Today’s Hint: A Thrifty Trick for Kids’ Room Wall Art

A few years ago, while cleaning out my childhood room, I came across an old Winnie the Pooh calendar of mine from high school (don’t ask why I had that calendar in high school – I must have been on a Tao of Pooh kick).

Instead of throwing out the calendar, I brought it back with me to San Francisco, figuring that the pictures would make nice wall hangings in the nursery of a future child. Fast forward to today, and six Winnie the Pooh calendar images hang on the wall in my daughter’s room. (I had them transformed into wall plaques at a local frame shop for not too much money).

Turns out that framed calendar images make nice wall hangings, and the same goes for framed pictures from old children’s books and art books (a tip a thrifty interior decorator taught my friend, who shared it with me). So this is why today’s hint is to consider repurposing such images to decorate children’s rooms rather than shelling out hard earned cash on expensive framed posters and pictures.

Looking for more inspiration on turning calendars and books into baby and kid room art?

Calendars: Here’s a how to from one mom who turned pictures from a calendar of vintage Cavallini images into two framed pictures for her son’s room. Similarly, Cassie, who blogs at hisugarplum, turned a calendar of Paris images into wall art in her baby girl’s room, and she offers more ideas for what can be turned into thrifty wall art: “You can frame almost anything you love…your grandmother’s scarf, your favorite coffee table book, images from a vacation, children’s books, notecards, etc.,” she writes. And here’s a how-to for turning a Barbie calendar  into wall art.

Books: Here’s a look at how blogger See Mommy Doing transformed the children’s book “This is San Francisco” into playroom pictures, and she also shares step-by-step instructions, and some children’s book suggestions, for making book art. And Ann Marie from the White House Black Shutters blog writes about how she turned a 49-cent 1942ish Little Golden Book into wall art for her daughter’s room.

What are your thrifty tricks for decorating kids’ rooms?