The first day of school is quickly approaching, which means moms everywhere are preparing for the coming school year. Usually, this includes back-to-school shopping for clothes, shoes, uniforms, and supplies. Of course, those things are on the list, but I also wanted to include a bedroom decor refresh this year. I believe that creating a personalized, nurturing space can play a crucial role in raising girls with a strong sense of self-esteem and self-love. By designing a room that reflects their personalities and interests, I hope to foster an environment that encourages them to value themselves and their individuality. As well as gain independence while they learn to get themselves dressed and presentable on their own. I was able to transform their room in a couple of days with a budget of less than $100. Here is how I did it!
DIY Vanity / Dressing Area
This budget-friendly bedroom refresh project started where all of my bright ideas tend to start: Pinterest! I scrolled across a photo of a white framed mirror hanging on a wall, surrounded by hair bows, school backpacks, and little girl accessories. In preparation for the coming school year, I wanted to think of ways to improve my kid’s independence in the mornings. The dress code at their school requires that their uniform shirts be tucked in and their overall appearance to be neat. I hope that by adding a vanity set up to their room they will get good at doing this for themselves.
So, I instantly knew I needed to recreate this for my girls, but in line with their existing room aesthetic. I wasn’t quite sure of how it would look until I walked into Five Below. Originally, I thought I would just find a basic mirror at Target but I like this much better. I tend to stay away from sad beige and white if I can.
Five Below is a great place for a project wit ha budget this size. They always have a lot of these cute, girly decor items. I’ve used some of them other rooms of my house and for the price, they aren’t bad! I purchased the purple wave mirror, green and purple daisy shelves, and the daisy side table for a total of about $32. The mirror was $15 at Five Below. It can be found in the Beyond section of the store. I also purchased a small pink rug for $5.55. On a second trip, I also found a small white daisy trash can, a ceramic flower-shaped mug, and some wall art!
The shelves and table come with all the hardware necessary to assemble and hang, which made this easy for my husband to do for me (gotta put him to work so he doesn’t feel left out right?!). As far as the quality goes, please remember these are $5.55 each, so you get what you pay for. My girl’s still share a room and we will eventually separate them so I am holding off on a real room makeover. I’m perfectly fine with this small table not standing the test of time. I think it will be fine with light use, no exposure to water, and holding minimal weight.
This is the most non-intimidating DIY ever. Putting all of the pieces together was very quick and easy. I barely had to do any crafting to complete this project so this is perfect for my non crafty friends out there! I added a bow garden and a vintage hanging accessories holder from my chidlhood (shoutout to my mother, the master archivist for saving it for me). But I don’t even think those are necessary. Experiment with placement and adding other items you find at stores like Homegoods or TJ Maxx for your version.
Bow Garden
The only craft I did was another Pinterest-inspired piece I like to call a Bow Garden. I got a wooden display box/ shadow box from Michales for about $9. We painted it pink and used E6000 glue to adhere grass wall panels to in the inside. Once dry we hung it and clipped a bunch of bows into the garden. It’s a really fun and inexpensive way to show off their unique bows. You can of course make this as large as you want. It could be really cool to see a full grass wall decked out with bows and flowers. That could work for older kids, but having a small one fits our needs much better.
Wall Decor
I’m holding off on painting until we separate the girls into their own bedrooms, but the plain white walls suck all of the personality out of the room. The walls look even more bare against the colorful vanity area. Instead of leaving it as is I decided to add some flavor with removable vinyl decals. I ordered these colorful pastel daisy decals from Amazon and surprisingly the Danish Pastel set matches the Five Below furniture almost perfectly!
I used one full pack to decorate two of the walls in their room. Finally, I filled small clear containers with their butterfly clips, bracelets and nail polishes. Then, we arranged the containers on the shelves, which are hung low enough for their use. It is honestly the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen! I let them use nail polish unsupervised, the only challenge we have had is keeping their supplies organized and together. Hopefully this will be the remedy. Kids thrive in systems of order and organization. As long as you put the system in place and consistently coach them, they will soon know how to keep things up themselves. At least, it has worked that way for me so far!
Final touches
My 8 year old is technically a tween now. I really wanted to give her a space that felt like it was growing with her while still being appropriate for my 5 year old. I also think encouraging them to participate in pampering and self care at a young age will solidify their self esteem.
Ultimately I am pleased with the transformation and the girls love it! Creating a personalized, age-appropriate space for my daughters not only enhances their immediate environment but also has lasting positive impacts. By involving them in the process and catering to their individual tastes, they gain a sense of ownership and pride in their surroundings. This can foster creativity and independence as they learn to organize and care for their belongings. Additionally, the emphasis on self-care and personal expression can significantly boost their self-esteem and confidence. As they grow, these experiences can contribute to their ability to make thoughtful decisions, appreciate the importance of a well-kept space, and understand the value of personal style and comfort.
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