How to Decorate a Child's Room in a Pirate Theme

Arrh! Pirates be a popular theme if you want smiling children, yo! Yes, posters of Johnny Depp can please many a teen girl, but if you have younger children or boys to surround in décor, you may want to go with a genuine pirate theme. With a combination sea/pirate theme, the sky’s the limit for imagination.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Non-toxic paint
• Art paint brushes
• Crossbones, Jolly Roger and pirate stencils
• Overhead opaque projector
• Tri-corner hat
• Clear polyurethane
• Ceiling glow-in-the-dark stars
• Coarse twine or net
• Antique maps
• Sea life, like starfish
• Thatching material
• Casks or barrels
• Contact paper

1. Chests with booty--or toys--make a classic pirate accessory. The thing with pirates is that they labored in the dark, plundering and looting and bedeviling their prey—-usually due to surprise attacks. But filling a child’s room with shadowy items isn’t nearly as entertaining as incorporating the many hues of the seas and tropical islands.
   
   Entire walls can be painted using all one shade, or try a half wall approach with paint on top, and rough-hewn wood paneling (reminiscent of a ship’s hull) on the bottom--separated by thick rope used as molding. Or, use a halfway marker created by stenciled seagull footprints to separate the top and bottom. A Jolly Roger flag is unmistakably pirate, and can be stenciled, or put on material and made into curtains or duvet cover and shams.
   
   Think washable as much as possible—-or work with colors that won’t have to be cleaned weekly due to finger or hand marks.
   
   If you choose a lighter upper wall color, consider stenciling sea birds or a ship’s crows nest, using an opaque projector to trace the outlines, then filling in with details using shiny paints. If you are feeling particularly creative, consider attaching starfish or other sea life, like faux seaweed, to the wall stencil outlines for 3-dimensional effects.
   
   Other items can be used as accents, such as crossed swords, or swords used above and below any sea life as an ersatz frame, or thick boat rope fashioned in a type of framing. Palm fronds and pirates’ earrings can be plugged in as accents on windows or work with wall art, foliage or in other areas.
2. Natural fibers, like rope, make great molding and provide extra touches, but must be used cautiously with children. Images of people, sea life or pier type items (such as casks or barrels) can also be stenciled on the closet doors—-or a pirate’s antique map--and surrounded by tall tufts of tropical ferns. An entire mural of the various sea fauna and flora or a pier’s trappings can be traced/painted, and then sealed with a clear polyurethane finish after it dries. Assorted grasses and branches, along with fish in bright undersea colors can fill corners or accent a wall or windowsill. Consider a canopy made of seaside shack bare wood and shingles for the window, or one made of island thatching and hinged like an awning. A rope ladder can also be made into curtains, and extended to hang across a corner like a hammock to hold stuffed animals or other items for out-in-the-open storage. A natural fiber room rug can mimic natural grasses, or carpet/rugs in natural shades from the out-of-doors can cover the floor. Consider the type of covering used in miniature golf courses for “throw” rugs at the doorway or in front of closets with a hardy life to them.
3. Pirate lighting, furniture, and bedding abound nowadays. Of course, a hammock-like appearance for a bed is another option, as is making a bed resemble a ship’s wooden bunk. Continue the canopy look over the bed with similar thatching, or use fishing net, gathered into one large fold at the top of the bed, accented by a large tropical flower, colorful bandana, or a sea symbol--like an anchor. From a corner hook near a light source, hang a tri-cornered hat upside down, lining it with a waterproof container, and fill with live or silk plants, some of which can trail down. Group with a brightly colored bird on a wooden perch to give the feel of a native scene, or let a monkey dangle by its tail or paw.
4. Pirate lighting, furniture, and bedding abound nowadays. Think pirate, sea and activity-—and accessorizing the room is limited only by the imagination. Pre-made plastic furniture resembling rough-hewn lumber adds to the mood, without the fear of splinters and will wear over the months and years. Using large bottles, tankards or small barrels as lamp bases carries the theme further, especially when complemented with natural-looking shades. Craft stores like Jo-Ann’s or retailers like Target carry a plethora of such items under their global decorator pieces, and they can be made into lighting or storage for rooms.
5. Pirate lighting, furniture, and bedding abound nowadays. Draping fabric like that used in pirate shirts or ship materials can also be used for effect. Pillows can be covered with bandannas or bright beads to look like buried treasure. A wastebasket can be made from a barrel or cask, or papered to resemble a pier’s mooring or pirate’s boot. Trunks, baskets or barrels can also look like pirate booty, and also make usable toy chests or used for other storage. Glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling give further evidence of an evening adrift at sea, 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 (coconuts?) with more pirate ornamentation.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember to avoid cords, loosely spaced slats, toxic paints, sharp edges, or other potential hazards when decorating to prevent a bedroom tragedy.

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