Ever feel like your child is exuding udder chaos? Well, that was how I felt the last time I was tidying up my daughter’s room. She is currently in the midst of a “Barbie/Monster High identity crisis.” It has left her room a hodge podge of goth and princesses and it really just wasn’t working for me. A bit of order was needed and she was on board with the transition. I refuse to spend money on trends. My kids will never have character bedding or a new dollhouse with each passing fad. So, we went to work on DIY-ing some creative ways to combine all her tastes into one cohesive theme, modeled after her friend Haley’s brilliant idea.
Haley has a Barbie Dreamhouse much like Sawyer’s and decided a few months ago that she wanted the coveted Monster High Coffin House. Her mom is of the same opinion as I am and told her to redecorate instead. Well the results were so amazing that Sawyer went to work on her own. She bought a 1o pack of Monster High Postcards at the dollar store, incorporated some Monster High “sets” (like the cafe and make up counter) both of which I got on clearance at Target for under $10, and she and I created a bunkbed for the dolls just by hot gluing two tupperware bins on top of each other, printing Monster High pictures and colorful cardstock on the sides, and filling each bin with dark hued fabric for blankets. DONE!!! Thank you Haley for the inspiration!
I didn’t stop there, my son loved trains for the good part of his 2s. Now a big almost 4 year old, he has switched gears and only dabbles in race cars. We had no room for both in his playroom, as the train table takes up much of the room, so we used the side bins to collect all his train pieces and turned the tabletop into a Hotwheels “town” complete with loops, ramps, a parking lot, airport and a carwash. When he wants to play trains, on rare occasions, we use the floor and take them apart when he’s finished!
Other ways to transition:
- Use colored or patterned fleece blankets and couch covers to blend themes when I child is indecisive instead of buying all new bedding or furniture.
- Use wall decals instead of painting murals on the walls until a child is old enough to make a final decision on theme.
- Make a corner for your child to create any theme they want, then buy a storage cube for an easy hideaway at the end of the day or when guests come.
Transitioning doesn’t have to be a hassle, do it on a budget and most importantly, do it yourself! Their tastes will change next week anyway!
