Paint Ideas for a Space-Themed Room

Background

• The trouble with a space-themed room is the dark, heavy black background. This dreary color may be overwhelming and depressing for your child's bedroom. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Navy blue makes a realistic substitute for black paint. Alternatively, choose a completely unrealistic background color, like light blue, lavender or green.

Stars

• Painting stars in a space mural can be tedious work. As you are painting the background, don't drive yourself crazy trying to paint around the areas where you'd like to see stars. Wait for the background paint to dry, then paint stars directly on top of it. To expedite the process, use a splatter paint method. Dip the paintbrush into white paint. Hold the paintbrush upright and pull back the bristled end, then release it. White paint will splatter on the walls as the brush flicks forward. Practice the splatter paint method on scrap board before trying this on your walls. After the paint you used to create the stars has dried, paint over the largest stars with glow-in-the-dark paint.

Educational Arrangement

• Paint the sun as a focal point in the room, and paint all the planets radiating outward from the sun in order of their natural arrangement in space. Although you may find it impossible to paint these celestial bodies in a way that reflects their true proportions, you should make the largest planets appear large and the smallest planets appear small. Keep the planets in the correct order, and consider painting a label beside each planet so your child will know which planet is which.

Projected Illustrations

• Sort through the most beloved space-themed books you have on your bookshelves, or check out a few of your child's favorite space books from the library. Pick out your favorite illustrations and make copies of the illustrations onto a transparency. Rent an overhead projector and project the outlines of each illustration on your walls. Paint in the illustrations the way you would color a coloring book. If you think you lack artistic talent, this is the process for you.