My four year old recently discovered a love of fire trucks, and – along with each new interest – he and I like to find new ways to decorate his room. Cue the painting supplies, sewing machine, and repurposed items, and we now have a room full of DIY fire truck decorations that any firefighter would be envious of. Here’s how to make your own homemade fire truck decorations for kids rooms:
1. Fire truck pillowcases – At any fabric store, purchase at least a yard of fabric with a fire truck pattern on it. At home, measure your children’s pillow, then sew a basic three-sided open box (right sides together), with a four inch seam on the open end. Turn inside out, then place your pillow inside for a quick and easy bedroom update. If you like the look, purchase more of the same fabric for custom bedroom curtains or a DIY fire truck quilt.
2. Fire truck wall art – Begin with a flat or framed piece of canvas, and paint or collage the background to create a road, grass and sky. When dry, paint a fire truck scene on the background, or use cut pieces of scrapbook paper to collage a fire truck (cover with sealant when done).
3. Fire truck keepsake box – Create an easy fire truck decoration by painting a large shoebox with two coats of red acrylic paint. When dry, paint ladders, tires, gauges, windows and lights to turn the box into a fire truck. This fun box can hold small toys, diapers, or kid collectibles.
4. Truck clock – Turn any ordinary wall clock into a fire truck clock by carefully deconstructing your clock until the face plate is exposed. Cut out a picture of a fire truck (or paint your own), and attach securely to the face plate. Next, reconstruct the clock so all pieces are back in place.
5. Fire station walls – If you’re not afraid, try hand-painting some bright DIY decorations to the walls of your kid’s room. Paint one wall to resemble brick, or simply paint a wall “fire truck red.” Paint a black and white Dalmatian on one bottom corner of the wall, or consider painting a fire pole or ladder.
6. Framed illustrations – If your kids (like mine) have numerous books about fire trucks, frame the illustrations to create colorful wall decorations. To prevent torn pages, make a color copy of each page.
7. Metal coat rack – If you’re not afraid of true DIY work, create a coat rack from a metal pipe to resemble a fireman’s pole. For a fun touch, add a fireman’s hat on top of the coat rack.
8. Name sign – Turn a plain wooden plaque into a personalized fire truck decoration with your child’s name on it. Paint “Ladder Company 28” (or any other number), or simply leave it as your child’s name with a fire truck on the plaque.
9. Ladder hooks – Repurpose an old wooden ladder into a coat rack by attaching hooks to each rung. Hang securely on the wall of your kids bedroom for a great (and functional) fire truck-inspired wall decoration.
Have any other ideas for DIY fire truck decorations? Comment and leave your suggestions below.
