Decorating with Decals and Stickers

By Sarah Van Arsdale

It isn't easy keeping up with Baby, or keeping up with your child as she grows into pre-adolescence and then into the teenage years. And it isn't easy for the decor of Baby's room to keep up, either. Start with pale pink walls and curtains with bunny prints, and before you know it you'll need to swap all that for the more serious look of an older kid's bedroom.

One way to keep up with your kid's changing style sense without breaking the bank is by using sticker wall art, which is versatile, comes in many styles, and is easier to change than a baby.

At Fun to See, you can find sticker art in themes for everything from undersea adventures to outer space. You can see that these aren't just individual stickers; each package comes with many different images. By using the "colouring sheet" as background color, you can really enhance the mural effect of the room. And then, it's up to you and your imagination as to where to place the stickers.

Because the stickers are easy to remove without damaging the wall, you can even have your little one help you put them up, something that will make her feel the room is really her own.

Then, you can supplement the theme as much as you like. You can use the stickers not only for the wall, but also to decorate wooden furniture in the child's room, pulling the whole look together even more.

And you can use accents and accessories to further enhance the theme. In the photo on the right, the decorator has chosen star-shaped pillows and upholstery in colors that complement those in the wall stickers.

For older children, you may want to try products from Storybook Lane, which offers a variety of quite realistic images in sticker art. The "Play Ball" line allows the child to use stickers of various kinds of sports balls to add some bounce to the room, including a border for the top of the walls, adding an element of cohesion.

Some of Storybook Lane's stickers are so realistic that you may find yourself doing a doubletake: did that horse just whinny?

Any 10-year-old going through the usual "I want a pony" stage would be happy to create her own stable with these stickers. Even if you have no artistic ability, you can paint the bottom portion of the wall green, and the rest blue, to give the feeling of an outdoor scene. The animal stickers will do the rest. Don't forget to get a couple of birds for the tops of the walls while you're at it.

Storybook Lane also has a line of bedding for kids which can be used to match the sticker art, or by browsing catalogues, you could easily find the appropriate bedding to go with the theme you choose.

This gets you though to the middle school years, but what about the teenager, who you know is going to be spending more and more time in her room as she retreats into the mysterious world of adolescence?

Create-A-Mural has a variety of sticker art, including a line for teens with "inspiration" stickers urging Dream, Joy, Hope and Love.

Another idea for the teen is to use Create-A-Mural's pink polka dots for a groovy, 70s-inspired look. Add bright pink bedding, a black-lacquer desk, and a shag rug, and you've got a look that's sure to boost your teen's social standing.

Storybook Lane's realistic dragonflies, butterflies, birds and foliage could also be a good choice for a teenager, especially one interested in the outdoors.

Designing your child's room doesn't have to be a headache, and doesn't have to be a major project every couple of years. Instead, you can create a special sanctuary for your little one that will grow and change with her, allowing her imagination to soar and her dreams to come true.

Reprinted with permission from the Sheffield School of Interior Design.