Create a Pirate Themed Bedroom
Little boys love pirates, so what better way to celebrate boyhood than giving your child his own pirate-themed bedroom? With a little bit of creativity, you can turn any child's bedroom into a hideaway for small buccaneers, while still maintaining your budget.
Things You'll Need
Fabric
PVC pipe
Wooden chests and crates
Rope
For starters, paint the walls in various shades of blue. A darker blue along the bottom gives an oceany feel and lighter blue above it gives you a definite horizon line. Give your little pirate the sensation of being out at sea, by painting fish, sunken chests, sharks and shells under the waterline and add clouds, small islands and seagulls above it.
Next, consider turning your child's windows into the foredeck of a sailing vessel. By using some PVC pipe and sheets of canvas, you can make a mast and sails. Cut a length of black 3-inch PVC pipe the height of the ceiling, and mount it to the ceiling and floor with plumbing flanges, to make the mainmast. Next, take a 1 ½-inch length of PVC pipe and cut it to the length of the windows. Mount this on the mast crosswise, above the windows, to create your yardarm. Finally, cut two sheets of lightweight canvas or duck cloth to make the sails, or curtains. Sew a sleeve at the top, and slide each one over the end of the yardarm. Attach lengths of rope so that the curtains (sails) can be raised and lowered, and mount a cleat on the wall so the rope can be tied off.
Remember that storage is important too for any pirate bedroom. Find some old wooden chests to store toys in (make sure they won't accidentally latch shut when your pirate climbs inside them), or stack wooden crates on their sides to form shelves. Mount a pulley to the ceiling, wind a length of rope over it, and hang a fishing net from it for stuffed animal storage.
Turn the bed into a ship as well, by mounting a ship's wheel on the headboard. You can usually find these at craft stores. Make a giant treasure map bedspread out of an old comforter. Cover the comforter on one side with a plain, cream-colored sheet, and use fabric paint to paint a map; don't forget, a nice big red X marks the spot.
Don't forget to add small accents around the pirate room. Use a hot glue gun to attach a length of cording around the wall at ceiling height, creating a border. Place hooks on the wall so your little pirate has a place to display his swords, captain's hat, and eye patch. Shop at your local party store and pick up some island-themed décor for your pirate room, such as parrots, palm trees, and hang framed maps and a Jolly Roger flag on the wall. Finally, don't forget to put up a sign on the door, that says "Captain's Quarters" or "Pirates Only! No Landlubbers Allowed."