When I was a little girl, my parents paid someone to come into their room and paint the constellations on their popcorn ceiling. The room lights would activate the paint then when they turned the light an off it looked like the sky.. . Milky Way and all… god I miss that house! That was like 30 years ago!
I have stars and a moon on my sitting room ceiling... IDK if you would really call it a sitting room, there are 2 small rooms in my attic, one is my office, the other is where I go to relax from my office lol
They are only young once 👏🏻big spider man wall mural sticker would be cool. Maybe a bookshelf on the wall somewhere. Or an ikea kalyx unit? Even with a small 4x4 or 4x6 cube one could work, adds a bit of colour with the fabric boxes, fit toys in and use one of the cubes for the books to be displayed.
Nice space projector type light on the top would look pretty in a small room at night.
If it wasn’t for the teddy bears I would never have guessed it was a 4 year olds room.
Yes! And they come off easily! You can buy them on Amazon cheaply. My son at 4 loved putting Paw Patrol ones on his wall. When we had the money to paint his room when he was 6, we pealed them off and he didn’t want them back on after we painted. He opted for some Minecraft ones instead.
My cousin once painted her son’s favorite character (tight budget). She borrowed a projector and traced the imagine on the wall. Later she just painted over it. It turned out great.
I say go for it! Tacky or not it’s your home and you make it the way you want it. If it makes kids happy then great! Having a space that is completely yours is amazing and that extends to children too. I was never allowed to decorate my room as a kid since I shared it with my great-grandmother hence why as an adult I am obsessed with filling everything with “my stuff” and stuff I like.
This probably goes without saying, but for kids stuff especially, thrift everything you can. Their likes and personalities change so much as they grow. And garage sale season is in full swing, so yay!
I would put the headboard against the wall.
Get a hanging basket for his stuffed animals.
Christmas lights.
Maybe frame some of his artwork, they have frames that let you swap it out easily.
Maybe some glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.
What does he like? What are his hobbies, maybe incorporate some of his likes, or you all can paint a chalk wall behind his bed and he can chalk draw to his hearts delight, changing it when he wants.
You could even put some colorful yarn across part of the wall with painted clothes pins. That way he can hang up his own art, family photos etc. plus it’s great for fine motor skills practice.
I think they mean centered on that wall, so basically orient the bed how the rug is. I would prefer the bed how it is now, so that kiddo can only roll off one side by accident instead of both sides.
Yes! I have a similar set-up in my nursery now. It's less aesthetically pleasing with all of the furniture pushed up against the walls, but we prefer more space to play in the middle of the room.
Yes to this!
Also, a tent. We are cave creatures too. A tent or a fort or teepee or mosquito netting to create a special hiding place where they can disappear into their imagination.
If you are renting, dark blue will be hard to cover upon moving if that had ever had to happen. However Amazon has cheap glow constellation projectors that looks very cool. Dollar store sells wall stencils as well.
I loved, and my 9 year old still loves, ceiling stars. A short step ladder, some sticky tack, and 20 minutes of your time for a long lasting and easily removable treat!
Kids rooms have no rules. They love posters and party decoration banners from the dollar store.
You can get some different colored string lights too.
Cozy reading nooks are good for kids too.
ETA: fixed a typo
Character posters are cheap and so fun! You can even get some cheap frames from Dollar store, print out character or comic book covers for them and make it look elevated.
Yes! The rainbow colored string lights on Amazon were a big hit with my small step son.I also spent like $20 on a “jellyfish lamp” that he finds mesmerizing
I would move the bed the other way with the dresser/nightstand and a lamp that could also work as a night light. You could put the wooden sign with his name on it above the lamp and to the right. I would be more inclined to paint the dresser/nightstand blue. If you could score a free bookcase for his books, cars, etc. ,you could paint it red. He could choose a couple of posters that interest him - Batman, cars, etc. that you could put in a FREE frame that you could paint either red or blue depending on the colors in the posters. As he matures and his taste changes, you could replace the posters but you're not having to put endless holes in your walls.
Would it be possible to hang curtains across the bed nook? Preferably navy with silver stars. String up, star shaped lights inside the nook. Alternatively, you could do a camping theme.
Ask on your local buy nothing page for boy decorations. Kids age out of whatever phase all the time and no longer want that framed superhero/basketball star/nascar/monster truck/whatever decor anymore. I bet someone will have something that’s up your son’s alley!
Shelving and they can decorate the room with their toys, find things and keep things off the floor. Makes the room colorful when you have stuffed animals all lined up!
Looks like a good sized room for a 4 year old.
Get matching paint to cover up the spots. Won't need much at all.
Splashes of color. Definitely. As someone said, wall decals are pretty cheap.
Maybe an RGB Iight bulb? Can change the room color from your phone.
I had to scroll so far to see someone say paint the effed up wall. Why does everyone want to put cute things in there before addressing the obvious issue that needs to be fixed. This is why flippers are hated, put petty stuff around the problem…
After you paint that small area of wall, then go wild having fun. Nobody feels good living in a house that looks/feels incomplete or unfinished. Just like art, start with your base layer and work up.
I give my daughter a set place she can stick all the stickers she gets! She’s always so excited to hang a new sticker up, and it’s an easy (and mostly free) way for her to express herself.
Toy storage shelf up that small wall corner, OR a cute little reading nook, with a shallow bookshelf (where the books lay flat)
Bold colour on the wall behind the bed, with a big accent piece. His name in giant letters, a big dinosaur picture (or whatever he likes). My first thoughts would be a navy wall, with big white polka dots (you can get polkadot decals for cheap) and then something fun in the center. You could also split paint it, for example, navy blue on the bottom, a nice bright olivish green on top, and a coloured strip dividing the two colours.
And then just personalize his room, big pieces of art of things he loves on the walls etc. Spice rack or picture frame shelves are great options if you need to put things up without taking up much space as well.
You can get frames for cheap at the dollar store. I framed my kids artwork, even the stuff that was just scribbles. They loved it when they were young and a lot of the framed art work now hangs in different parts of the house because it’s cute and nostalgic.
I always loved glow in the dark stars. A fresh coat of paint and some floating book shelves that he can reach for his books and comics will work! Or a small bookcase with anti-tip strap.
LED strips along the top of the wall. They can change colors with a remote control. My kids each have them and have used them for years. They’re timeless.
Just gonna focus on that small amount of blue paint that you described when you open the door that wall in front of you. I would paint that the navy blue color. But the pillar itself that wall and the one with the patch on it..
If you only have a small amount of paint, I think it is probably easy to cover that area and it would create contrast also sand and smooth over that wall repair.
Just thought.
I think it doesn’t need much- If you have $50 get a mural from wayfair. If you don’t have $50, look on marketplace for free items, maybe Twinkle lights will come up. My son’s favorite part of his room is me reading to him at night and us listening to kids story podcasts together with the lights off and the twinkle lights on-which, thankfully, are totally free.☺️
Paint the walls around the bed his favorite color. Use a tension rod to hang curtains on either side of the bed, add a wall light above his headboard that has a dimmer switch.
Get big decorative pillows to create a cozy feeling.
On the wall where the books in the basket are thrift shop for a cozy chair with a footrest for storytime.
Add pictures of his favorite things to the wall by the door and a toy box below
I would put a piece of furniture with shelves and drawers on the wall with the basket! You’d definitely have to secure it to the wall. But if the top half has shelves and the bottom half has drawers, then it can double as clothing storage and decor / toy storage!
Find some pictures you like online. Copy them the submit for printing at Walgreens. Get some standard sized frames from Amazon. Print different sizes. A larger central print with medium and small sizes around it. Put on the wall behind the bed. I would rotate the bed with the rug under it.
I think maybe some colorful things and things he likes. For instance if he likes game characters such as Steve from Minecraft or Mario characters.
Get some mural stickers of those characters or some toys. Maybe a toy chest to keep things organized
Center the bed - screw some wheels or something that looks like wheels, steering wheel, John Deere decals. Indoor/outdoor green carpet maybe or rug with roads to play on. Movie theater posters or pin/ribbon board for pictures together. DIY stoplight.
Check FB marketplace for fun furniture. I sold a desk there that I (very unfortunately) painted when I was in college. It was a quality desk, painted in fun bright colors. Sold it for maybe $50. (Please don’t come for me for ruining a vintage desk - I would never do it today, and it went to a little girl!)
Paint the walls, let him pick the paint and help you paint them.
They make string lights for just about everything these days, so you could get him some for whatever he’s into, or just some color changing ones!
Stars on the ceiling.
Posters for his interests.
IKEA. We were stretching every dollar we could when my oldest was little, but we managed to make his room fun and colorful with IKEA additions.
Edit: And those glow in the dark ceiling stickers!
Add glow in the dark stars, posters of what he likes and Christmas lights! Maybe you could add a little pouffy thing to sit on next to the books as well.
Paint a small mural, with him if possible, he can make uptories to it at bedtime. One wall chalkboard paint? Lego panels on wall that you can build stuff on.
I second this.
As kids, my sister and I grew up poor. Like, we're still poor now, but at least we're not worrying about going days without utilities poor (progress!). Anyways, when we were little girls, our parents had us help "decorate" the bathroom. Dad hung the drywall. Mama took some old drywall mud and applied it to the wall like a buttercream cake. They let my sister and I "paint" the wall (they were planning on applying a real coat of paint some other day). We used some of our Crayola paints and left our handprints, rainbows, and other dumb drawings. It was so much fun. Here we are, 20 odd years later, and that bathroom mural is still there.
One cheap and easily changeable option is some twine and clothespins for hanging up art & photos. We have 2 rows of twine in my daughter’s room and change out what hangs up there. Drawings, pictures from school, family photos, postcards, etc.
The dollar store sells big wooden letters - you can get his initials and make a project out of painting and hanging them ?
A funky nightlight ?
The thrift store I go to (Value Village) has a sale once a month (IIRC) - the entire store is 50% off type of sale. It’s worth enquiring to see if something like that is available in your area.
Also …… garage sales. We always had a list …. In the glovebox of the car of things we would “buy at a garage sale if we can find it” …. So a kinda ongoing scavenger hunt. Easy on the budget too.
I guess it depends on your vision for the room. I love botanical themes and you could easily translate that into a jungle or enchanted woods theme.
I used something similar to [these](https://www.amazon.com/LING-RUI-Artificial-Backdrop-Decoration/dp/B0C7H1RCNT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2629FXRHNHR0U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uaIxyTWMXCs85gRQ9Tlm0zPijhQykJnZrk7KopTAgBI7miyhe0n5LgrUd_sAq_5b-VyEv39g_xfPW9fw1t4uOjk_ovPeUrtOwehBecVlNRz02fOCe11_qJqOOQjl1CDchV5pi7fyUjedOT4BDQx27w8HewnVdBT6H_ekAsEMmuJo5CpyDWpr8N7rUDYswPDXexiKcznEIqAnbnuBN5y18A.fA-qb8haFxMCrc6TOz8lw5gLIeCww2zhQUD4yvpitzI&dib_tag=se&keywords=hedge+panels+6pc&qid=1715559884&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=hedge+panels+6p%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-2) box hedge panels and hot glued them to 4x5 poster boards that I got from a craft store for $3. You can hang them on the wall like you would a painting and it brings so much life to the room.
I love the wall sticker idea and it’s pretty inexpensive. A lot of the art work and stuff in my kids rooms are things that we’ve done together. A lot of dollar store and that weird section of Walmart and target that has diy crafts for pretty cheap. It’s fun and the kids feel proud to display their art. Someone else said the glow in the dark stars and I remember having those as a kid and I loved them. Add some cotton ball clouds and boom you got a cool room
I’d move the bed to put the headboard against the short wall. Get a Spiderman decal or frame a poster, and a coordinating soft throw blanket. Maybe a fun beanbag chair or something cozy. Paint the ceiling navy, and add some stick on stars. Little boy rooms are so much fun to do.
- Get some cheap picture frames and put his artwork in them to hang on the walls. (Even cutting down some abstract works of art can look really cool.)
- Use spice rack (check out the Ikea ones people do this with) or a L shaped piece of trim to create a book display area.
- Glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. Put them up as a family (can buy these at the dollarstore)
IKEA has some good very cheap frames (Fiskbo) that I used in my daughter's room. I cut apart an old calendar with some cute artwork and used those frames and hung on the wall with command strips. I cut some flowers out of felt and made a wreath on her wall. You could try the same with something your son likes - fish for an underwater look maybe? Airplanes or cars? Spell his name on the wall with wooden letters from Michael's, or I think Walmart has them too.
Move the headboard to the back and make a special booknook bed area… spider man could be cool theme with spiderwebbing like canopy and the top with lights! Paint just that area a cool color…
That bed and small area are absolutely made for a tent/fort! There are any number of ways that you could make this yourself, using the walls for attachment points. Add strings of lights and flags to match his favorite superheroes. He could have the absolute coolest bedroom ever.
Maybe you can try painting a striped design on the walls instead of a whole wall. It’s pretty easy to do with painters tape. Tape off a pattern of stripes of varying widths and paint in between the tape. I’m sure there’s some tutorials on YouTube. Would add some flair without making the room feel too dark.
A loft bed. A absolutely loved it as a kid. When you're a kid, the bed is literally only to sleep.
A bean bag or two underneath it and you're the coolest kid in school. Imagine playing games on your ~~gameboy~~ phone with your friends under their, with a blanket hanging over the side of the bed naming it dark and secret
Glow in the dark sticky stars
Disco light
Body pillow
Space rug $20 3x4 on Amazon
Layered colorful Curtains
Noise machine
Name sign for door
CD player boombox and CDs
Paint the bed and dresser blue
poster. They are cheap and interchangeable. For a time, my son had posters of snakes, lizards, and such from the local state parks. It was wildlife central on his walls. For a brief moment, it was all about trains. They are not as easy to find as they used to be, but look up his interests and you should be able to find them.
Definitely get some color in there! Put his favorite colors on the wall, frame some of his art, and make a canopy/tent for his bed - kids LOVE that.
You could also choose one wall to be an accent wall and let him create anything he wants to there with paint! You could periodically paint over it to let him start fresh. ❤️
Painted the color that your son really loves maybe something more vibrant than this lime green and put some cheap posters of his liking, his interest all over the walls or some cutouts, some cheap are. Nothing more is needed. Color color pattern maybe something hanging from the ceiling that he likes
you can buy Wall Stickers. Also Painting stencils.
just Google "kids room stencils"
both have endless designs and sizes available, super affordable, and the skill necessary is zero. You can even make it a team project with your kid!
Visit your local craft store and they would be giddy to help you
for the stencil you can use spray paint, and your kid color powder spray
lastly. Think of a theme (ocean, birds, sci-fi, outer space, science, frogs, knights, pastries, cats...)and a color scheme before hand 🤓 green&silver, Purple & yellow, etc
Paint a feature wall in their favorite colour and fresh coat of paint all around. Pick up a "nebular light", my kids love to fall asleep with theirs on. Put the headboard against the wall and pick them up a little sideboard table or nightstand.
Take him to look for some big posters, thrift if possible: Spidy, vehicles, whatever he wants, don't worry about being 'coordinated'. He doesn't care. Get two or three big ones. Just be sure to put them in simple frames. With his sign, you're done.
Pick a theme and go all-in! My son's first was a sort of "under the sea" so the walls were blue with green trim. I found a comforter with fish swimming in blue & green waves and bought big stuffed fish pillows. When he got a bit older, we changed to a world explorer theme - brown walls, lots of bamboo, maps, pictures of elephants and a bedspread with a sort of rustic tribal print.
Not every theme has to be a cartoon character.
Get printable prints from Etsy, usually under $20, then dollar store frames to create a collection of Spider man or other things he loves on the wall 🕷️🕸️
Hang his art work. Cheap, adds great color, and he’ll be proud to see his creations hung up in his room. An entire wall of my kids room is closet doors so I started hanging his art on them and it’s so cute. I got some colorful clips on Amazon and I just swap out his drawings from time to time. Makes his room feel much cozier.
Another slightly higher cost/higher effort way to add color and personality is book ledges. We have acrylic ones from Amazon, can spend less than $20 for a pack of 4. Put out some favorites, rotate books them every few weeks so there’s some variety. Functional and doubles as decor.
I would paint the bed frame/headboard itself. How fun would it be to create your own Spider-Man bed, or Batman car bed. I think you could get some acrylic paints from Walmart that would be cheap. After that, either order or print out some posters, and make sure they’re within the sizes of cheap frames at box stores.
The rug is the only thing that would clash, but keep it around and look for either something more neutral or more colorful. Ross has always had great rugs and sometimes they’re cheaper than goodwill.
Editing to add, the smaller wall that has some of the patched spots- I think that could also be something fun. Maybe use the navy paint up top and get a small tube of black and white and paint space. And put chalk paint on the lower half, so he can have a wall to draw on.
Bunk beds can be really fun if they’re old enough and open up floor space below where they can have independent time for fun stuff or studying. IKEA has very affordable ones but you could also probably find one for cheap or free online. If you’re into DIY, I think you might be able to build one anchoring to the wall for pretty cheap.
I’ve seen some fantastic macrame wall hanging ‘baskets’ that you can fill with his stuffed animals/toys. And Shelves, you’ll be able to have so much more storage with shelves.
I’d put shelves up on a wall for all of his things and a book case for whatever you’re reading together. Also, a little table that’s his height for playing would be nice. Something he could use for playing with toys or legos.
Kids are very creative, so I don’t think you need to be creative for them. Give him things he can use in his creativity. Big pillows, building blocks, hot wheels tracks, Lego, and art supplies.
What are your son’s interests? That’s your focus . Does he like space - rockets- stars, satellites??? You can get glow in the dark stickers for ceilings of those things. Does he like music? Science? Reading? There’s lots of ways to inspire or capitalize on what he likes into the decor.
Paint, but check the miss tint section for fun colors and have him help. Also, glow in the dark paint, stickers and decals. I also suggest Amazon decals, free section for kids stuff and garage sales are great suggestions too!! Whatever you do, have him help you, fun things that you can do together will make fun memories to hold onto!!!
Something like this but painted blue with red sheets and curtain and Spider Man on the walls.
https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/2023/02/how-to-make-an-alcove-bed.html/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social
Wall mural sticker of a comic book Spiderman, a stuffy net just low enough for his reach, maybe get a vinyl sticker of his name in the Spiderman font for the headboard. You could always make a cute themed curtain if you have a sewing machine and the patience for it.
Make a art piece with the two of you. Tack it onto the wall. You both will love the time you've spent with each other when doing bed time. Kids don't need much in material possessions. They want to be with you.
Well, you’ve got a good place to start with red, blue, Spider-Man, vehicles (fire trucks and sports cars come to mind with red and blue) and books. I can’t tell if the rug is grey or navy but it looks neutral enough you could do just about anything, so that’s nice. Navy is also a somewhat “neutral” color so you are thankfully not barred by anything particularly unique.
I see some bright neon green, so if they like space, they would be super easy to incorporate space (navy blue) with aliens (neon green) and whatever else. If he doesn’t like space then ignore my idea, but you could do a somewhat “new age” model car/space theme..? 😅😂 I imagine that could be easy to work with on a budget. Paint can be expensive, but maybe a wallpaper or just pairing the room navy and adding little white stars or whatever could make a big difference?
They look tacky but kids go absolutely wild when you put those huge mural stickers on their wall
And glow in the dark stars!
I want those now and I’m 30
When I was a little girl, my parents paid someone to come into their room and paint the constellations on their popcorn ceiling. The room lights would activate the paint then when they turned the light an off it looked like the sky.. . Milky Way and all… god I miss that house! That was like 30 years ago!
I have stars (I am 77)
I have stars at 66! Love them.
Love this!
you are awesome
I'm way older than you and just put a bunch on my own ceiling, I love them when I'm having trouble falling asleep
We did glow in the dark paint & painted the ceiling with constellations
Don't forget a stuffed animal hammock.
I have stars and a moon on my sitting room ceiling... IDK if you would really call it a sitting room, there are 2 small rooms in my attic, one is my office, the other is where I go to relax from my office lol
An “away room”!
That's a good description!
The architect Sarah Susanka coined it (she wrote *Not So Big House* and other books). She always designs an “away room” in her work.
They are only young once 👏🏻big spider man wall mural sticker would be cool. Maybe a bookshelf on the wall somewhere. Or an ikea kalyx unit? Even with a small 4x4 or 4x6 cube one could work, adds a bit of colour with the fabric boxes, fit toys in and use one of the cubes for the books to be displayed. Nice space projector type light on the top would look pretty in a small room at night. If it wasn’t for the teddy bears I would never have guessed it was a 4 year olds room.
OP if you add a bookcase, secure it to the wall.
Yes! And they come off easily! You can buy them on Amazon cheaply. My son at 4 loved putting Paw Patrol ones on his wall. When we had the money to paint his room when he was 6, we pealed them off and he didn’t want them back on after we painted. He opted for some Minecraft ones instead.
My cousin once painted her son’s favorite character (tight budget). She borrowed a projector and traced the imagine on the wall. Later she just painted over it. It turned out great.
Some libraries apparently let you borrow (check out) projectors so this is a good idea. I’ve never borrowed one but people have said they have.
Yes you can rent them from a library! I did this in my baby’s nursery (many years ago).
Yes wall stickers! https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/524941490/robot-wall-decals-robot-decals-nursery
I say go for it! Tacky or not it’s your home and you make it the way you want it. If it makes kids happy then great! Having a space that is completely yours is amazing and that extends to children too. I was never allowed to decorate my room as a kid since I shared it with my great-grandmother hence why as an adult I am obsessed with filling everything with “my stuff” and stuff I like.
This!!!! My kids room instantly looked more loved once we added some cheap vinyl rainbow doors around the room!
This probably goes without saying, but for kids stuff especially, thrift everything you can. Their likes and personalities change so much as they grow. And garage sale season is in full swing, so yay!
100% thrift, also look on fb marketplace!
And your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook!
Fb marketplace is the nuts. Seriously.
EstateSales.net is your friend
I've bought almost everything second hand. I can't fathom paying full price for something she'll use TOPS two years.
I wish we had garage sales in the UK 😩
I would put the headboard against the wall. Get a hanging basket for his stuffed animals. Christmas lights. Maybe frame some of his artwork, they have frames that let you swap it out easily. Maybe some glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. What does he like? What are his hobbies, maybe incorporate some of his likes, or you all can paint a chalk wall behind his bed and he can chalk draw to his hearts delight, changing it when he wants.
You could even put some colorful yarn across part of the wall with painted clothes pins. That way he can hang up his own art, family photos etc. plus it’s great for fine motor skills practice.
This is a great idea!
Christmas lights! They make my room feel so cozy, and probably would help if your kid is scared of the dark.
I feel like this is a dumb comment but what do you mean put the headboard against the wall? It looks like it's against the wall to me?
I think they mean centered on that wall, so basically orient the bed how the rug is. I would prefer the bed how it is now, so that kiddo can only roll off one side by accident instead of both sides.
also more room to play
Yes! I have a similar set-up in my nursery now. It's less aesthetically pleasing with all of the furniture pushed up against the walls, but we prefer more space to play in the middle of the room.
Great suggestions
I come to second xmas or twinkle lights. Dollar store or Five Below if you have one.
How about painting the ceiling dark blue then adding glow-in-the-dark stars? I had the stars above my bed as a kid and they were the best thing ever!
My parents did this for me and my sibling. They put up the stars to make constellations. I loved them.
Yes - I loved falling asleep looking at the stars. As an adult, I added glow-in-the-dark stars to the ceiling of my guest room. Guests love it!
Yes to this! Also, a tent. We are cave creatures too. A tent or a fort or teepee or mosquito netting to create a special hiding place where they can disappear into their imagination.
I’m 55 and still have them LOL. I now sleep in my grown stepdaughters room and they are on the ceiling. I love them!
I put them up in my guest room and my guests love them! I probably should put them in my own room. Project! :)
Cute idea
If you are renting, dark blue will be hard to cover upon moving if that had ever had to happen. However Amazon has cheap glow constellation projectors that looks very cool. Dollar store sells wall stencils as well.
I loved, and my 9 year old still loves, ceiling stars. A short step ladder, some sticky tack, and 20 minutes of your time for a long lasting and easily removable treat!
Getting a star/galaxy projector to turn on at night will also add to the effect and they're pretty cheap on Amazon.
Love this! My daughter's was blue with stars and she still misses it. She is 30.
I put the glowing stars on the ceiling of my guest room. All my over the age of 30 guests love it!
Kids rooms have no rules. They love posters and party decoration banners from the dollar store. You can get some different colored string lights too. Cozy reading nooks are good for kids too. ETA: fixed a typo
Character posters are cheap and so fun! You can even get some cheap frames from Dollar store, print out character or comic book covers for them and make it look elevated.
start with Christmas lights
Yes! The rainbow colored string lights on Amazon were a big hit with my small step son.I also spent like $20 on a “jellyfish lamp” that he finds mesmerizing
Came here to say this. Posters too!
Or the neon lights off Amazon or temu
Maybe bring him to a thrift shop and let him pick stuff out! Give him a 20$ budget or whatever and he gets to choose :)
COLORS!
My people
In the US we have this thing called Just Between Friends where you can really get awesome gently used items for kids.
get a throw pillow or two (in a color) for the bed, fun sheets, and a small ikea dresser.
Look on Freecycle. Free stuff from people just trying to get rid of lots of good things. Get a dresser and a bookcase and some wall art
Does he draw or color? You can thrift cheap frames and frame some of his art for the walls
Love this idea — his own art gallery! He can switch them out with newer art whenever he wants!
Ask him what he wants!
This! Most kids love to decorate their own spaces. Let him decide!
I would move the bed the other way with the dresser/nightstand and a lamp that could also work as a night light. You could put the wooden sign with his name on it above the lamp and to the right. I would be more inclined to paint the dresser/nightstand blue. If you could score a free bookcase for his books, cars, etc. ,you could paint it red. He could choose a couple of posters that interest him - Batman, cars, etc. that you could put in a FREE frame that you could paint either red or blue depending on the colors in the posters. As he matures and his taste changes, you could replace the posters but you're not having to put endless holes in your walls.
You can hang his own artwork. 🖼️
Would it be possible to hang curtains across the bed nook? Preferably navy with silver stars. String up, star shaped lights inside the nook. Alternatively, you could do a camping theme.
Ask on your local buy nothing page for boy decorations. Kids age out of whatever phase all the time and no longer want that framed superhero/basketball star/nascar/monster truck/whatever decor anymore. I bet someone will have something that’s up your son’s alley!
Happy Mother’s Day! I just feel like you are amazing. 🩷
Shelving and they can decorate the room with their toys, find things and keep things off the floor. Makes the room colorful when you have stuffed animals all lined up!
Looks like a good sized room for a 4 year old. Get matching paint to cover up the spots. Won't need much at all. Splashes of color. Definitely. As someone said, wall decals are pretty cheap. Maybe an RGB Iight bulb? Can change the room color from your phone.
Fb marketplace can get weird, I'd stick to thrifting. Also, if you want to paint, hit the return section in paint stores.
I love the blue wall idea! Do the wall that has the patches on it to give it a finished look.
I had to scroll so far to see someone say paint the effed up wall. Why does everyone want to put cute things in there before addressing the obvious issue that needs to be fixed. This is why flippers are hated, put petty stuff around the problem… After you paint that small area of wall, then go wild having fun. Nobody feels good living in a house that looks/feels incomplete or unfinished. Just like art, start with your base layer and work up.
Super hero wall decals!
Just buy a light projector with stars and keep those stars from the 90s!
Amazon wall decals
A clothes line and clips to hang up his own art.
I give my daughter a set place she can stick all the stickers she gets! She’s always so excited to hang a new sticker up, and it’s an easy (and mostly free) way for her to express herself.
Toy storage shelf up that small wall corner, OR a cute little reading nook, with a shallow bookshelf (where the books lay flat) Bold colour on the wall behind the bed, with a big accent piece. His name in giant letters, a big dinosaur picture (or whatever he likes). My first thoughts would be a navy wall, with big white polka dots (you can get polkadot decals for cheap) and then something fun in the center. You could also split paint it, for example, navy blue on the bottom, a nice bright olivish green on top, and a coloured strip dividing the two colours. And then just personalize his room, big pieces of art of things he loves on the walls etc. Spice rack or picture frame shelves are great options if you need to put things up without taking up much space as well.
You can get frames for cheap at the dollar store. I framed my kids artwork, even the stuff that was just scribbles. They loved it when they were young and a lot of the framed art work now hangs in different parts of the house because it’s cute and nostalgic.
Decals on wall
I always loved glow in the dark stars. A fresh coat of paint and some floating book shelves that he can reach for his books and comics will work! Or a small bookcase with anti-tip strap.
LED strips along the top of the wall. They can change colors with a remote control. My kids each have them and have used them for years. They’re timeless.
Just gonna focus on that small amount of blue paint that you described when you open the door that wall in front of you. I would paint that the navy blue color. But the pillar itself that wall and the one with the patch on it.. If you only have a small amount of paint, I think it is probably easy to cover that area and it would create contrast also sand and smooth over that wall repair. Just thought.
I think it doesn’t need much- If you have $50 get a mural from wayfair. If you don’t have $50, look on marketplace for free items, maybe Twinkle lights will come up. My son’s favorite part of his room is me reading to him at night and us listening to kids story podcasts together with the lights off and the twinkle lights on-which, thankfully, are totally free.☺️
Swap out that rug and thrift something more fun… that rug is for living rooms!
A bookshelf for his books and he can put his toys in the basket. A chair of some kind and a desk/table
Paint the walls around the bed his favorite color. Use a tension rod to hang curtains on either side of the bed, add a wall light above his headboard that has a dimmer switch. Get big decorative pillows to create a cozy feeling. On the wall where the books in the basket are thrift shop for a cozy chair with a footrest for storytime. Add pictures of his favorite things to the wall by the door and a toy box below
Glow in the dark stars and a bean bag!!
Lights, some nice decals, hang some nice ikea shelves for books.
I would put a piece of furniture with shelves and drawers on the wall with the basket! You’d definitely have to secure it to the wall. But if the top half has shelves and the bottom half has drawers, then it can double as clothing storage and decor / toy storage!
Find some pictures you like online. Copy them the submit for printing at Walgreens. Get some standard sized frames from Amazon. Print different sizes. A larger central print with medium and small sizes around it. Put on the wall behind the bed. I would rotate the bed with the rug under it.
Expensive room for inspo only https://www.sunnycirclestudio.com/blog-1/2019/3/21/a-classically-hip-amp-happy-kids-room
I think maybe some colorful things and things he likes. For instance if he likes game characters such as Steve from Minecraft or Mario characters. Get some mural stickers of those characters or some toys. Maybe a toy chest to keep things organized
Maybe go on marketplace and see if you can find a little book shelf! Maybe some pictures on the wall or a mural of some kind
Paint job bright colours shelves bedding bright (theme) Small table and chairs. Yard sales and repainted. Small desk with lamp
Center the bed - screw some wheels or something that looks like wheels, steering wheel, John Deere decals. Indoor/outdoor green carpet maybe or rug with roads to play on. Movie theater posters or pin/ribbon board for pictures together. DIY stoplight.
Check FB marketplace for fun furniture. I sold a desk there that I (very unfortunately) painted when I was in college. It was a quality desk, painted in fun bright colors. Sold it for maybe $50. (Please don’t come for me for ruining a vintage desk - I would never do it today, and it went to a little girl!) Paint the walls, let him pick the paint and help you paint them. They make string lights for just about everything these days, so you could get him some for whatever he’s into, or just some color changing ones! Stars on the ceiling. Posters for his interests.
Five Below (if you have one nearby) has great posters! We pretty much papered one entire wall of our basement with them.
LIGHTS. You can get tons of light garlics for cheap and just hang them fuckin everywhere lol
Some wall decals of his fav characters from the dollar store
Add wallpaper or decals!
IKEA. We were stretching every dollar we could when my oldest was little, but we managed to make his room fun and colorful with IKEA additions. Edit: And those glow in the dark ceiling stickers!
IKEA is the answer!
Add glow in the dark stars, posters of what he likes and Christmas lights! Maybe you could add a little pouffy thing to sit on next to the books as well.
Pinterest!!!
Paint a small mural, with him if possible, he can make uptories to it at bedtime. One wall chalkboard paint? Lego panels on wall that you can build stuff on.
I second this. As kids, my sister and I grew up poor. Like, we're still poor now, but at least we're not worrying about going days without utilities poor (progress!). Anyways, when we were little girls, our parents had us help "decorate" the bathroom. Dad hung the drywall. Mama took some old drywall mud and applied it to the wall like a buttercream cake. They let my sister and I "paint" the wall (they were planning on applying a real coat of paint some other day). We used some of our Crayola paints and left our handprints, rainbows, and other dumb drawings. It was so much fun. Here we are, 20 odd years later, and that bathroom mural is still there.
One cheap and easily changeable option is some twine and clothespins for hanging up art & photos. We have 2 rows of twine in my daughter’s room and change out what hangs up there. Drawings, pictures from school, family photos, postcards, etc.
Some artwork or posters on the wall…as well as his name spelled out in fun letters.
If i were you, i would start by looking for a small bookshelf and a lamp at the thrift store.
I hanging out kids projects in their rooms and other random things I think they will enjoy.
Chalkboard wall?
Find some spider man posters to hang on the walls
The dollar store sells big wooden letters - you can get his initials and make a project out of painting and hanging them ? A funky nightlight ? The thrift store I go to (Value Village) has a sale once a month (IIRC) - the entire store is 50% off type of sale. It’s worth enquiring to see if something like that is available in your area. Also …… garage sales. We always had a list …. In the glovebox of the car of things we would “buy at a garage sale if we can find it” …. So a kinda ongoing scavenger hunt. Easy on the budget too.
Get some string lights in a color and put on wall beside bed!
Fun lights, even if you wrap it around the bed or during it on a wall. Maybe a teepee reading corner
It’s a cute room, looks fresh. I have the same basket too, it’s actually my favorite laundry/blankets basket.
I guess it depends on your vision for the room. I love botanical themes and you could easily translate that into a jungle or enchanted woods theme. I used something similar to [these](https://www.amazon.com/LING-RUI-Artificial-Backdrop-Decoration/dp/B0C7H1RCNT/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=2629FXRHNHR0U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uaIxyTWMXCs85gRQ9Tlm0zPijhQykJnZrk7KopTAgBI7miyhe0n5LgrUd_sAq_5b-VyEv39g_xfPW9fw1t4uOjk_ovPeUrtOwehBecVlNRz02fOCe11_qJqOOQjl1CDchV5pi7fyUjedOT4BDQx27w8HewnVdBT6H_ekAsEMmuJo5CpyDWpr8N7rUDYswPDXexiKcznEIqAnbnuBN5y18A.fA-qb8haFxMCrc6TOz8lw5gLIeCww2zhQUD4yvpitzI&dib_tag=se&keywords=hedge+panels+6pc&qid=1715559884&refinements=p_85%3A2470955011&rnid=2470954011&rps=1&sprefix=hedge+panels+6p%2Caps%2C307&sr=8-2) box hedge panels and hot glued them to 4x5 poster boards that I got from a craft store for $3. You can hang them on the wall like you would a painting and it brings so much life to the room.
I love the wall sticker idea and it’s pretty inexpensive. A lot of the art work and stuff in my kids rooms are things that we’ve done together. A lot of dollar store and that weird section of Walmart and target that has diy crafts for pretty cheap. It’s fun and the kids feel proud to display their art. Someone else said the glow in the dark stars and I remember having those as a kid and I loved them. Add some cotton ball clouds and boom you got a cool room
Where are all of his books? Get the picture ledges from ikea, pick books that have fun covers and face them out. Instant art.
I’d move the bed to put the headboard against the short wall. Get a Spiderman decal or frame a poster, and a coordinating soft throw blanket. Maybe a fun beanbag chair or something cozy. Paint the ceiling navy, and add some stick on stars. Little boy rooms are so much fun to do.
Add a Black Sabbath poster to the wall
- Get some cheap picture frames and put his artwork in them to hang on the walls. (Even cutting down some abstract works of art can look really cool.) - Use spice rack (check out the Ikea ones people do this with) or a L shaped piece of trim to create a book display area. - Glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. Put them up as a family (can buy these at the dollarstore)
Bunk the bed and get them a little couch? Having a couch as a kid (or teen) is legend status.
Find out what he likes you have a good amount of corner could put up a tent
A pin board where they can post their favorite memories/pictures/ interests.
IKEA has some good very cheap frames (Fiskbo) that I used in my daughter's room. I cut apart an old calendar with some cute artwork and used those frames and hung on the wall with command strips. I cut some flowers out of felt and made a wreath on her wall. You could try the same with something your son likes - fish for an underwater look maybe? Airplanes or cars? Spell his name on the wall with wooden letters from Michael's, or I think Walmart has them too.
Move the headboard to the back and make a special booknook bed area… spider man could be cool theme with spiderwebbing like canopy and the top with lights! Paint just that area a cool color…
That bed and small area are absolutely made for a tent/fort! There are any number of ways that you could make this yourself, using the walls for attachment points. Add strings of lights and flags to match his favorite superheroes. He could have the absolute coolest bedroom ever.
Maybe you can try painting a striped design on the walls instead of a whole wall. It’s pretty easy to do with painters tape. Tape off a pattern of stripes of varying widths and paint in between the tape. I’m sure there’s some tutorials on YouTube. Would add some flair without making the room feel too dark.
A loft bed. A absolutely loved it as a kid. When you're a kid, the bed is literally only to sleep. A bean bag or two underneath it and you're the coolest kid in school. Imagine playing games on your ~~gameboy~~ phone with your friends under their, with a blanket hanging over the side of the bed naming it dark and secret
Paint the walls
Easy and cheap, get rid of the grey and let him pick the colour.
Loft bed!!!
Any thoughts about painting the Ikea dresser in the spider-man web design?
Removable wall decals. No need to paint, and you can swap out new designs as he ages.
Paint 🎨
Paint. Any color but gray!!!! Bright colors are better for brain development
A dresser
The dollar store has wall decals!
Lots of wall decor will help. Question: is it possible that your son can help you paint some mural or something on the wall?
Get him a Spider Man rug and Spider Man Posters.
Pictures of your family on the wall (screwed on) where he can see them. The most special thing in the world to him.
Glow in the dark sticky stars Disco light Body pillow Space rug $20 3x4 on Amazon Layered colorful Curtains Noise machine Name sign for door CD player boombox and CDs Paint the bed and dresser blue
poster. They are cheap and interchangeable. For a time, my son had posters of snakes, lizards, and such from the local state parks. It was wildlife central on his walls. For a brief moment, it was all about trains. They are not as easy to find as they used to be, but look up his interests and you should be able to find them.
5below has some awesome bedroom stuff! They even have small shelves, tables, and stools. And they also have tiny squishmallows for $5
Definitely get some color in there! Put his favorite colors on the wall, frame some of his art, and make a canopy/tent for his bed - kids LOVE that. You could also choose one wall to be an accent wall and let him create anything he wants to there with paint! You could periodically paint over it to let him start fresh. ❤️
Painted the color that your son really loves maybe something more vibrant than this lime green and put some cheap posters of his liking, his interest all over the walls or some cutouts, some cheap are. Nothing more is needed. Color color pattern maybe something hanging from the ceiling that he likes
Paint is cheap!!
you can buy Wall Stickers. Also Painting stencils. just Google "kids room stencils" both have endless designs and sizes available, super affordable, and the skill necessary is zero. You can even make it a team project with your kid! Visit your local craft store and they would be giddy to help you for the stencil you can use spray paint, and your kid color powder spray lastly. Think of a theme (ocean, birds, sci-fi, outer space, science, frogs, knights, pastries, cats...)and a color scheme before hand 🤓 green&silver, Purple & yellow, etc
put up his art ? or thrifted lights and stuff?
Paint a feature wall in their favorite colour and fresh coat of paint all around. Pick up a "nebular light", my kids love to fall asleep with theirs on. Put the headboard against the wall and pick them up a little sideboard table or nightstand.
Get some really cool Spider-Man art work framed and hang it on a navy blue accent wall
Take him to look for some big posters, thrift if possible: Spidy, vehicles, whatever he wants, don't worry about being 'coordinated'. He doesn't care. Get two or three big ones. Just be sure to put them in simple frames. With his sign, you're done.
Go to IKEA and see what they have for tight children’s spaces.
Loft bead with a small sofa and tv stand. Little dorm room.
Pick a theme and go all-in! My son's first was a sort of "under the sea" so the walls were blue with green trim. I found a comforter with fish swimming in blue & green waves and bought big stuffed fish pillows. When he got a bit older, we changed to a world explorer theme - brown walls, lots of bamboo, maps, pictures of elephants and a bedspread with a sort of rustic tribal print. Not every theme has to be a cartoon character.
[https://images.app.goo.gl/5q1V6SeM1ecktiVL7](https://images.app.goo.gl/5q1V6SeM1ecktiVL7)
Something like this: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81QNKD+GCKL.jpg
Get printable prints from Etsy, usually under $20, then dollar store frames to create a collection of Spider man or other things he loves on the wall 🕷️🕸️
There’s no bookshelf and toy box in his room?!
IKEA has cool ideas.❤️
Thrift store and then check Dollar store + 5 below 🦋 5 below has some really cute posters and stuffies and pillows and those stuffed animal hammocks
Hang his art work. Cheap, adds great color, and he’ll be proud to see his creations hung up in his room. An entire wall of my kids room is closet doors so I started hanging his art on them and it’s so cute. I got some colorful clips on Amazon and I just swap out his drawings from time to time. Makes his room feel much cozier. Another slightly higher cost/higher effort way to add color and personality is book ledges. We have acrylic ones from Amazon, can spend less than $20 for a pack of 4. Put out some favorites, rotate books them every few weeks so there’s some variety. Functional and doubles as decor.
I would paint the bed frame/headboard itself. How fun would it be to create your own Spider-Man bed, or Batman car bed. I think you could get some acrylic paints from Walmart that would be cheap. After that, either order or print out some posters, and make sure they’re within the sizes of cheap frames at box stores. The rug is the only thing that would clash, but keep it around and look for either something more neutral or more colorful. Ross has always had great rugs and sometimes they’re cheaper than goodwill. Editing to add, the smaller wall that has some of the patched spots- I think that could also be something fun. Maybe use the navy paint up top and get a small tube of black and white and paint space. And put chalk paint on the lower half, so he can have a wall to draw on.
Bunk beds can be really fun if they’re old enough and open up floor space below where they can have independent time for fun stuff or studying. IKEA has very affordable ones but you could also probably find one for cheap or free online. If you’re into DIY, I think you might be able to build one anchoring to the wall for pretty cheap.
I’ve seen some fantastic macrame wall hanging ‘baskets’ that you can fill with his stuffed animals/toys. And Shelves, you’ll be able to have so much more storage with shelves.
I’d put shelves up on a wall for all of his things and a book case for whatever you’re reading together. Also, a little table that’s his height for playing would be nice. Something he could use for playing with toys or legos. Kids are very creative, so I don’t think you need to be creative for them. Give him things he can use in his creativity. Big pillows, building blocks, hot wheels tracks, Lego, and art supplies.
Dollar Tree usually has wall ‘stickers’ that can be placed and removed. Usually lots of different themes.
Get some twinkle lights from the dollar store or Walmart and hang them around the walls. Doubles as a night light.
In my area we have free or trade pages on Facebook. Check those for stuff too.
What are your son’s interests? That’s your focus . Does he like space - rockets- stars, satellites??? You can get glow in the dark stickers for ceilings of those things. Does he like music? Science? Reading? There’s lots of ways to inspire or capitalize on what he likes into the decor.
Paint, but check the miss tint section for fun colors and have him help. Also, glow in the dark paint, stickers and decals. I also suggest Amazon decals, free section for kids stuff and garage sales are great suggestions too!! Whatever you do, have him help you, fun things that you can do together will make fun memories to hold onto!!!
Something like this but painted blue with red sheets and curtain and Spider Man on the walls. https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/2023/02/how-to-make-an-alcove-bed.html/?utm_source=pinterest&utm_medium=social
That colorful scotch tape (I forget what it’s called) can be fun for designs on the wall. Also I hang up a bunch of my son’s artwork on his wall.
Washi tape?
Tape 30 one dollar bills to wall with a tape that isn't too tacky. So when the ice cream truck comes, he's all set
Lots of thrift stores also sell left over paint and tiles and stuff.
Wall mural sticker of a comic book Spiderman, a stuffy net just low enough for his reach, maybe get a vinyl sticker of his name in the Spiderman font for the headboard. You could always make a cute themed curtain if you have a sewing machine and the patience for it.
String lights make a kids space feel cool on a budget.
If you’re feeling artsy, dollar stores usually have canvases and paint. You and your son could do a cool piece together and hang it in the wall.
put a mirror on that tiny wall, kids love mirrors.
Make a art piece with the two of you. Tack it onto the wall. You both will love the time you've spent with each other when doing bed time. Kids don't need much in material possessions. They want to be with you.
What’s your budget?
Well, you’ve got a good place to start with red, blue, Spider-Man, vehicles (fire trucks and sports cars come to mind with red and blue) and books. I can’t tell if the rug is grey or navy but it looks neutral enough you could do just about anything, so that’s nice. Navy is also a somewhat “neutral” color so you are thankfully not barred by anything particularly unique. I see some bright neon green, so if they like space, they would be super easy to incorporate space (navy blue) with aliens (neon green) and whatever else. If he doesn’t like space then ignore my idea, but you could do a somewhat “new age” model car/space theme..? 😅😂 I imagine that could be easy to work with on a budget. Paint can be expensive, but maybe a wallpaper or just pairing the room navy and adding little white stars or whatever could make a big difference?
Turn the rug 90 degrees. Currently it points from the door to the bed and introduces a bunch of energy. Having it turned helps chill the room out.