Wallnutz

Selecting Paint:
The best paint finishes for children’s walls are satin, semi-gloss or eggshell indoor latex paint. Smudges of dirt will wipe right off the wall paint with a damp cloth and some mild soap. You might be able to get away with a flat paint, but only in a room where the child will primarily be sleeping and not playing.
Quality of wall paint tends to vary significantly by price and brand. Ask the customer service person who mixes your paint which brand provides the best coverage. It can make the difference between applying one coat or multiple coats.

Make sure to get a couple stir sticks and paint pan liner while you’re at the paint store, and pick up any brushes you will need.

Selecting Brushes:
Everyone has their preferences on brush type; my personal favorites are paint pads or rollers. A couple handy specialty brushes are paint pads designed for corners and one for going around trim. The trim paint pad has rollers along the top that act as spacers so that you don’t get paint on the trim or ceiling. This has saved me a ton of time in eliminating touch ups.

Prep Work:
Your painting project will go more smoothly if the proper preparation is taken before painting.
•Remove all the electrical covers and switch covers and window treatments.
• Move furniture to the center of the room and cover with sheets or completely out of the area.
•Tape ceiling, baseboards and other trim with low tack masking tape specially designed for painting (blue in color and available at all home improvement stores).
•Set out drop cloths to protect floors. One of my favorite “drop cloths” isn’t a cloth at all; I like to use large pieces of cardboard on the floor because they sit flush against the wall without bunching up, and my paint pan and ladder can slide along them.
•Get all the supplies you need ready and located in one area.

Painting:
Now that you’re organized, get ready to paint. I find that the best coverage happens when I first paint an X about 2′ wide and fill in the area by making horizontal strokes across the X. Then move to the next adjacent area.

Remove the masking tape around baseboards and trim before the paint dries. This prevents the tape from lifting/peeling away paint that has overlapped both the wall and the tape.

Clean Up:
Water based latex and acrylic paints are easily cleaned up. Use water to rinse brushes thoroughly and the water runs clear. You can rinse the paint pan, or just toss the pan liner into the garbage.

Drips on hardwood floors or trim may be able to be gently scraped or washed away if the paint is still soft. Drips on carpet are tougher to remove, but you can attempt to get them out with soap and water, carpet cleaner or OxyClean and some elbow grease!

Drying Time:
Most indoor latex paints will be dry but still have a soft, tacky feel after a couple hours. Wait to paint a second coat until the last coat loses that tacky feeling.

The paint should be completely dry in 24 hours. You can then finish the clean up and enjoy your painted room or continue painting with a WallNutz Mural!

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•Crib (Make sure that this conforms to current safety standards by checking for ASTM (American Society for Testing and Material) approval. It should be sturdy with no sharp corners, splinters or exposed hardware. Slats should be close enough together than you cannot fit a cola can through them. Corner posts should not be over 1/16th inches high so baby’s clothes cannot catch.) Position crib away from windows.
•Mattress (The mattress should fit firmly so that baby cannot be trapped between the crib and mattress.)
•2 Waterproof Mattress Pads
•4 Fitted Sheets
•Crib Bumper (The bumper should be removed when the baby is able to get up on hands and knees. Some experts are now recommending mesh bumpers to reduce the chance of SIDS.)
•Crib Skirt
•5 Receiving Blankets
•Dresser or Chest of Drawers
•Musical Mobile
•Changing Table & Pad (You can also convert a waist level dresser top into a changing table. Place a bath mat with slip-resistant backing on dresser top, then add a changing table pad on top. Drawers can be used for diapers, wipes, cream, etc.)
•2 Changing Pad Covers
•Diaper Pail (Many moms prefer the Diaper Genie or the Neat diaper pail for odor control and ease of use, or the Diaper Champ uses garbage bags for a lower cost alternative to purchasing liner refills.)
•Rocking Chair or Glider Rocker plus Ottoman or Nursing Stool.
•Nursing Pillow (Boppy)
•Baby Monitor
•Toy storage (Toy boxes, baskets and inexpensive plastic bins.)
•Small Bookshelf
•Window Treatments (Make sure that blind cords are out of reach and childproofed, as they are a strangulation hazard. Free safety tassels are available through the Window Covering Safety Council. Order by calling 1-800-506-4636.)
•Clothes Hamper
•20+ Child Size Clothes Hangers
•Wastebasket

Jungles are always swingin’ scenes! Your little monkey is certain to love these fun this room.

Wall Color
First, paint the walls with a semi-gloss latex paint. Almost any color will work with this design, although a very light golden yellow or tan is recommended.
Next, find a paw print stamp. They are available through craft supply stores or you can make your own. (See CraftCentralStation.com for instructions.) You’ll also need acrylic craft paints in black or dark brown. Brush the paint onto the stamp, then stamp prints around closet, windows and entry door frames.
Now paint one wall randomly with odd shaped black spots at least 4″ in length or width using the acrylic craft paints. Finally, add fun and colorful animals to the picture using the Jungle Jamboree Mural Kit from WallNutz.

Window Treatments
Buy leopard or tiger print fabric from the store. Hem the raw ends of the fabric. Then drape the fabric over curtain rods, tying corners onto rod with rafia or 1″ black or green ribbon, allowing middle section of fabric to drape down. You can also use a flat twin sheet in place of fabric, which is handy because the sheet edges are already hemmed.
Instead of curtains, you can create a simple window treatment by placing silk vines over the window trim. Secure the vines with tacks and florists wire, letting the vines drape down along the sides of the window. Make sure the vines are out of reach of infants and small children.

Finishing Touches
Add hand painted knobs to dresser drawers and closet doors. These are easy to make yourself. Home Depot and Lowe’s carry unfinished wooden drawer pulls in various sizes. Prime the knobs, then paint with acrylic craft paints. Finish with several coats of clear polycrylic sealant.

Find a thick rope, 5′ to 6′ in length. Using a hot glue gun, glue silk leaves to the rope to look like a vine. Hang the rope in one corner of the room from two hooks secured in the ceiling, spaced about 3′ apart and hanging down approximately 2′ from the ceiling. Attach each end of the rope to a hook. Find a plush stuffed animal monkey and secure the animal to the rope using clear fishing line. Make sure to keep the rope and monkey away from cribs or beds and out of reach of your child.

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