I mentioned that today I would share how I decorated the room very inexpensively. I first went to a second hand store. I looked for anything in the colors she wanted for her room. I found a green pair of Capris and a girls jumper overall dress that was purple and lime green flowers. As my daughter was a teenager, she was into clothes, purses and she also collected "The Wizard of Oz" so I figured those were my decorating items. I bought a purple fuzzy soft shirt and in the window you can see two vintage green purses. I also bought some silk scarves in orange and I bought a fuzzy hot pink robe to use for the fabric as well. I took the fuzzy purple shirt and sewed it up except a small hole in the bottom and stuffed the entire thing and then stitched the bottom of the shirt/now pillow. It was so soft and fuzzy that she used it all the time. You can see it in the picture. I bought the other pillows second hand and threw them in the washer except the purple flower which was a gift.
I took the green Capris and cut the front from the back. I left the waist band on so I could use it to hang the curtain through. I then cut the front from the back of the jumper and cut the top overall portion off so I could use it to make a tissue box cover.
I then sewed the sides together on the Capris to the jumper alternating the fabric. I measured before sewing so that they would be the same length. I cut the jumper a little larger so I could fold over the fabric making a casing for the curtain rod.
In the entire room, the only thing I bought new was the boas to go over the clothes curtain as a valance. I since then found some at the dollar store but at the time, that was the only expense for the room that was over $4. I took some blue covered copper wire from an electrician that I scrapped somewhere and made flower shapes that matched the jumper flowers and used those on the corner of the curtain rod to hold up both the boas. You can kind of see them in the picture but I had so many I wanted to show that I didn't want to waste one on that. It was easy to make and they held the boas in place
To make the tissue box cover. I bought a small scrap of fuzzy green fabric for $.25. I sewed that to cover the box and cut a hole in the top. I then took the bib of the overall jumper I used for the windows and shortened the straps so that they would just cover the top of the tissue box. I shortened the bib as well so the buttons would show. I thought it was really cute keeping the theme of the room to clothes.
In the picture to the left, I added this a bit later but as I found different cute purses or bags, I put a few more in the room. Right now, my third Princess has about 5 purses and a collection of hats hanging on the posts of the brass bed. I hung this bag I got at the dollar store on a flower hook I found at a second hand store.
You can see how I drew flowers on the wall using a glitter glue set that one of the girls got for their birthday. I just took alternating colors and drew different shapes that matched the room on the wall in different locations with no pattern to where I put them. I used the flowers from the jumper as a theme in the room and carried over into the decoration on the wall.
The framed picture is one Princess number three did with oil crayons. It matched the room so well that I framed it and hung it. She did a great job on it. It almost looks like I just hung a frame on the wall over a decoration.
When Princess number one had the room, I decorated it with "Wizard of Oz" items but when Princess number three took over the room after her sister went to college, we transformed the room to incorporate Princess number three's collection which is "Snoopy."
When the post office came out with Snoopy stamps, I got a sheet and framed it using pink felt as the backing. Really, this cost more than most things in the room as they are new of course, but, you could just take a copy of a stamp online and color print it and it would be just as neat as a decoration. I have stamps in most of the girls rooms as part of their collections and all are framed just to add value to their collection as a whole. However, if your child just likes horses.... You can get anything you want online and print it and frame it.
Since we went to Knotts Berry Farm a few years ago, we thought it would be cute to get her some squished coins and some of the "Berry Bucks" however, they happened to be out of them the day we went so a kind worker actually sent me the "bucks" for her frame. We took a picture with her and Snoopy and framed the picture, coins and "bucks" on the same pink felt as well.
Another cute thing I did was ordered checks with Snoopy characters on them. There were 4 designs. I wrote out a check to "Snoopy" for a million dollars, then on the Charlie Brown check I wrote it to "Charlie Brown" etc writing the checks lower and lower until I wrote the one to Charlie Brown for a penny. Those were also framed on the pink felt.
You can see in the top bedside table picture, I bought some orange scarfs and used those to cover the table. They were used and I paid $.25 each. I crossed them on the diagnol. I got the bedside table for $3 used and the green cloth to cover it for a dollar or two used. I also got the cute lava lamp and clear glass jar at the second hand store. The circular dots on the lamp is actually a necklace I bought used that is plastic and I thought it wasa so cute I wasn't sure where I was going to use it but I think it was $.50. I had some glow bouncy balls that we had left over from a carnival we did and the colored balls we got for the kids over the years and when I was trying to think of something cute to put into the clear glass lamp, the glow balls came to mind so we filled it up with the bouncy balls. The candles were all from the dollar store.
I went around collecting the stuffed animals that the girls had in the right colors and found a chest/box at a second hand store or yard sale. I don't remember but it wasn't more than a few dollars. I just wanted something she could store her "stuff" that she didn't use all the time. I took the fuzzy hot pink robe and just covered the chest with it at the foot of her bed. I didn't cut the robe or anything. I just tucked it under and behind making it look like a fuzzy pink box. In all actuallity, I could have used a cardboard box for that matter as the robe covers it completely. The green pillow you can see in the back was a fuzzy green sweater that I just sewed into a square and threw in an old bed pillow we weren't using anymore. Really, I used anything in the colors of the room it didn't matter what it was. If I had gone to the fabric store and purchased fuzzy hot pink fabric, I would have paid between $7 and $13 a yard. The robe probably cost me $3 at the second hand store. I washed it, used a brush to comb it out and it is super cute. 
I took a shelve we had already that I did buy used (I will mention that all the frames and shelves in my home are used or made up of clearance parts that I made into shelves. I NEVER buy frames new unless I am doing a specific project. I just buy wooden frames and paint them after a little sanding.) and painted it the color she wanted and then put up her "collection" stuff. You can see here some of the Snoopy collection Princess number 4 had up. It was looking cluttered and she has since cleared most of it off leaving the phone and a few other things. I generally let them choose what they want in their rooms and where and how they want things unless it is a major issue such as a bed that won't fit in the room etc.
You can see here that Princess number one had her "Wizard of Oz" barbie collection up which was actually signed by two of the only 3 living munchkins at the time. We got the lamp from my sister whose in-laws were cleaning out a storage bin of "grandma's" things and I thought the lamp was cool. The hot pink bed spread was also a find in that situation just as we were decorating her room. I will tell you here also that in the past, I have called the local radio station when they have their "trading post" where you can sell things or ask for things you want and asked for a bed spread in a certain color etc. Twice now, I have gotten exactly what I was looking for for free or very cheaply that way. Once I got a red velvet bedspread for "Whinnie the Pooh" room and once I got a blue bed spread that I was looking for a match and got both. The Bonus on that was that my friend heard me on the radio and called offering me red velvet curtains which matched the bed spreads I was looking for and gave me them for free. I NEVER would have asked or thought of getting red velvet curtains had she not called. I didn't know they even made them so sometimes "putting it out there" works great.
I know most cities have a "Craigs list" or classifieds online and now most cities have a "facebook yardsale" for each town or city so you can ask for things you are looking for to decorate your home and people in general want to help you find what you are looking for so just go ahead and ask. The worst that could happen is you don't end up with what you already don't have.
I found some cute "glow in the dark" flowers that matched the curtains flowers and I put them all over the ceiling so when she turned off the lights at night, she would have glow flowers. A few years ago at a second hand store, I found these cute glow "Snoopy" characters and one day I surprised Princess by using "Fun Tack" to put them up on the ceiling so when she went to bed, they were glowing. She thought that was fun.
Lastly, I used wooden letter to put up the "collection" title. These can be purchased from a company called Twelve Timbers (link to Twelve Timbers letters here) however, these are for sale all the time at second hand stores and there is a local store here that sells them discounted when they change "fonts" or colors or sells seconds so I buy the sizes and colors I want and if they don't have the right color, I just sand them down some and paint them the colors that I need. I bought enough for each collection title or room theme title and purchased each girls name. I don't always have them up but knowing that the girls would be changing rooms out I figured changing out some cute lettering makes it much easier to change the decorations or "theme" in a room.
Last week, I had visitors to my home and they told me they like how I had things decorated and asked if I would help them decorate their new store. I asked them a few questions about their new store. They are doing a "baby boutique" in town. I asked what ideas they had for their store. They had purchased 4 or 5 gallons of paint at full price in pastel colors. They were going to paint "flowers" on the wall in the pastel colors. I then asked them if the baby boutique part didn't work and they needed to add children's clothes, would the "pastel flowers" still work for them....
They said it probably wouldn't work. I suggested that they do a neutral color on the walls, then, decorate with cut vinyl so that the words and decorations can easily be taken off. I shared that they could do one or two walls in the pastel and then use cute vinyl cutouts of baby strollers etc. I personally would have gone with the antique look baby strollers, decorating with the same. However, when working with others, you need to go with what they have, their likes and what suits their needs.
When they were leaving they said they wished they had met me a few weeks prior as they would have saved a ton on paint. I shared with them that I NEVER buy paint and have it mixed. I always use the mis-tinted ones and have them remix it to the color I want.
There are so many options as you can see but the girls entire room was under $50 or so. I RARELY buy fabric from a fabric store. Put online what you are looking for or go to yard sales or second hand stores for what you want. Then, while at the store or yard sale, ask those there if they have anything that would work for what you are making or doing with your room. Often the best things I have found were things I wasn't even looking for but someone suggested. Don't be afraid to ask for help or suggestions. Everyone has something to contribute.
WOW that was much longer than I wanted it to be but hopefully, you will enjoy it. We sure had fun doing each room.... Tomorrow, my Beach Bathroom.....
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