I am not one for pastel and bunnies. I wanted something that would last a few years and be fun for a little boy’s room, not just a baby. I chose a transportation theme. I wanted something pretty classic. I am not in to cartoons like Pooh Bear, etc.

If you are wondering why the ten tips, well, not only is it a good round number, but today I hit 10,000 visitors on Tipsy! Yay!

Thanks for all your support! I am thrilled to hit such a big number in less than two months! I am so lucky to have great friends and followers and I LOVE hearing all your comments!

So, here is a run down of my little guy’s room. (Unfortunately, some of the prices have gone up since I purchased in 2007. I am certain I did the whole room for under $300, with a few existing items of course. The prices listed are the current market price.)

1. Re-purpose existing items in your house.

• I repainted this old boat shelf I had to match the room and hold the baby monitor.
• I had this metal shelving unit that worked out perfectly because there was a floor vent on this wall. I would have covered the only source of heat if I had covered it with a solid piece of furniture. I bought some dish tubs at the dollar store to use as catch-all toy bins.

2. Hand Paint Dresser Knobs. I had so much fun painting these to match the crib bedding. I wanted something custom and fun, so I did it myself. I spent about $10 on acrylic paint and brushes.

3. Paint-A gallon of Green, a gallon of Cinderella Blue, a quart of black and a whole lot of patience.

• I painted the two toned blue/green first and then taped off the section in the middle for the road using a level and chalk lines to get it straight. It is about 6 inches wide.
• I made a stencil for the white dashes by cutting the rectangles out of the thick 2 inch blue painting tape with an exacto knife. I moved it around the room adding the white paint (which I already had) over the stencil. It did not come out as clean as I wanted, so I went back around with a ruler and a black sharpie to cover up any blurry lines and make the edges completely straight and crisp.
• I originally planned to use magnetic paint so that I could hang matchbox cars with magnets around the road, but the guy at Lowe’s said that paint doesn’t work very well so I gave up on it.

4. Paint & Modge Podge Shapes/Letters–

• I picked these wood shapes up at Robert’s Crafts and painted them to match the crib bedding. I am very proud of the police car. It is an exact replica of the bedding. 🙂 They were a dollar or two each.
• I painted the edges and modge podged scrapbook paper onto these letters to spell his name. Then, I embellished them with buttons. I attached them to the door with glue dots.

• I got this wood 12×12 frame, painted it black and distressed the edges. It holds a piece of scrapbook paper that has an extended family tree. It will eventually help him learn about aunts, uncles, and cousins.

5. Wall Stickers-I picked these up at Target for about $15. They added that little extra I needed to spice up the road.

6. DIY Light Switch Plate-I saw some really cute ones, but they were pricey. Instead, I just cut a hole in a leftover wall sticker and put it on the existing switch cover. It turned out really cute.

7. Curtains-I picked these up at Walmart for $10 or $15 per panel. I love how they look like overalls, totally boy! I plan on making some car themed tie backs soon. They are great for making the room dark for naps.

8. Don’t be afraid of the discount stores! You know, the sad thing is that I scoured every baby store and department store around because I wanted everything to be just right (but in our budget). I did not want to look at Walmart because, well you know why, but I ended up finding a lot of our stuff there. Go figure.

• Crib Bedding 4 pieces (sheet, bumper pad, skirt and comforter) for $42 from Walmart. This is a steal! The other bedding I liked was $175. Are you kidding me? I don’t spend that much on my bedding!
  

• Glider and Ottoman $130 from Walmart. I figured I would want one of these for those late nights where mommy is up with little one so daddy can get rest for work. Boy was I right! We still use it everyday as we read stories before each nap and bedtime.

• Crib $170 from Walmart I really liked the sleigh design and the fact that it can grow with him since it is a 4 in 1. I’m sure we will be converting it to the toddler bed soon!

10. Check the Dollar Store-I am telling you there are some gems out there if you keep your eyes open and theme in mind. Three street signs, three dollars. I also found this stop light in the Target dollar section. The lights alternate when you turn it on.

Phew…that was a lengthy one! Hope you saw something you liked! Tell me your favorite!