A Room Fit for a Princess

(or Two)

When we started talking about moving (again), Kate was very reticent. She was content in her room and in the house we had. We told her we'd have more room and she balked. We told her we would have a better library: she was unimpressed. We told her we would be settled, and she couldn't have cared less. We told her we would hang things on the wall and make her room like a princess's and she was sold.

From the start I knew I didn't want Disney princesses everywhere. Kate is nearly six already, so I'm not sure how long this phase will last, so I wanted more a room fit for a princess that they could grow in for awhile. So, while I didn't decorate their room the way I would do it if I got to make all the choices, I did lead them a tiny bit.

We started with a bed. Gabriella's was one that my mother found and cleaned up to use for herself as she was growing up. My sister, our exchange student, Kate, and I have all slept in that bed. I did some searching on Craig's List, but my parents found one that is as close as we were going to find in their town.


I had a quilt that Kate got when she got her 'big girl bed,' when we first moved to Kansas. She said she'd like to keep using it, so I made Gabriella one to match.


The girls chose a flower decoration from Hobby Lobby when it was half off.


They also wanted butterflies. I found these at Target and put them up for them.


Next up, the girls both had letters for their names, but they were plain white. We must not have plain white in the princess room, right? So they each chose a color of paint--Gabby picked a light pink and Kate chose a vibrant purple. Neither one a surprise! I painted their letters and then topped them with stickers: ladybugs for Gabby and butterflies for Katie.


I Modge Podged over these to help them stay. FYI: don't stack modge podged projects, not that I know anything about that...

Justin put up shelves to hold their trinkets. This was especially important since they gave up their large dresser for a smaller chest of drawers.

The biggest surprise for the girls was probably the least expensive. I bought some tulle and made it into a canopy for their beds using a little sewing hoop and some ribbon.


Justin painted the hoops white for me.


I made a running stitch to gather the tulle and placed it between the two hoops.


I wrapped ribbon around the outside of the larger/outer hoop, and I tied a bow at the top to gather the fabric. Then I made a little loop from thread to hang it from the hooks over their beds.

A room for our little princesses!