The Girls' Bedroom

The Girls' Room: The Face lift

Also known as:

Project: Get Rid of Pepto Pink Wall Color and Evil Heart Wallpaper Border

(yes, even though it had hearts, it was still evil

simply because it was a wallpaper border.

looks can be deceiving:

evil border masquerading as "cute hearts" is still evil.)

I used the fabric from the bed skirt to find the blue for the walls.

I settled on Aviary Blue from Sherwinn Williams.

I adore it.

I also notice a theme: every time I paint a room in my home,

the color on the wall in the end is always blue.

...maybe I like blue...

The girls were sleeping on a bunk bed. They didn't like sleeping on it anymore. So we took the beds apart to make two separate beds; but their bedroom was too small for that. Not to mention all the dress-up clothes and baby dolls in their room--which are now in their permanent residence in the playroom. Well, somewhat permanent...how is it that when there is a place for everything, still, toys want their place to be on the floor scattered throughout the house? So anyway, I decided that a full-size bed for them to share would be the best solution for their bedroom. And me: hello! Just one set of sheets to clean, one bed to make, one bed to tell the girls repeatedly to make? That makes my life simpler. And I need simpler. So here is a picture of their new headboard, duvet cover (yellow king-sized sheets sewn together, thank you very much), and Aviary Blue wall color. And a small glimpse of the window. Aside from the sheets and duvet cover, I purchased the fabric for the headboard and bed skirt from Home Fabrics, an outlet home decor fabric store down in Idaho Falls. Living away from Seattle limits my options, but I still managed some fabric I liked. My first project was making the bed skirt. I just made a flat panel bed skirt with panels at the corners to go under where the corners meet. I've never used a pattern, so I don't know what the technical terms are. Well I do know that the fabric that you sew the panels to, the one that rests on top of the box spring is called the "deck", because that is what my mom calls it. And Mama is always right. Trust me.

You know what else is right? Using an old sheet that was once used for Annalise's twin bed and is now no longer needed, as the deck.

Repurpose! I love it!!

And Annalise was so excited to see Tink as the deck: "Oh Mama! It is so cute!" Though it isn't supposed to show, I'm glad she likes it.

My next project was the headboard.

All I used was:

the cheapest particle board, cut 48" by 54" (54" is the width of the bed)

2" foam (the most expensive part of the project, it cost $70) 48" by 54"

my loverly staple gun (what would I do without it?!)

The fabric I purchased was just barely 54" wide, so I had to sew two panels,

one on each side, to make the width wide enough to wrap around the sides

and staple to the back.

I did it on my own.

I missed my mom while I did this project.

It seems she has always been helping me (directing me) when I made these in the past.

I have made one for Annalise (which I sold on Craigslist--somebody bought something I made!);

two for Geoff and me, one which is now used for the guest room bed and my mom helped me wrap a coordinating sheet to match its bedding.

And now this one.

I love it.

I was going to hoist it up on something (2 x 4's or something like them)

but when I put it up against the wall after painting the room,

I was happy with the height for the headboard

and liked that it was covered to the floor.

Wanna see under their bed?

(You're probably thinking: Well who wouldn't?!)

The only thing keeping the headboard up is the hollywood frame, box spring and mattress. So far it is fine, though I may need to think of something else in the future.

Also the bed has been lifted with four of those handy-dandy bed raisers. Nice.

I am happy with the coordinating mismatch headboard, bed skirt, duvet and white bedding.

My final project was the window valance. I was going to fake it and just staple gun the fabric to a 2 x 4 and nail it to the wall. I did this for my dining room and it worked great. But because I wanted to use the cafe window rod already in place and hang white gauzy curtains across the window frame, I had to build out. I didn't know how. So you know what I did? I asked for help. At the hardware store. Easy. Here is one corner covered. Wanna see underneath? (Of course!) I measured the window before I left, including how wide I wanted the valance to go to the sides of the window frame. Also, notice the cafe curtain (or whatever it is called) jetting out from the wall? It measured, I think, 3 1/2 inches from the wall to the overhang edge. So I figured 5 inches would be adequate so I could take the curtains off and on when I wanted. So the nice man told me how to install, including using the L-shaped brackets, and he cut a 1" x 4" 68" long and two 5" long boards for the ends. I got home. Sewed the valance fabric together and lined it. YOU: Prone-girl, what did you line it with? Did you have to buy fabric for that too? ME: No! It didn't cost me anything! I used scraps from the duvet project and it came to exactly what I needed! Moments like that make me feel that my project was divinely inspired. (Okay, I don't really think that, but I do feel blessed when it happens.) Again, I got my staple gun out and stapled the fabric to the back of the valance. I am very happy with the valance. I am also very happy with the new color, the lack of wallpaper border, I mean evil wallpaper border, and the new fabrics in the room. I'm not finished in their room. I need to find or make something for above their bed. I need to hang beveled mirrors. I need to take their old chandelier, spray paint it (white?), and replace the ceiling fan with it. I need to find nightstands tall enough for their bed (which I think I have). I need to find a place for their knick-knacks (I loathe knick-knacks, but they have them). I need to take a nap. I like naps. Maybe I'll take one on their bed...right now...