Boy's room on a budget

** I've added another source for flashcards-- they're free!! **

I've always loved this little boy's room.  The red and blue combo is fabulous.

via Pinterest

Last weekend I was at our local MCC thrift store and found this awesome little side table...

It's not an identical match to the one in the photo, but it's similar-- and I think I even like it better.  It was $15.00-- and then 50%... $7.50... not bad.  I didn't buy it because I don't really have room for it in Caleb's room, but if I was going to buy it, this is how I'd transform it.

First up-- paint the whole dresser-- except for the drawer front-- in Benjamin Moore's Harbour Fog (2062-70)

Then I'd paint the drawer front white-- maybe Cloud White (OC-130)... why not.

I'd put a square knob on the single drawer front-- it's a square-ish looking dresser... stick with the square.

How about this one from Home Depot.

Done!  But now you want to do the rest of the room, right?  Here's what I'd do.

For the bed, find a wood bed frame on craiglist or at a thrift store-- I see them all the time.  Paint it a bright red.  How about Lyon's Red (CC-68)-- I think this is the actual color used in this room.  It's a good red.

I'd paint three walls of the room in Classic Gray (OC-23).

Now, for the 4th wall-- I'd do this.

via Pinterest

This is a picture of the play room connected to the bedroom (first picture I showed you).  Since most of our kids don't have a separate play room-- I'd bring the stripes into the bedroom.  Use all four paint colors- the Harbour Fog, Lyon's Red, Classic Gray, and Cloud White.

Now you're gonna need a dresser.  I'd put a white dresser up against the striped wall.  I'd choose the white malm dresser from Ikea.  They have a clean modern look-- and they're cheap.  Instead of buying a 6 drawer dresser I would buy two of these 3 drawer ones and put them together.  That's what I've opted to do in Caleb's room-- that way, I can split them up and use them in two different kids rooms at some point in the future if needed.  If you don't have an Ikea nearby, just find a long dresser on craigslist and paint it white.

Now for accessories and art work.  You could use a oversized canvas to paint yourself the first letter of the child's name-- like in the first picture.  Just use the same blue, red, and white paint colors.  I'd pick up a bunch of cheap pictures frames from a thrift store and paint them white.  I'd frame some of the kid's artwork and put them up on the striped wall over the dresser.  Above the bed, I'd string up a row or two of twine and hang these Charley Harper flash cards ($14.95) on it-- I saw it done at House and Home.  They used bull clips to hang the cards on the twine, or you could use wooden clothes pins from the dollar store.  Horizontal looks good, you could also hang two pieces of twine vertically and clip the cards on either side if you want to go for long up and down strips.

**update** I'd try these flash cards-- they're a free printable.  Visit the handmade home for the link!!

What else would you need...  lighting.  Find a lamp at a thrift store and paint the base red.  Add a new white shade and you've got yourself a cheap lamp for the bedside table.  How about something like this Ikea one for the main light fixture?  It's funky... it's $40.00.

Or, you could go for this one.  Also Ikea.  $50.00.

Now for bedding.  They've opted for white-- could be scary for a toddler boy's room.  I know.  But, you could always bleach it... right?   Find a solid blue throw blanket for the foot of the bed.  Try Walmart or Home Sense.  Or this one from Ikea... it's $2.99.

Then I'd pick a yard of each of these fabrics from Fabric.com.

$8.98 a yard

$5.98 a yard

$5.98 a yard

$8.98 a yard

Start sewing some accent pillows.  You could get really creative mixing the patterns and solids-- a pattern on one side of the pillow, solid on the other.  Or you could make some piping out of a solid and trim out a printed pillow with a contrasting color.  (Fabric Disclaimer-- I've only seen these fabrics online-- if you actually want them, I'd suggest ordering swatches first.  But then again, they are so cheap that you could just go for it!!)

Other accessories... use your kids toys.  Books stacked up, wooden blocks, wooden train sets... they look awesome when put on display.  Add a couple of baskets for storage.  Instead of paying $45.00 for something like this elephant-- pretty as it is-- you could find a cheap one and spray paint it white.  Or, search thrift stores for glass/ceramic animals and spray paint them.  Birds would look particularly cute :)

Oh, and if you have some firewood sitting around-- you could try to DIY those tree stumps from the first picture.  Strip off the bark, give them a sanding, prime, and paint them an apple green or sky blue.  Can't guarantee it would work-- I've never tried this myself-- but it's worth a try if you've got some dry wood (it would have to be bone dry) sitting around.

Well, I think I'm out of ideas.  Does anyone else have any great ideas to add?

Oh, and if you want to see the room's original transformation-- click here.