Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
Make RealSimple.com My Homepage|Simply Stated|Newsletters|Real Simple Rewards|Time-Saving Tips|SUBSCRIBE
  • Food & Recipes
    • Browse All
    • Enhanced Recipe Search
    • Recipe Collections & Favorites
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Tools & Products
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Everyday Meal Planning
  • Home & Organizing
    • Browse All
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Home Improvement
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • New Uses For Old things
    • The Black Thumb Guide to Gardening
  • Beauty & Fashion
    • Browse All
    • Clothing
    • Shoes & Accessories
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Makeovers & Tips
    • Clothing Care
    • The Ultimate Skin Care Guide
  • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Browse All
    • Holidays
    • Weddings
    • Birthdays
    • Entertaining
    • Gifts
    • Is It Your Turn to Host?
  • Health
    • Browse All
    • Nutrition & Diet
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Mind & Mood
    • First Aid & Health Basics
    • Preventative Health
    • Getting Fit for Life 
  • Work & Life
    • Browse All
    • Money
    • Family
    • Life Strategies
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Etiquette
    • Entertainment
    • How Busy Moms Can Save Time
  • Magazine & More
    • Browse All
    • Inside the Magazine
    • Inside the Website
    • Newsletters
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Books & Back Issues
    • Simply Stated Blogs
    • Subscribe
    • Subscribe to Real Simple Magazine
Easy Home Makeovers 
  • Main

5 DIY Decorating Projects

 By Melinda Page and Elizabeth Wells

Easy upgrades you can make around the house.

  • PRINT
  • E-MAIL
  • COMMENT
  • SAVE
  • SHARE:
  •    more
Page 2 of 7

Mark Lund

Prepare Walls for Kids' Art

You long to be that cool mom who’s laid-back enough to let the kids freely decorate their rooms, but you imagine a wall Swiss-cheesed with nail holes and hanging hooks. Now you can give them free rein over their decor by covering a wall with magnetic primer, which contains nontoxic iron particles. You’ll need at least two base coats under the paint of your choice. The resulting surface will hold magnets, which in turn can hold artwork, Derek Jeter posters, and that Got Milk? ad collection. (For best holding power, use broad, flat, or ultra-strong magnets.) Now when your kids change their pictures of the flavor of the month, it won’t become the labor of the month.

To buy:

  • Rust-Oleum Magnetic, $23.50 for 1 quart, rustoleum.com for store locations.
  • Krylon magnetic spray paint (good for smaller areas), $11.50 for 13 ounces, dickblick.com.

Next: Instant Hallway Makeover
Skip to Daily Finds slides.

Related Content

8 Charming Candles

These shining examples set the mood for any celebration, from a holiday cocktail party to a festive family gathering.

  • Low-Cost Ways to Freshen Up Your Home
  • Video: Keeping Flowers Fresh
  • 9 Investment-Worthy Pieces of Wall Art
  • Create the Perfect Setting

What do you think about this article? Share your own solutions and ideas

View Earlier Comments
  • Mouse Icon Tools
  • Camera Icon Videos
  • Checkbox Icon Checklists

Time-Saving Tricks

Browse Tips
Tips
  • The Best RS Time-Savers
  • 14 Shortcuts for Everyday Tasks
  • Time-Saving New Uses
  • Time-Saving Foods

How-To Videos

Browse All Videos
Videos
  • Peel and Chop Garlic
  • Treat Puffy Eyes
  • Stretch Your Lower Back
  • Clean an Iron

Checklists

Browse All Checklists
Checklists
  • Basic Spice Checklist
  • Start a Book Club Checklist
  • Start-a-Garden Checklist
  • Makeup-Organizing Checklist
Advertisement

Top Galleries

See All Galleries
  • Illustration of a red hair dryer with nozzle

      3 Easy Steps to a Perfect Home Blow-Dry

  • Enzo Star Boxes by Roost

      8 Smart Office Organizers

  • Cascade hairstyle

      20 Gorgeously Simple Hairstyles

  • Clock and paint can

      Real Simple’s Top Time-Saving Tricks

  • Ketchup bottle as batter dispenser

      50 All-Time Favorite New Uses for Old Things

Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
In The Magazine
  • This Month's Issue
  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • Books and Back Issues
RSS
  • Sign up to get ideas instantly!
Inside Real Simple
  • Food & Recipes
  • Home & Organizing
  • Beauty & Fashion
  • Health
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Work & Life
  • Magazine & More
  • Weddings
  • Travel
  • Technology
 
  • Decorating
  • Gardening
  • Cleaning
  • Money
  • Family
  • How To Guides
  • Ask Real Simple
  • Simply Stated Blogs
  • Daily Finds
  • Real Simple Products
More Information
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Customer Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Print Media Kit
  • Digital Media Kit
  • Real Simple Rewards
  • Site Map
Real Simple Newsletters To receive any of these free e-mails, select the ones you're interested in and enter the required information.
  • Weekly Tips Newsletter (see sample)
  • Daily Finds (see sample)
  • Daily Thought (see sample)
  • Wedding Newsletter (see sample)
  • Daily Recipe Newsletter (see sample)
  • Ask Real Simple (see sample)
  • Keep-It-Together Checklist (see sample)
Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.