Paint Easier To Change Than Wallpaper In Kids’ Rooms

One of the best aspects of painting a young child’s room is that it’s easier to change later than if you’d wallpapered. That change might occur two or three times as the child grows and tastes change. Think about having to strip that room’s wallpaper a couple of times and you’ll appreciate paint.

Dutch Boy paints has a booklet to help you through the painting process. Appropriately titled “Kids’ Rooms,” it is filled with suggestions - a few design ideas but mostly specific how-to tips - on doing the job.

Here are suggestions from the Dutch Boy booklet:

Striping. With quick-release masking tape and a couple of bright colors you and your child can agree on, you can create a stripe pattern for your child’s room. Using the lightest color you choose, paint a base coat first. After letting it dry 7-10 days, measure and mark in stripes using a level, ruler and pencil.

Mask off the areas for the darkercolor stripes. Because you’re dealing with long stripes - sometimes as long as floor-to-ceiling - the masking can be tricky. Follow this tip. Unroll and stick the tape to the wall a little at a time to avoid stretching and wrinkling it.

To prevent paint seepage, the kind that causes those ragged edges we all hate, press the tape securely with your thumbnail as you run it down the wall. Remove the tape immediately after painting.

Paint the ceiling. This is an excellent idea for any child’s room but is particularly helpful for babies and small children. Babies spend most of their time looking at the ceiling, and high-contrast colors work well here as soon as they’re able to discern more than black and white.

Painting clouds on a ceiling can provide a settling and dreamy effect for a child. What’s more, it doesn’t require an art degree or even the ability to draw a straight line.

Before you begin, have a pair of protective glasses or goggles available.

First, paint a base coat of latex in the sky-blue of your choice. After letting it dry thoroughly (according to the directions on the can), dip a natural sea sponge into white paint. You can make this a pure white or off-white.

While you should get a good deal of white paint on the sponge when you dip it, be sure to blot the excess onto a thick towel. Before you begin applying it to the ceiling, practice a few times on a vertical surface such as plywood or - better yet - a piece of drywall (probably the same material as your ceiling).

The Dutch Boy paint booklet may be found at most stores carrying the brand. If you can’t find it, call (800) 828-5669.