by S.A. Lake

Created on: May 31, 2008   Last Updated: June 18, 2008

Every little girl who has ever watched Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty has imagined herself as Belle being serenaded by vocal dinnerware, or as Cinderella being twirled across the dance floor by Prince Charming, or as Aurora riding upon a white steed with her prince. With these six budget-friendly tips, you can afford give your special little princess a royally unique castle bedroom makeover without turning yourself into a pauper!

STEP 1: TAKE INVENTORY

Before you make your first trip to the department store, take an inventory of what your child already has in their room. If she already had sturdy, practical bedroom furnishings, there is no need for you spend the extra money on purchasing new! With a little creativity and a few things you may already have lying around the house, you can easily transform these diamonds in the rough to compliment the room's new look.

STEP 2: TRANSFORM THE WALLS

To avoid spending a king's ransom on new wall color, check your local paint store for "oops" paint or discounted paints. Try to find colors that will compliment the pastel hues of a Disney Princess theme. Pink, mint green, sky blue, and pale yellow work well, but also consider a light gray base coat with a white faux finish to mimic the stone walls of a castle. If you are considering beautiful but often pricey wallpaper bear in mind that a child's tastes change as fast as new movies come out! Consider going with a less expensive wall border or removable wall decals instead. This will not only save you the hassle of stripping wall paper when Disney presents their next storybook box-office hit, but it will also save you money!

STEP 3: DRESS UP THE DRESSER

You can turn a waif of a dresser into a princess of an heirloom with just a few cans of spray paint, a couple silver or gold paint markers, and your own magic touch! If the dresser your little one currently has is not a pastel color that compliments the decor, remedy the situation with a few cans of spray paint. Once your dresser's base color has completely dried, use the paint markers to randomly place swirls and squiggles on the faceplate of the drawers and top of the dresser. This technique can also be used to decorate the top of a desk and the back and seat of a chair.

STEP 4: TREASURED TOY BOX

For a toy box that will have her thanking her lucky stars, start by spray painting the base of the piece pastel pink and the lid a pastel yellow. Purchase a package of inexpensive plastic stars from the

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