Playful Decorating Ideas

Total time: 30 minutes.

All you need: An Ekorre swing kit, $15; and Ekorre mounting hooks, $2 for two: ikea.com for stores.

How to put it together:

• Pick an area of the room with a few feet of space to swing in both directions.
• Locate a rafter or a sturdy support in the ceiling. (Use an electronic stud finder, if needed.) This will help the swing hold more weight. Mount the hooks according to the directions.

Alternative:

No room for a swing? Try a hammock seat (from $83, kidsdreamgym.com), which gives off the same easy-breezy vibe.

Total time: Four hours (includes drying time).

All you need: A pegboard kit ($29 for a four-by-four-foot board, homedepot.com), two favorite paint colors, a paint roller, a small paintbrush, and a pencil.

How to put it together:

• Using the roller, paint the pegboard with a base color; let dry.
• With a pencil, trace the objects you want to hang, then use a paintbrush to paint inside the lines with the second color. (Tape along the edges for crisp lines.) Let dry.
• Hang the board on a wall; affix pegs and your items.

Alternative: Instead of shapes, outline a quadrant for each family member.

Total time: 15 minutes.

All you need: Tulle ($2.50 for nine-by-three feet, syfabrics.com), small nails, a hammer, and scissors.

How to put it together:

• Buy a swath of tulle that’s about double the width and 3 ½ times the length of the bed.
• Hang the tulle over the bed with four small nails (sturdy pushpins may also work); let it sag a little at the top.
• Cut the excess dragging on the floor. Yes, it’s that easy.

Alternative: Drape tulle over a curtain rod placed behind the bed (in lieu of a headboard).

Total time: Two hours (includes drying time).

All you need: Black paint, a one- to two- inch paintbrush, white adhesive Velcro ($9 for five feet, officemax.com), assorted Matchbox toy cars ($7 for five, toysrus.com; or free from under the bed), and scissors.

How to put it together:

• Wipe the door frame, then paint it black. If it isn’t flat, paint a four-inch stripe around the outside of the frame for a smooth track.
• Snip the Velcro into one-inch strips. Attach the soft sides to the bottoms of the cars (or to the wheels on a monster truck). Once the paint is dry, stick the rough sides of the Velcro to the track to make lanes.

Alternative: Use green paint and toy animals for a farm scene.

Total time: 30 minutes.

All you need: Vintage rotary wall phones (you can find many for $20 or less on eBay), nails or screws, and a hammer.

How to put it together:

• Mark the wall where the phones will hang; make sure your children will be able to reach the receivers.
• Use screws or nails to mount the phones to the wall. (Most old phones have existing holes on the back.) The kids can now play Operator instead of pulling on your pant leg while you finish real calls.

Alternative: Go even more old-school: Hang two cans attached with string over a hook.