I have people tell me all the time that they just can’t come up with a good idea for decorating their child’s bedroom. Sometimes, they’re trying to avoid the cartoon character trap. Sometimes, they’re trying to work on a budget. Sometimes, they’re just overthinking it and making it more difficult than it really is.

So, how to develop a kids bedroom decorating idea? Take a deep breath and relax. I’m going to walk you through how I do it.

Personality
What’s your child like? Mellow? Hyper? Girly? Rough and tumble? This might help you decide on the overall tone for the room. A calm child might like a zen garden theme, while your “all boy” child might prefer something with bold colors. Working with their personality type can help you figure out a spot on the color wheel, as well as point you toward a set of concepts. Not to mention, clue you in on just how many accessories and what kind would be appropriate. (Example: a hyper child might never register that series of cute little airplane prints, but they’ll notice the one big wall graphic you apply.)

Interests
The obvious one, right? But coming up with a good theme involves more than just knowing they like SpongeBob if you want a theme that lasts. What are their favorite colors? Activities? Books? And carry those out farther than the obvious, if you can.

Example: My niece loves Nancy Drew. Not something you can run out and get a bedding set for, but doable. But we could take it just a step farther and go with a detective theme, incorporating Nancy Drew but maybe some other classic detectives like Holmes or Encyclopedia Brown. That one interest takes us in a different direction than we might have thought of at first.

Skill level
This one is about you. The complexity of the theme you choose is really dictated by how well you can do things like differentiate colors, mix patterns, balance scale. Or whether you can enlist a friend who does those things well. If those things scare or are just beyond you, keep it as simple as possible. That might mean just getting that cartoon character bedding and calling it good. Less stress, more sanity, happy child.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”