

Last year, after we discovered we were having another set of twins, we decided to make the upstairs playroom into the nursery, and finish the basement (on our own--definitely broaching unknown territory) so we would have a large playroom and family room down there.
It has been quite a journey, and although we still have more to do (finish painting trim, put the ceiling in, add baseboards, and finish the bathroom), we are getting close, and the kids are enjoying their space. When our lovely tax return comes, it will go towards furniture and other accessories, and I can't wait to get it all up and functioning.
However, over the past month, I have been busy decorating some of the empty walls, and adding some things I knew my kids would love. And who needs to wait to decorate? That's the fun part!
Here are the components of the two walls:
1. Framed magnet board & white board:

I LOVE these. We did this in our original playroom upstairs, but used magnet spray paint instead of the sheet metal. The sheet metal definitely works better--much stronger, and more workable in a playroom. Here's how we did it:
ITEMS YOU NEED:
- 3/4 inch MDF, cut into the lengths and widths you need (a large hardware store will do this for you)
- spray paint
- sheet metal (**Check out your are for sheet metal companies. They will be able to cut your sheet metal to the exact size you need it, rather than having to use 2 pieces from the local hardware store. This eliminates a rough seam, and having to figure out how to cover it to protect little fingers, and for aesthetics. Thanks to a friend's referral, I found one here where I live. It was slightly more expensive than buying it Home Depot, but it was the right size, and MUCH thicker and more durable.)
- shower board (that white, slick stuff that's for shower walls--the hardware store will cut this too!)
- air nail gun
1. Measured the wall, figured out the space we could fill.
2. Using the MDF, create a frame to surround your sheet metal and shower board. One of my
favorite tools ever is the pocket jig--if you want to make frames, this is a tool that can't be beat. It makes it much more streamlined, and secure. You don't have to miter the edges--you can just square them off. OR...you can cut your pieces and put them up separately, if you're not sure how to make the frame. Then paint!
3. Once you have your frames (or wood pieces, cut to size), you're ready to get them on the wall. If you have a air nail gun, or access to one, I highly recommend it. It makes the work so much faster, and cleaner. It takes 2 seconds to get them secure and in place.
**If you have any further questions about how to do the frame, or getting it on the wall, let me know.
2. Raingutter shelvesThese have been all over the place, but
THIS is the tutorial I looked at. We didn't follow it exactly, but they turned out great!
3. Table & Chairs
This has to be one of my favorite parts. I have been eyeing small table & chair sets forever, but just couldn't bring myself to pay the money for them. So, I used an old end table that I had, after I discovered it was the perfect square size, and height for my little girls. LOVE it! Using my 40% off coupons, I bought bare wood chairs at Michael's, then spray painted them red, using Rustoleum's Colonial Red (from Home Depot). My girls love these...perfect for books, puzzles, and tea parties!
4.
Art clipboards, with clothespins:

Remember
THESE art clipboards I made last year? Well, I removed the clips, and added
THESE decorated clothespins. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!
5.
ABC's


I found these fabulous ABC tiles on the clearance shelves at the Pottery Barn outlet, and I loved them as soon as I saw them. I knew I wanted to implement them somehow in the playroom, and I love how it turned out. This is SO simple--and instead of nails you could use clothespins.
ITEMS YOU NEED:
- 3/4 inch MDF, cut into the length and width you need (remember...your hardware store should do this for you!)
- spray paint
- 2 inch nails
- air nail gun
DIRECTIONS:
- Spray paint your cut wood--sand and distress as desired. I would use either a Ralph Lauren glaze, or a dark stain (I love Minwax Provincial).
- Pound in your nails, or hot glue on the clothespins.
- Using the air gun, nail the boards where you want them on your wall, making sure they are level.
- Add your embellishments!
This has been SO fun to do. Coming up next...the girls' playroom under the stairs, and another wall or two!