INSIDE: How to DIY girls bedroom decor with a thrifty budget.
A vintage chandelier and a spunky little girl. Those were the two motivators to getting our 8-year old’s bedroom decorated and checked off the (very long) home To Do list.
It all started when this plucky girl announced her desire for a “princess canopy bed”. As with most home projects, one seemingly small project became a giant snowball of multiple projects all going simultaneously! (You should’ve seen the state of our garage.)
The bed led to redoing the dresser which led to re-purposing an old, vintage vanity stool to updating a bookcase. Snowball. And here’s how we did it all for less than $150…
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DIY girls bedroom decor with thrifty budget
You can’t have a room redo without at least one frazzled, teary eyed moment! A husband gone all week travelling + a what the reaction to the totally altered state of my daughter’s bed frame = hot tears on cheeks.
But with home projects, as is in life, it too passed. And now this little girl’s bedroom is pretty awesome, (awesome) altered bed frame and all!
Here’s where my budget went…
DIY Girls Bedroom Decor Cost Breakdown:
Dresser
Decorative wood trim – $10.98
Wood scroll applique – $7.98
Wood plaque – $2.49
Paint – already had
TOTAL = $21.45
Bookcase
Roll of Scotch removable decorative tape – $0.25 (found in the clearance section)
Fabric – already had (from this no sew project)
Spray adhesive – already had
TOTAL = $0.25
Garbage Can
Small plastic flower pot – $2.49
Pom poms – already had
Hot glue – already had
TOTAL = $2.49
Vanity Stool
Vintage vanity stool – $25.00 (purchased at an antiques fair)
Spray paint – $3.98
Fabric – already had (from this DIY kitchen stool project)
TOTAL = $25.98
Canopy Bed
Fabric – $21.94
PVC pipes – $63.04
Spray paint – $3.98
Frames for DIY art – already had (from this New Year’s Eve cocktail bar)
TOTAL = $88.96
Girls Bedroom Decor Grand Total = $139.13
diy girls thrifty bedroom ideas
There’s nothing quite like taking what you already have and just “tweaking” it. Using my home’s existing color scheme, furniture already in my daughter’s room and an unfinished, decades old latch hook rug that I had started as a teenager, this room project was fun to tackle. It’s definitely the cheeriest room in our home!
The centerpiece of this girls bedroom is the DIY canopy bed with custom sheers and fun bow tie backs. (Tutorial to come in April!)
Crafty and creative herself, we had many pieces of her art to showcase. I used formerly glittery gold picture frame cutouts and painted them white. They were hung on the wall with Contact picture hanging strips.
My daughter is lucky to have the handmade dresser that was once my mother-in-law’s as a girl, built by her father. It was given a designer touch, inspired by an Ethan Allen dresser, for $20.
Purchased at a Saturday morning antiques fair, this formerly gold vanity stool got a new life with teal spray paint and fun, laminated cotton fabric. Perfect as a girl’s desk chair!
Tired of picking up all sorts of random bits and pieces from her various creative endeavors, the girl got an unbelievably easy, 5-minute garbage can. (Tutorial to come soon!)
An Ikea bookcase, that was once in her nursery, got the “big girl” treatment with some fabric and decorative washi tape. (Tutorial to come!)
decorating a girls bedroom on a budget
Don’t you agree that this is a fun, bright and cheery room? I actually look forward to going in there everyday to pick up the aftermath of the morning rush!
Here’s part of the BEFORE room:
The one thing missing is the vintage chandelier. Yeah… It’s still sitting on a shelf in the garage. Stay tuned, though, because this same spunky 7-year old won’t let us forget about her “lighting situation”!
I’d love to hear what rooms you’ve tackled on a budget. Leave me a note in the comments.
Other Budget-Friendly Home Decor Ideas You May Enjoy:
- Clearance section tray turned frame for an old photograph
- Snag free paint chips and make DIY beach art
- Make your own custom candles using ribbon and an iron
Check out my friends budget-friendly room makeovers!
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Updating a Vintage Vanity Chair To Use For Child’s Desk
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What girl doesn’t dream of a canopy bed? Fabulous!
Thanks Kim!
She is a lucky little girl, that would be my dream bedroom too. I love the canopy bed idea, it really finishes the room. I can imagine her dropping the sheers and having her own quiet time to read and day dream. Great job!
Thanks Toni! She hides behind the sheers from her little brothers!!
This is such a fun makeover! The canopy bed looks amazing, and I love all the fun details on the dresser too!
Thanks Stephanie! Now onto all the other rooms in the house…
I’ve got three girls who would LOVE princess canopy beds! This idea to make your own is brilliant!
Thanks Jessica! Kinda makes you want to be a little girl again.
I’ve been working on my teen’s bedroom. I hope to share a few new projects soon. Lighting was an issue in her room too. I’m hoping to update her ceiling fan/light this spring/summer. Another to do on our list. Love how this is coming along. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Shared.
Oooo! How cute! Of all of the beautiful special touches, I think the flower pot pompom trashcan is my favorite. Darling 🙂 Her whole room looks amazing. Great job.
Thanks Sarah!
What a gorgeous bed! I hope your daughter loves it and will enjoy it for many years to come! Way to go!!
Thanks Sarah! Let’s hope she doesn’t outgrow it all too soon.
What a fun room makeover. I am sure your daughter is thrilled with her canopy bed. Great job.
I just love all the color in this princess bedroom. I always wanted a canopy bed when I was little. You did such a great job of updating everything and making it all new again. Great job!
Thank you Susanne!
That is such a pretty and cute bedroom! That canopy bed is so gorgeous! great job!
Thanks my friend!
That bed is glorious!!!!
Thanks Kim! After I got over the shock of how different her little bed looked, I agree it’s pretty cool.
What a perfect room for a creative little girl. I love all of the color.
Thanks Kim! Can you tell I’m not afraid of color?!
Oh my goodness those colors!!! Your little girls is so lucky! Nice job!
Thanks Janice! Hopefully it’ll remain “her style” for a while to come.
This is one lucky girl to have a momma that is willing to create a room fit for a princess.
Great job Victoria.
Whoa. Nifty dresser! Such a striking color scheme.
Thanks Alyssa!
Looks lovely! My youngest daughter is 7 too and I have promised that I will do her bedroom for her. She would absolutely love the canopy bed idea – thanks for sharing 🙂
Love all the bright colors in this room! And what girl doesn’t dream of a canopy bed?? I sure did!
Thanks for sharing such a useful post. These are some amazing and easy ideas. I have just recently updated my daughter’s bedroom. I tried to keep it simple yet beautiful.
Oh, this is so pretty!
It’s amazing what you can do for next to no money when you use what you have and employ a few creative ideas! Your daughter bust be super happy with her room.