In this Post: Learn how to design the perfect mermaid bedroom on a budget! Your little mermaid will thank you!
Undersea bedroom themes are popular among children, but they tend to all look the same – if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. By focusing on a slightly more specific subtheme within that underwater universe, you can create a one-of-a-kind space your kiddo will love.
Mermaid bedroom designs are a perfect pick for these situations, as they not only satisfy your young one’s desire for an undersea theme, they also allow you to do so in an original way.
And it’s probably easier than you would think! Let me share six great ideas that’ll have your baby shark feeling safe to swim in the deepest waters of her imagination.
Six Mermaid Bedroom Ideas
Before we get to our actual decoration recommendations, please understand that you’ll need to tweak and customize any of these concepts to suit your little one’s habitat. But don’t worry! The ocean’s full of things to explore.
Keep it simple and fun, look under random seashells, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes or alter your plan as you go.
There are no rules when it comes to mermaid bedrooms – just ask Ariel:
“Look at this stuff. Isn’t it neat?”
But is her bedroom complete?
Hang Up a Fishing Net
One of the quickest, simplest, and most affordable ways to get your child’s mermaid bedroom started is by hanging and decorating a fishing net on the wall. The net material is quite inexpensive (most craft stores stock decorative versions – you needn’t go down to the local tackle shop and buy an actual fishing net), and it’s easy to weave a variety of different items through the material.
Just start by picking the wall you want to hang the net on (personally, I think the wall opposite the door is ideal, as it’ll instantly catch the eye), and then use some mug hooks or picture hangers to attach it to the wall. From there, you’ll just want to start adding a variety of mermaid- and ocean-themed decorations to the net.
A few nifty nautical items you may want to use include:
- Seashells
- Dried starfishes
- Replica fishes, crabs or other underwater creatures
- Faux seaweed or kelp
- Decorative buoys
Don’t be afraid to help bring everything to life by adding some strategically placed glitter or metallic craft paper. These types of glimmering additions can help really capture the feel of an underwater world.
Paint the Ceiling Ocean Blue
Painting the ceiling some shade of ocean blue is one of the most obvious ways to impart a mermaid theme to your child’s bedroom. This is obviously a bit of a project, and you’ll have to break out the step ladder (and cover the furniture and carpets to protect them), but you’ll surely find that it’s worth the effort once you see your little guppy enjoying her new bedroom.
If you’re going for a super-realistic aesthetic, you’ll want to pick a blue color with a tinge of green to it, but realism isn’t strictly necessary when creating a mermaid bedroom – the goal is to put a smile on your little swimmer’s face, not fool National Geographic. So, if you think baby blue will work best, go for it!
Understand that the ocean isn’t really a single color, so don’t be afraid to add a little white or use a couple of different shades of blue to help give the ceiling some “depth” and capture the illusion of an underwater sanctuary.
Add a Fish Tank to the Room
There’s nothing that’ll help sell the theme of your child’s mermaid bedroom more than live sea creatures, so consider adding a small aquarium to your kid’s room.
Not only will the tank full of water and live fish impart instant underwater awesomeness to the room, but the aquarium lights will also create shimmering lights and swirling shadows, which will dance around the room. In fact, you could even incorporate a nightlight to the setup, so your daughter can drift away to dreamland while feeling like she’s floating in the ocean.
Just remember that this is a big commitment, and (depending on your child’s age and maturity level) you’ll likely be the one who ends up taking care of the tank over time. But, if you’re willing to make the commitment and necessary investment, you’ll surely find that most kids love aquariums.
But – and this is critical – keep things simple if you’re not already experienced with aquarium maintenance and fish care. You don’t want this to turn into a Saving Nemo situation. Be sure to explain your circumstances to the pet store staff and heed the advice they share. You probably don’t want an elaborate saltwater setup; just go with a cute little 10- or 20-gallon tank featuring two or three fish, and perhaps some shrimp or tiny crabs.
Finally, be sure to include plenty of adorable aquarium decorations that also fit well with your mermaid theme.
Make a Seashell Headboard
If you’re handy with a jigsaw and know your way around a staple gun, you may want to consider making a seashell-shaped headboard for your little one’s bed. In my opinion, this one of the decoration ideas that will last the longest for your child – she may outgrow an ocean-painted ceiling in a year or two, while still enjoying a seashell headboard for some time.
To complete this project, you’ll need a large piece of plywood or particleboard, some cotton padding, and enough fabric to cover the whole thing. Start by simply tracing the seashell design on the wood and cutting it out, then staple (or glue) the fabric to the bottom of the headboard. But don’t fasten the fabric to the top of the board yet – this will create a “pocket” into which you can stuff the padding.
Once you’ve packed all the cotton padding inside the pocket, simply staple the fabric to the top of the board and you’re ready to go!
Whip Up Some Mermaid Appropriate Pillows
As every decorator already knows, theme-specific throw pillows are an easy way to add some extra touches to any room. And best of all, they’re pretty easy to make too.
Start by deciding on a few neat ideas for the pillows’ shape.
Consider a few of the following types of pillow shapes, but feel free to use anything your kiddo likes:
- Starfish, clownfish, lobsters, or other underwater animals
- Mermaid-shaped pillows (or even just pillows in the shape of a mermaid’s tail)
- Seaweed or driftwood
- Clam or conch shells
- Life preservers
- Boat anchors
Once you’ve picked out the shapes you want to make, just cut out two matching pieces of fabric for each shape, sew them together halfway, add the pillow stuffing, and then sew up the remaining edges.
If you’d prefer not to deal with sewing, you can just cut ¼-inch wide, 2-inch-long strips around the boundary of the fabric. You can then tie these strips together to assemble the pillow, instead of busting out the needle and thread.
Add Some Jellyfish “Door Beads”
Door beads may have gone out of style a few decades ago, but your little lady doesn’t need to know that! So, consider adding a huge jellyfish over her bedroom door to make it seem like visitors are entering a different world — part of HER world.
Start by making the “body” (such that it is) of a jellyfish. If you want to keep things simple, you could just paint the jellyfish’s body above the door, but you could use thick clear plastic to make a more realistic creature if you like. You could also use rainbow-colored fabric to capture the iridescent shimmer of a real jellyfish.
From there, you’ll need to hang the tentacle door beads from the door’s frame. You can use just about any type of cordage or rope you like to make the tentacles, and you honestly don’t need to add beads to them at all (though you certainly can if you like). Feel free to use any color you want to — there are no rules when it comes to mermaid bedrooms – but pink or purple cordage would create the most realistic tentacles.
Quick Additions for Your Mermaid Bedroom
In addition to the projects and ideas shared above, there are myriad little “finishing touches” you could add to your little one’s room. These are simpler ideas, which you should be able to implement without much fuss.
- Add some mason jars with underwater-themed doodads to your child’s bookshelves and tables.
- Make some decorations from stuffed felt around the room.
- Incorporate some theme-appropriate wall art to the room, such as a mural.
- Install some colored lights to help boost the underwater feel of the room.
Use some organizational tricks to help ensure your little one’s new mermaid bedroom stays tidy.
What’s a ton of fun about making a mermaid bedroom design is that it’ll give you the chance to use some creativity! Not only that, but it’ll give you the chance to help nurture and develop your youngster’s creativity too.
“Is this a thingamabob? I want twenty.” But who cares? No big deal. They want more.
That’s when you’ll realize you’ve done it right.
Just remember to stay positive (even when things don’t work out like you’d hoped they would) and roll with the design-challenge punches!
Have you ever made a mermaid-themed bedroom for your children? We’d love to hear all about it! Let us know what ideas, techniques, and design concepts you used to make it come to life in the comments below.