How to Turn a Playroom Into Narnia

Kids of all ages will love a Narnia inspired playroom. If you have the space and a couple of weekends you can transform your playroom into a dreamworld of magic.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Playroom
• A 2-door wardrobe that you don't mind altering
• Faux fur
• Transparency projector (optional)
• Jigsaw
• Sander
• 2 plastic Christmas trees
• A lamp post
• Various paints
• The Chronicles of Narnia

1. Read the Chronicles of Narnia. Skim the books or watch the movie. Familiarize yourself with the world C.S. Lewis created.

2. Clear out the playroom and clean it from top to bottom. Give it a fresh coat of white or cream paint.

3. Remove the door and the hinges. If you want to go all out you can also remove the door jamb or molding and refinish it with drywall.

4. Alter the wardrobe. Cut out the back of the wardrobe using a jigsaw so that someone could walk straight through. Clean up all the edges so that nobody will end up with a splinter. Fix faux fur coats in the wardrobe so that you have to push through them to get to the other side.

5. Draw murals on the walls and the ceiling of the playroom. There are several familiar locations in Narnia (Archenland, Calormen and Telmar to name a few). If you aren't much of an artist (and even if you are) you can make transparencies of Narnia-inspired drawings, project them on the walls and trace them.

6. Cair Paravel is an essential addition. It is the castle from which the four Pevensie children ruled. Set up four thrones (or as many chairs as you have children and paint the others) preferably on a raised area.

7. Add another area that is Mr. Tumnus's house.

8. Place a lamp post near the entrance to the room.

9. Place the Christmas trees so that they flank the entrance to the room. Make it so that the children must push past them to get into the room, but not so tight that it's annoying.

10. Attach the wardrobe to the outside of the doorway. If it isn't tall enough to cover the entire entrance, fill in the gap using drywall or black cloth.

Tips & Warnings

• In most Barnes and Noble Booksellers there is a kids reading area that has both a stage and a mural. Drop by for inspiration.
• Go all out. Don't hold back. Make your room something special.
• You'll probably want a trunk of costumes as well.
• Don't paint without proper ventilation.

[kaldrich88]

on 7/21/2009 what a fun idea! I did a Narnia Themed Party a lot like this article. Go NArnia :o)