Kids Party Decorating

It can be so hard to figure out how to decorate for kids parties, especially since there are so many themes and trends available. You can save money but still add a decorator touch by doing some of the work yourself.

Keep shopping to a minimum – it’s easy to be distracted by all the birthday stuff available, especially if you take the kids shopping with you. Some ways to keep it simple:

Set up a sweet table. These are also known as dessert tables, dessert buffets and candy buffets. They’re very trendy, but also useful in defining a party space and theme. Most of the desserts, treats, favors and decorations can be set up on the dessert table. It looks stunning, and also keeps the party decorations in one place.

Stick to one or two colors for decorations. Solid colors or simple graphics on balloons, streamers, dessert table tents and serving items add color and a fun look, but keep things looking neat and refined. It also makes it easier to shop for food items and other birthday stuff.

If your kids insist on a theme, add a few inexpensive elements that coordinate with the colors you choose.

Spend a little extra time on homemade decorations to save money and create a fabulous look. Find some images online that you can print to paper to make invitations, party tents, cupcake toppers, signs and other paper items. Just open a browser to Google, type in the search phrase – like Super Mario or Angry Birds – and click on images. The pictures you find can be copied with a right click of the mouse into your favorite word processing program (like Word) or graphics software (like Paintshop). Just add some text if desired or print out the images to cut and paste (literally!) onto other paper for decorations.

Stickers are another inexpensive item that you can use for DIY items for your party. Use them to decorate placecards, cupcake toppers, party hats and almost anything. They can even be attached to cut out circles and hung as a fun banner.

Circle and other paper punches help a lot when it comes to making free print items for your party. Not only do paper punches save time over manual cutting, you can use them to make shapes that add a decorator touch and a little extra detail. Make scallop designs and perfect circles for cupcake toppers, garland and other items for your party.

You can spend a little less time and still save money by using party printables. Just find some from your favorite seller, download, print to paper and cut. You can use them again and again for dessert tables, candy buffets, sweet tables and throughout the party space.

Use a single color for party decorations, then add treats and sweets to match.

Party printables like these are inexpensive and add a colorful custom touch.

Decorating Ideas For Sharing a Room

My boys have always shared a room, and it's been easy to come up with decorating ideas for them. When they were little, they both had car beds and a car theme room. Now that they're older, they have bunk beds and a Star Wars room.

But sometimes decorating for kids rooms that are shared isn't so easy. If you have a girl and a boy sharing a room, or siblings who are far apart in age,it can be difficult to find items that seem suitable for both kids and still have a coordinated look.

Some decorating ideas for sharing a room are:

• print fabrics in black and white, which mix together and provide a backdrop for prints and accessories in primary or pastel colors.


• stripes or prints in primary colors or jewel tones


• a nature theme with brown or neutral bedding and fun wall decor

Bunk beds and platform beds are great space savers in a small shared room, especially ones with built in drawers.

Decorating Ideas For Sharing a Room With Your Baby

When my first son came home from the hospital, I realized that there was a major decorating dilemma in my house. Like many parents, he ended up in a bassinet in my bedroom for months. He had a room ready for him, but I just couldn't part with the little guy. The only problem was that his blue and tan plaid bassinet fabric majorly clashed with my spring green walls and vintage style colorful quilt.

Of course this was not a major problem in those days, but it did bug me a bit. I think other parents have been in the same situation, so busy getting the baby's room ready that you don't think about the early months when the baby may not even be in his own room.

If I had the chance to do it over, I would have planned for these early months better. When my second was born, I was quick to buy simple white crib bedding to blend with the decor of my bedroom. A plain white changing table blended right in, too.

Another idea for making a shared room work is to find bedding for your bed as well as the crib that works together. Neutral colors, like the ones below, will work with most wall colors and existing furniture.

A Castle Theme for a Boys Room

One decorating idea that I planned but never got to put into place was a castle theme or knight theme. My younger son was very into the idea, and we grappled for awhile over whether to let him have his own room. Of course as soon as I heard he wanted a castle theme, I started planning and drawing and doing online window shopping! As it turned out, we decided to keep the boys together and have them share a room, and they chose a space theme instead.

I was a little dismayed by not being able to put my idea to work, although decorating just one room was a cheaper option and I got an office of my own out of the deal.

My idea for this room was to paint two walls gray, then add stencils with faux painting techniques to look like stone walls. The other two walls would be green, with rolling hills painted on. A green shelf would hold his Playmobil castle and look like a neighboring castle in the distance.

Some other ideas I had planned were to paint some basic furniture - a dresser and nightstand - with dark paint, then paint on a crest or use decals. I was going to paint a royal looking headboard on the wall, and add rich, velvet bedding worthy of a king.

For other decor, I had planned to add armor and swords from children's costumes, and a life sized knight wall decal.

Here are some items from my shopping list that will work together in a castle room. Each item is available for secure purchase through Amazon or other affiliates by clicking on the image.

Creating a Play Area

What if you don't have a whole room for a playroom? It's a good idea to have a designated space so that toys don't wander into every room of your house. Even a small nook of your home can be devoted to a play area. Some ideas are corners of infrequently used rooms like dining rooms or guestrooms, or large unused walk-in closets - just remove the doors and add curtains or a folding screen to cover the space.

Toys can be quickly stashed away in almost any room, without cramping the style of the room. Coffee tables with drawers, decorative trunks, and storage ottomans all are stylish storage solutions, and no one ever has to know that they are filled with ten thousand lego pieces and broken crayons. In a less formal room, baskets, buckets and canvas bins can be used to quickly corral toys.

Another way to contain toys in a play area: let them be part of the decor. In a casual room, vintage looking toys make great decorations as well as activities for kids. There are many reproductions of classic toys that meet current safety standards.

Setting Up A Playroom

When my boys were little, I was very fortunate to have a whole room that could be used as a playroom. My only regret is that I didn't have a good design plan in advance, so it ended up becoming a large disorganized pile of toys! If I could do it over, I would design the room with better storage as well as play in mind.

No matter what the size of your playroom - whether it's a whole room or just an area in another room - think of how preschools are set up, with areas for pretend play, crafts, and more active activities. The latter is best done outside, but with a large enough room and some soft flooring, you can add small sliding boards, climbing walls, and other play equipment. Even a large mat where kids can just dance or jump around is a good choice.

Make sure toys have a home and that they are easy to put away. Toy boxes and canvas bins make cleanup fast.

For pretend play, use play kitchens, play tables, toy workshops - whatever appeals to the children who will be playing there. You can set up areas just like a miniature house, with a kitchen, workshop and quiet area, for some examples.

Flooring should be soft for little falls, but also easy to clean and maintain. Carpet squares and vinyl flooring are good choices; the first is easy to replace if necessary, the second easy to clean. The floor can have added softness and pops of color with soft, shaggy rugs.

Since most toys are colored in bright primary colors, they usually coordinate well and there is little need for further decorating. Walls can be plain white, or perhaps a brightly colored accent wall, a wall painted in chalkboard paint, or stripes or dots painted on the wall. Use maps, letter charts and other educational art for further decoration.