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Dino-Mite Ideas on a Dino-Mini Budget
by Helen Maietta

Description: Decorating your child's bedroom with a dinosaur theme.

Does your little one live for dinos? If your child longs for a dinotopia of His/her own, don't despair. You can dino-size your child's room while keeping your wallet minimally impacted.

WALL BORDERS:

Wall borders are a simple and effective way to brighten up a child's room. It may seem intimidating to hang wall border, but my husband and I actually managed to hang ours ourselves. We did two rooms with no previous experience. Check out Lowe's web site (http://www.lowes.com) for an online lesson.

To see a large selection of dinosaur wall borders visit American Wallpaper Factory and search for dinosaurs. They have everything from simple, whimsical wall borders to enticing wall border murals (borders with a less-frequent repeat pattern).

DECOR:

- Dinosaur pinatas. Hang them from the ceiling (beware of ceiling fans), place them on the headboard, sit them on a shelf. Dinosaur pinatas can be purchased from discount party suppliers or toy stores.

- Stuffed dinos. Sitting on a made bed, resting on the headboard, perching on dresser, these decorations also double as a snuggly pal on lonely nights. Available at department stores and stores such as Kohl's (check for sales).

- Bedding. Search the internet and department stores for dinosaur bedding. Some come as complete sets: comforter, sheets, pillows and valances.

- Wall hangings (art). Buy a copy of your child's favorite dinosaur book and cut out and frame the pictures; buy pre-made art; or have your child draw their own. Also see t-shirt art below. If you are concerned about hanging frames over your child's bed, considering mounting the artwork directly onto a lightweight foamcore board instead of framing. See your local art supply store for details.

HOMEMADE TIPS:

I am not a naturally "crafty" person, but even I can do simple things involving paint and hot glue guns!

- Dinosaur lamp. Buy a medium-height lamp with a large, flat base. Hot-glue your child's favorite kind of small plastic dinosaur toys to the base so they are "walking" around the lamp!

- T-shirt art. Take a dinosaur-themed t-shirt and mount it onto a board so that only the image area is showing and is stretched over the front of the board. Then frame. (You can also do this with pillowcases and fabrics.)

- Valance. Make or buy "dinosaur footprint" stamps. Coat stamps with fabric paint and "walk" the stamps across the valance (store-bought or home made), creating dinosaur footprints.

- Accessories. You can decorate desk accessories, trash cans, hampers, etc. using paints, stickers, stencils, stamps, sponges, etc.

Using a combination of store-bought items and your own imagination you can create a unique, fun environment for your child to enjoy for years to come...within budget.

Reprinted with permission.