Foolproof Kid-Made Decor

When you're in the midst of a decorating project, wanting to get everything "just right," it can be tough to incorporate true help from the kids. We recently tore down wallpaper and painted the kids' bathroom, and the five-year-old in particular really, really wanted to help. I struggled with the balance of not wanting, you know, paint on the tiles, and wanting to give her the opportunity to be included. Turns out, she was an amazingly patient and thorough wallpaper-remover (and since we just used vinegar and water, there was no problem having her help). We also had her paint behind the mirror, a job she took very seriously and which we were able to give her a lot of leeway on. (Um, yeah, that was genius, by the way.)



My friend Myrannda recently did a bathroom redecorating project, and had her five-year-old make artwork for the walls by painting on artists' canvases from the craft store. I thought that idea was so brilliant, I had to steal it. But I was thinking, how do I make sure these paintings go with the bathroom? And how do I incorporate the toddler and teenager into the project?



I came up with the idea of picking just one color for each canvas, colors which I picked carefully to coordinate with the existing colors in the room. When you're painting with just one color, you can paint anything and it will still look good. You seriously cannot mess it up. The teenager can get all abstract and do designs, the toddler can scribble madly, and they will all look awesome.



The kids absolutely love their "new" bathroom, and they love that they provided the decor. And honestly? I think it looks great.