A Funky Boy’s Bedroom | Part 2

Let’s get into how and where I got the items to design Gabe’s room on a small budget. Keep scrolling to see Gabe’s curtains DIY from shower curtains, his painting, and more.

Some of the items below, we already had or I scored at a thrift shop. Oh yes! I’m still a thrifter! In fact, 80% of my pottery and frames are from thrift stores. I also still pick up free stuff off the street. I’m all about it! Gabe’s yellow vintage chair is an original Charlton I scored for $25 dollars.

Let’s dive in and shop the look!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14

Curtain DIY

In order to make Gabe’s room really pop he needed a couple of big statement pieces to bring everything together.  His windows were one area that I could really bring out with a wild pattern next to his brick accent wall and bed. I looked for bold black and white curtains and found expensive options, but no cheaper options. So, after looking at Ikea’s shower curtains, and wishing they came in window curtains, I just decided to convert them into window curtains.

They are 71″ x 71″ so it was no problem taking the width down and adjusting the length to 96.” We already had Venetian blinds up in the windows so the curtains could be purely decorative (so the width of the curtain panel didn’t need to fully cover the window).

Graffiti Art

Please note: I am NOT a pro at graffiti. This was my first go. It is an ART and I have a bunch of respect for artists that make it look so easy because it is much more difficult than you’d expect. It is a craft that takes practice.

I had a used 4′ x 4′ canvas in my basement that was just sitting down there, so I decided to paint over it.

Here’s what you need to get started.

1. Large Canvas – When working with spray paint, the larger the better. It’s very hard to control the thickness of the spray paint when you’re working small, so go with a canvas that’s 4′ x 4′ or larger.
2. Spray Paint – When it comes to choosing colors, go with the color scheme you have planned in your room. For high-quality spray paint that is very concentrated, and a variety of colors to choose from Blick art materials is the best! For medium grade spray paint, Michaels and Hobby Lobby have a great selection.
3. Drop Cloth – I just use old sheets to cover up what I don’t want the spray paint to hit.
4. Old Clothes – it can be messy so dress accordingly.
5. Spray Outside – Be well ventilated. And a mask doesn’t hurt for younger kids.

This is a great project to do with your kids. They will love it! Even if they aren’t into art, if you start spraying and they see those colors, I’m willing to bet they’ll want to spray a little, too.

To start just start spraying marks all over the canvas. The layers of color give it depth and character. Let everyone involved take a turn and add their personal style to the canvas.

Keep going. You’ll need lots of layers.

Drip Effect – Hold your canvas upright and spray close to the canvas (about an inch to a half-inch away). Watch the paint pool up and start to drip down your canvas. To stop the drip, lay your canvas back down. Try this in all directions. Try a couple of colors at the same time, or one after another to see how the colors merge and mix. It looks really cool!

Splatter Effect– Spray directly into the lid/cap of your spray can and let it fill to about a tablespoon or more, then flick your paint out across the canvas. Mix it up with large spatters and smaller spatters. The more the better.

Thin & Thick lines – There’s a couple of ways to do this. 1) The mini spray cans tend to spray out thinner lines. The larger spray cans spray wider. 2) It also depends on how fast you move. The faster you move the thinner. This takes practice. 3) The closer and faster you are with your wrist the thinner your line will be. The further back you are the wider your line becomes.

Typography – Use 3 to 4 colors to create your word. 1) Start with black and spell your word all in solid black as your background layer. Make it thick and wide enough for another color can go in between. 2) Add your second color in the middle of the black letters so the black outlines around the letters. This is tricky, so practice on a separate large paper or board for a little bit. 3) Add a third color the same way as (step 2) maybe at the top or bottom to give it some character or maybe for a shadowing effect. 4) Add highlights to the words to make them feel dimensional. It can be a white or a lighter tone from the other colors to achieve this effect.

Don’t forget the sides! Let the paint drip over, spray the sides, and splatter on the sides.

If you mess up, no biggie, you can always throw a bunch of marks on it and try again. No one will ever know. 😉

Since the weather is still beautiful, it’s a great project for the family to experiment with! Who doesn’t love to be wild and throw paint for an afternoon?!

Hands down my two favorite items in this room are these two DIYs. They add a striking sense of energy that makes the room have dimension while being playful and exciting.

What’s your favorite DIY?

Stay well, everyone!!

XO,

Melessa