We’ve talked a bit lately about kids’ rooms and, specifically, fabrics that are up to the challenge of kids’ rooms. We’ve also talked about how to have your design cake and eat it too — so to speak. How to have rooms that work for your children (young and old) but also fit your home’s style.
Today we’d like to be a bit more, well, childish. Because all of the above is super useful and important, of course. But you also want your kids to have rooms that are fun, friendly, and cozy. A place where they can romp around and snuggle up. And (we’ll just bet) you’d love to do all that in as budget-friendly a way as possible since, you know, your kids aren’t kids for long, and they can be wildly fickle.
So let’s do that. Or rather, let’s help you do that. Today we’ll get the gears turning and get you on your way to adding fun and functional pieces and detail to your child’s room. We’ll look at how to make your own bean bag chairs and bolsters. And we’ll offer you a quick look at some other cheap, easy ways to update and elevate your kid’s space.
Bean Bag Chair Basics And How To Build Your Own
However unlikely, they’re nothing short of iconic. Bean bag chairs date way back — like way way back — but bean bag chairs as we know them have been around for about 50 years. And why not? They’re so soft, squishy, sit-able, sleepable, punchable, throwable, and (let’s be honest) laughable. In short, they’re the perfect lounge chair for a kid’s room from little kids to teens to those simply young at heart.
A bean bag chair is basically a giant fabric blob of varying degrees of structure and size and is usually packed with foam peanuts or pellets. You can pick up the filling online or at your favorite local arts and crafts store. But besides that, it’s up to you how complicated or simple you want your project to be.
This is a project that does require some sewing but no need to be intimidated by that. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated.
Like with this video tutorial from the Makers Gonna Learn YouTube channel that simplifies things without skimping — and includes adding a zipper. Or this handy how-to from Homes+ Magazine that uses velcro instead and shows you how to add a handle. And if you’re more of a reader, Project Nursery has you covered with this guide to making a kid’s bean bag chair in just 30 minutes.
And here’s a no-sew option we did manage to find from Momtastic. She uses fleece, but we have some other ideas for you. Because whatever DIY direction you go with, you’ll want durable kid-friendly fabrics.
This isn’t a time for silks or fine linen. This is the time for fabrics that like to flex their muscle. Performance fabrics and fabrics like denim, duck, and twill are for you. The kind of fabrics up to being stretched, poked, and pulled without skipping a beat.
But just because they’re tough doesn’t mean you can’t have playful and comfy too.
Make it deep and moody with a rich hunter-green twill. Take it playful and friendly like bubblegum pink duck fabric. Try a classic denim look in a delft blue textured denim and velvet hybrid. Or play with patterns like Crypton jacquard in natural tones and a striped abstract pattern. It’s a bean bag chair. Let yourself — and your kids — have fun with it.
Add The Simple Snuggly Fun Of Bolster Pillows To Your Child’s Room
To bolster our case (no charge for the pun) for adding some flair and individuality to your children’s rooms, let’s talk about the snuggly awesomeness of bolster pillows. Part support pillow and part sleeping companion bolsters can be formal or decidedly casual. They’re basically burrito-shaped pillows of varying sizes and structures. And they’re as at home on a living room chaise as they are in a toddler’s bedroom.
And they’re an easy DIY win. So, first the how-to. Check out this no-sew option from The Heathered Nest blog. A lot of videos promise big wows at how “easy” something will be, but this one actually makes you say “wow” — or at least “Oh, c’mon.”
For all its ease you may see a flaw in that how-to when it comes to the wear and tear of a kid’s room. Fair enough. For just a little bit more of a commitment, check out this one instead from Spruce Crafts. It’s decidedly thorough and detailed and guides you through making any size bolster. If you’re ready to really do the thing, this guide from acclaimed sewing expert Debbie Shore is for you.
And let’s talk about fabrics. Unlike the bean bags, you’ve got a bit more flexibility. Yes, you want durability. But also, a bolster for a kid’s room should be soft and snuggly. Back to the performance magic of our old pal Crypton fabrics. Imagine bolsters made of eco-friendly velvet in lovely lavender or a silver-gray flannel microsuede.
Go with a more textured woven fabric like a feathery soft chenille in an oasis blue stripe pattern or a solid cherry red. Or how about the softness and texture of jacquard playfully patterned in contemporary flame red or a black and gray pattern we call Black Tie?
And That’s Not All…Two More Quick Kids’ Room Design Fixes
One of the biggest challenges — and expenses — of the interior design of a child’s room is how to let them evolve as your kids get older and their interests change. You can solve that with simple additions like bean bag chairs and bolsters.
Also, look to things like slipcovers and headboards for rich opportunities to inexpensively reinvent your look. Whether that’s the ease of ordering a custom slipcover for chairs and other pieces or the joy of DIYing your own headboard, you can do it. And transform your space in the process.
You deserve a home that serves your family at every age. We’ve got the fabrics to get you there. And we’re always happy to help you on your way.