom says that you should use blue for baby boys and pink for baby girls. It can make it easy to organize a party around a certain color scheme. Of course, this assumes that the gender of the baby is known already. If the parents are trying to keep this is a surprise, you can plan your party around a neutral, but still cute, color such as yellow or light green. But don’t feel that you have to be bound by convention. You could be more creative and use the mother’s favorite color. As long as the colors are fun and lively, you’re bound to have a great party.
Theme
Having a theme is a wonderful way to make party organization easy for you, still have everything be very fun, and give your party that “put together” look. One easy way to do this is simply to have a “baby” theme. Gather together decorations with storks, diapers, bottles, and rattles. Or maybe you don’t want the traditional feeling that this would convey. Instead, you could choose a seasonal theme. For example, maybe Valentine’s Day is close by. Use hearts and flowers for decorations and you’ll have a Valentine’s Baby Shower. You could do the same thing with Halloween, the Fourth of July, or Christmas if they’re having a Christmas baby. And this theme doesn’t have to just be holidays; instead use one of the four seasons (obviously whichever one the baby is going to be born in). A summer or beach theme would be a lot of fun and give you a starting point with which to organize the party.
Decorations
Don’t get overwhelmed with all your choices for decorations. Remember your theme. For a party with a Valentine’s Day theme, as mentioned above you could use hearts and flowers, but you could also add some things more specific to baby. For example, include balloons that have “I love you baby!” written on them, and to be really creative, get little baby food jars to tie the balloons to and hold them in place. Remember, the possibilities are endless. Symbols of motherhood are also a great way to decorate. One great way you could do this is with stuffed animals. For example, for the gift table centerpiece, have a stuffed lioness and her cub. In fact, putting stuffed animals in pairs of bigger and smaller can be an adorable way to portray mother and child. Get a big teddy bear and a small teddy bear and put them side by side. The teddy bear idea would be an especially good idea for the Valentine’s Day theme, but remember, you can do this with any plush animal!
Favors
Party favors are not absolutely necessary for a baby shower, but they are certainly appreciated, and they can make a great prize if you play shower games. Also, they can do double duty as both decorations and favors. For example, a friend of mine had some very cute napkins as favors that had little babies and toys painted on them. They were pretty when they were laid out, and then everyone got very excited when they realized they could take them home! You could do this with those mother and child stuffed toys you were using for decorations also. You could give your guests the pair, or just the smaller one, which would certainly make things more affordable. Remember, whether you could a small teddy bear, some stuffed lions, plush cats, or something else, you’ll have a fun decoration and a gift that is easy to find and affordable. And of course, if you are looking for a more traditional favor, you could get little photo frames or carriage shaped candles. The possibilities are practically endless!
Remember, there’s a lot to do to put together a great baby shower, but this should give you a nice starting point and really get your creative juices flowing. Start by having a color or theme in mind and that get decorations to match! Then consider what party favors your guests would enjoy. Before you know it, you’ll find that your entire party has fallen together very naturally! A baby shower doesn’t have to be a huge hassle! Instead it can be lots of fun and the talk of your friends or family for years to come!
Every Halloween we have to be creative. We have to dress up both our kids and ourselves, and we need to decorate our homes. But when you have to do this year after year, sometimes you begin to run out of ideas. It’s hard to be new and different every Halloween. In order to help keep your creative juices flowing, take a look at some of the ideas outlined below. Use these ideas to keep your Halloween costumes fresh and fun.
Your child’s probably tired of being Superman or Wonder Woman year after year. Why not choose a more natural look this Halloween? Dress them up as a tiger or bear, or some other animal costume. Not only are these great costumes on their own, but they can be added to and accessorized with in ways that seem very creative. Depending on the look your child is going for, you can make them look either scary or cute.
Maybe you child wants to look cute. Add an adorable stuffed animal on the candy bucket, and match the stuffed animal to the costume. For example, if they’re dressed up as a lion, add a stuffed lion to the candy bucket, and they get to travel with a little friend! Maybe you want the lion to be a scary man-eater. Add some scars to its fur, and maybe some vampire teeth too, and it will look like its fangs are barred. For the stuffed animal in the bucket, attach the lion’s prey. Get something like a small stuffed giraffe, and add some fake blood so that it looks like a recent kill by this dangerous lion
Stuffed animals can be used in a lot of other ways to dress up practically any costume. For example, say you want to dress up like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Get a little plush dog and put it in a straw basket and you’ll have Toto to carry around with you! Or maybe you want to be a traditional witch. No witch costume is complete without her trusty familiar: a black cat. Add a broom and a stuffed cat and you’ve got some great additions to your outfit! These costumes come with an extra bonus, because you get to keep the stuffed animals once Halloween is over!
Maybe you want to look like a Disney Princess, so you get all sorts of small forest plush animals. All you need is a small basket and you can fill it up with stuffed bunnies, stuffed raccoons, and even plush squirrels. No princess costume is complete without its entourage! Or if you want to be Tarzan this Halloween, get a big stuffed monkey to carry around with you. Wrap it around your neck, and the monkey will authenticate your costume and keep you warm during this chilly October.
As you can see, there are a ton of great ideas you can use for Halloween. You can have fresh ideas every year, and have a fun and spooky costume. Go ahead and put these concepts into practice, and before you know it everyone will be wondering how you came up with such an innovative idea!
Do you ever wish you could make your Halloween decorations more distinctive? If so, you should take some direction from my nephew, who recently completely wowed us all with his creativity. Every year, my sister and my neighbor have a good natured competition over who creates the best haunted house within their own homes. But this year my nephew outdid them both with his distinctive and unique Halloween decorations.
With his decorations, my nephew would have done the Adams family proud. He placed fake spider webs all over the house, with the stairs looking the best. Then he used several plastic bats, setting them artistically in various corners of the rooms of their house. He even hung them from the chandelier in the family room. Then he used paper skeletons to add an extra touch. He stuck them to the walls in a very creative fashion. For example, one looked like it was walking into my sister’s bedroom, and another appeared to be peaking out of the door to the basement. There was even one that would welcome you as you entered the front door, greeting you from behind the couch with a bony smile.
He also decked out the kitchen. He placed artfully carved Jack O’Lanterns around with tea lights to give the room a spooky glow. Then, with clever touches he made the kitchen into a witch’s sanctuary. A decorated paper witch was hung where the mop is usually kept, and the mop itself was decorated to look like a witch’s broom. Then, he placed a potion pot on the stove to really make it feel like something creepy was cooking in the kitchen! You just knew that witch was up to no good!
However, the theme I loved the most was the one he put together in my niece’s bedroom. She’s an avid collector of stuffed animals, with plush toys everywhere. There were stuffed monkeys, cats, bunnies, teddy bears, and pretty much anything else you could think of. Rather than get rid of all the cute, my nephew decided to use them as props. He turned some of the plush toys into phantoms and ghosts, with white handkerchiefs used for each and a hole for their eyes. He looped a strap around their waists and hung them from the ceiling so they were “floating.” For one of her stuffed raccoons, because it already had a villainous look with its natural mask, he added a chain and a plastic knife. He turned several of the animals into vampires, the best of which was one of her teddy bears. He gave it a black cape and made some sharp white teeth from paper to complete its transformation in to a bloodsucker.
My nephew proved that with some creativity you can really make a spooky Halloween haunt. And of course, to no one’s surprise, he won the competition! We’re now all anxiously waiting to see what he’ll come up with next year, and who knows what my niece’s teddy bears will become next! So as you can see, there are many ways to be creative and work with what you already have to make the perfect Halloween sanctuary. Have fun, and creativity will surely follow!
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