Design a Girl's Dream Bed Room With a Carousel Horse Theme

If you have ever considered designing a dream room for your little princess, carousel horses are a loved design by the very young to preteen girls. By planning ahead and doing some comparison shopping, you can turn your daughter's bedroom into a paradise fit for a princess.

Ceilings and Curtains

To give your daughter's room a real carousel feel, consider decorating the ceiling with fabric or paint. To achieve this look, you can sew a "circus canopy" of two or three colors.

To Paint a Circus Rooftop:

Locate the exact center of the room. Mark the center. There is normally a light fixture in the center of most rooms. Use a chalk line to snap equal "sections" of the ceiling so it is equally marked off much like pie sections. Separate each section with painters tape. Purchase ceiling paint (it drips less) in your chosen colors. Paint a different color in every two or three shades according to your color choices.

To Create a Circus Canopy:

McCall's offers many free sewing patterns online to sew a canopy for a ceiling. Using light colorful fabrics, you can sew a canopy from left over curtains or inexpensive fabrics. For patterns check out: http://www.sewsweetness.com/2010/09/mccalls-5827-play-canopy.html. This is a great alternative for an apartment where painting is not allowed. The canopy can be nailed to the ceiling just like a circus rooftop.

Instead of decorating the ceiling, a bed canopy would also be a wonderful addition to a carousel room. Beds can be purchased with canopies attached or a canopy bracket can be purchased and installed above a bed.

Curtains:

Curtains should match the ceiling if a circus roof top is being used. Festive curtains in circus colors would be great to liven up a beige room. Tassels can be added for extra flair.

Walls:

Depending on your budget, you could either paint your walls a circus color such as pink or a pastel jewel tone and add a layer of texture to the walls for added interest. Other options include adding a mural or paying an artist to paint a mural for you.

Murals are a great way to decorate and can be purchased for as low as $29.99. There are several colors and styles of carousel horse murals for sale. You can purchase a small one for a corner accent in a room or a large one that decorates an entire wall.

Bedding:

If you decorate the walls with a carousel theme, a festive bedspread in pastel colors will complete your look. Add pastel pillows with lots of fringe and embellishments. 

Carousel Horses:

One exciting way to create a carousel horse room for a princess is to add a real carousel horse. Horses are available in many styles and sizes. Wooden rocking carousel horses are available at stores like Target. You can purchase authentic horses from EBay that come painted or unpainted in standing and jumper styles in many different price ranges.

If price is a concern, you can easily make a carousel horse for very little money by purchasing an old fashioned spring horse from an antique shop or flea market.

After you locate your horse, it will need a complete thorough scrub to remove debris that will get stuck in the paint. Take the spring horse outdoors and either hang it or lay it on newspaper or plastic. Make sure the horse is dry and coat it evenly with two smooth coats of white enamel spray paint. Give the horse one day to dry to a hard smooth finish.

The horse is now ready for accents. Choose colors for its bridle, saddle, hooves, and mane. It is best to use hard enamel and paint the accents by hand with a brush.

After you have painted the accents to your specifics, it will be necessary to apply a clear coat protective spray which is available at craft stores. This step is the most difficult and must be done in smooth strokes. This will protect the paint on the surface of the horse.

If attaching the horse to a pole, you will need to drill holes on the top and bottom of the horse to the exact measurements of the pole. After drilling the hole, insert the pole and add a base. Decorative ribbon can be placed on top of the pole for extra flair.

Lighting:

To complete the look of the room, small lamps in pastel colors add a cozy and festive feel to the room. To replicate the glow of a carousel, consider adding round Christmas lights around the room. This step will give the room the feel of a real carousel.

Mirrors:

Mirrors are a hallmark of carousels. They make real carousels come alive because they reflect both the light and vibrant colors of the carousel. Mirrors with gold beveled frames complete the carousel look perfectly. These can be purchased at places like Walmart or even at yard sales.