How to Decorate a Child’s Room in a Circus Theme

Circus themes are for everyone and they can transcend the ordinary.

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Decorating a child’s room in a circus theme should summon strains of the calliope and transport all who enter to a three-ring time filled with illusion and magic. Done correctly, a circus theme will even outlast the toddler era. It will provide a layer that can be built upon over the years, re-creating childhood adventure and fun.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Non-toxic paint
Art paintbrushes
Animal and circus performer stencils
Overhead opaque projector
PVC pipe
Clear polyurethane
Wallpaper trim
Ceiling glow-in-the-dark stars
Canopy material

Step1

Murals or individual pictures can be stenciled on walls using a projector, then painted. Begin with a color palette that is reminiscent of nights under the Big Top. Primary colors red, yellow and blue painted in stripes work well when mixed over one solid color and separated by a half-wall border of stars. This can be achieved through a combination of paint and wallpaper, but washable surfaces are wisest for fingerprints or other childhood “memories.”

Step2

Calliope music is closely associated with the circus; recreate the organ on a wall. As an alternative to Step 1, go with a solid light upper color upon which circus animals or clowns can be stenciled. Use an opaque projector to trace the outlines, then fill in with details using shiny paints. Paint cage bars over the animals, or attach thin molding for a bar-like appearance, surrounded by more ornate wagon or cage molding. Cage wheels can be made from actual trike wheels, or some other hub-and-spokes material. Googly eyes scaled to match the figures are a nice touch for any stenciled pictures, as is a three-dimensional lace that can serve as a clown collar, tight-rope walker’s umbrella or a tutu.

Step3

Awnings or canopies make great accent pieces in any room. Half PVC pipes cut vertically, then painted a burnished gold, can be adhered to a wall to look like a circus pipe organ of varying heights. Anchor with a stenciled keyboard that you can paint in.

Step4

Stencil figures on the closet doors or wall and framed by an old-fashioned ornate molding painted in gold. Or, an entire mural can be traced or painted, and then sealed with a clear polyurethane after it dries.

Step5

Paint assorted embroidery hoops in bright colors to provide rings that can pass as circus three-rings, or double as balloon outlines. Join the balloons with painted “strings,” or actual ribbons, and anchor them in a clown’s hand.

Step6

Continue the theme with floor and window treatments. Several round rugs arranged in circles mimic more three-ring action; placed over a natural fiber room rug they can be rings in what doubles as a sawdust covered floor. Hang a canopied valance over the window to look like an awning over a box office. An abbreviated curtain also lets the maximum amount of light into the room, although any window shades can be edged with fringe and tassels.

Step7

Enhance the canopied look with a tent-type canopy over the bed’s headboard, and drape material alongside that can be let down for maximum darkness when sleeping. Or, use fine netting for the canopy sides that can double as mosquito netting in warmer months, while still letting air in.

Step8

Pre-made circus furniture is available to outfit a room, or accessorize everyday fiurniture. Bring in pre-made circus-themed furniture in gaily painted figures or colors, and include a table and chair set for a reading or arts and crafts corner. A wastebasket can be painted or contact-papered to look like an elephant’s foot stand, admission ticket or a striped popcorn box.

Step9

Glow-in-the-dark stars on a ceiling evoke an evening under the Big Top, and can serve as a night-light for little ones. Lighting can range from recessed spotlights aimed at key components in the room, colored light-bulbs in standard fixtures, or include hanging globes with more circus ornamentation.