Doodle your way to dashing bedroom decor with these easy projects using colorful paint markers.
Creating a backdrop to our marked up linens, nightstand, lamp and shade is Encaustic, a visually textured and removable paper from York Wallcoverings, yorkwall.com.
A vivid floral comforter ($20 on clearance at Target!) provides the color scheme inspiration for our furnishings and accents.
Plain white sheets get a new look with the simple application of purple paint markers and rubbing alcohol. Here’s how we did it:
What You’ll Need
- Flat sheet and matching pillowcases in linen or cotton
- Plastic drop cloth or other nonporous surface protection
- Sharpie markers in purple and lavender
- Spray bottle
- Rubbing alcohol (91% strength works best)
- Wide piece of cardboard
Spread the sheet and pillowcases on protected surface in a well-ventilated area. With the markers, outline the hem of the sheet and the open-edge hems of the pillowcases. You can mix two colors together or alternate them in a straight line or a narrow zigzag.
Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol. If you prefer to limit your color to one side of the hem, hold cardboard against the fabric in the direction you wish not to cover. Lightly spray rubbing alcohol on the hem. The color will spread slowly at first but will continue to fan out as far as the alcohol spray has reached.
A wood night table gets whimsical with freehand floral designs on its drawer fronts and knobs.
Sketch designs in pencil first and use household items, such as cups, bottles or coins, to trace shapes of uniform size. Then go over the pencil with a black Sharpie. To protect your handiwork, spray with a finish sealer.
Give an affordable lamp base ($25!) in a classic shape a little extra dimension with a hand-drawn pattern down the front.
What You’ll Need
- Gourd-shape lamp in teal (ours is from Home Depot)
- Sharpie oil-based paint marker in white
- Q-tips
- Rubbing alcohol
- Look for design inspiration online or flip through adult coloring books (we used Lisa Congdon’s Just Add Color: Botanicals).
Start at the top of the lamp base and draw twining floral motifs down the center of the base with the marker.
If you make a mistake, use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to wipe away the paint. Let dry and continue.
Black and teal-blue paint markers team up to beautify an $11 lampshade from Target. You can use a stencil to sketch a design onto the shade or, if you’re more confident in your artistic vision, give freehand a go (with pencil, just in case!).
Outline the result with black marker and add shading details with teal.
Finish the room with accent pillows and a round braided rug in teal, also both from Target and you’ve got an affordable room redo that’s customized with your own two hands. Enjoy!
Photography by Chris Hennessey
© Caruth Studio