Thursday, April 12, 2012

Kids Room: Space Theme


Quote painted on foam board.
My boyfriend requested a space theme for our sons room, he requested it at the end of my pregnancy when I had just finished 3 large paintings to match the safari theme of his bedding and all of the other decorations that we purchased. So when we moved into our new home I took the opportunity to change the decorations (with the inspirtaion from a few pinterest ideas).



My first project was creating some wall art. I had bought an extremely large frame from Hobby Lobby but I couldn't persuade myself to buy a canvas that large (I am extremely cheap and I don't mind admitting it!) so I just bought a foam board cut it to size and took a quote I found on Pinterest to make a space themed wall art.
Phase III of moon creation:
All over gray coat to cover
paper mache and hot glue.

Final Phase: The model is
hung next to crib.
The next project was creating some models for around the room. I wanted a moon, a rocket, and of course a jet pack (inspired by pinterest). I had a beach ball I had got on clearance at a dollar sale so I decided to paper mache it to create the moon. I didn't especially like how it turned out at first- it wasn't smooth. But I decided this was probably best. It's not like the surface of the moon is smooth so I got out the hot glue gun and put circles everywhere in a variety of shapes. At first I thought that these lines would be barely noticeable afer another layer of paper mache but it turned out really great and I think it makes the moon look much more realistic. I shaded different circles and hung it with string.

See the Crayon shape?
For the rocket I literally went to a couple stores to look for a cardboard tube (for mailing) and couldn't find anything and I didn't really want to go to the post office and pay for a nice one. I eventually stopped at the dollar store (where they didn't have a mailing tube) but as I walked around the store trying to be inspired I found a crayon piggy bank. What could be more perfect?!? It already had the nose shape of the rocket and everything. I cut some cardboard to make the "wings" and painted it. VOILA Rocketship!
Jet Pack!

Finally the jet pack, which is probably my favorite of all the projects. I bought 2 2-liter sodas. I liked the shape of the Coke bottles which in my house was a struggle to drink. I got out the white and black paint to give a gray base and than painted over with some metallic silver. I bought silver duct tape to cover the cups for the bottom (which were attached with the same duct tape), to make the arm straps, and to attach everything together. Finally I got some streamers and (suprise suprise!) I duct taped them to the inside of the cup.

The last project was a hoop tent. While browsing pinterest I saw a princess themed tent and was beyond inspired. It was the perfect way to create a rocket in his room. I should have gone and purchased plans (I think available at Jo-Anns) instead I just threw fabric together until it worked. The most difficult part was attaching wings. First I cut the shape of the wings from cardboard and covered them with matching fabric with a hot glue gun. I sewed blue stripes down the side of the rocket and attached the cardboard pieces to the fabric with binder clips. They stay in place well but whenever I want to take it down I can just unclip the wings! I absolutlely love when the inability to actually sew the pieces together leads to a kazy but brilliant idea.

 "Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-... That's all, folks." I put the projects around his room along with some of my paintings which I had laying around. When we purchase a home we will probably invest in a fiber optic star ceiling for his room and keep the space theme going. Maybe we will have a star ceiling in the master bedroom too! I can only hope....
The projects completed!

3 comments:

  1. You are an amazing person and mom, Jessica! I am proud to have had you as a sweet little first grader!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. :)

      Thank you! I am just glad you were my first grade teacher. You made the longest trip out of all of my guests at the baby shower and I really appreciated it. I just wish Oliver could have you for a teacher.

      P.S. Thanks for posting about Project Life one time on Facebook. I am completely obsessed.

      Delete
  2. Hi, I love your rocket tent and I am attempting to make one myself. Can you give more detail please as to the inside construction between the hoop and the ceiling?
    thanks! Linda

    ReplyDelete