Paint a mural for your child's room for unique and whimsical decorating. You don't need to be an artist to create great-looking murals for your child's room. For a simple solution, you can buy wallpaper murals that adhere to a pre-painted wall, but if you are considering painting a mural yourself, here are a few tips:

If you aren't an artist, select artwork from a book illustration or other children's art source. The mural pictured here was inspired from a nursery rhyme illustration found on a gift bag.

Copy your image in pencil on the wall, or use an overhead projector to transfer the artwork exactly. Depending on the kind of projector, you may need to first trace the artwork onto a clear plastic (acetate) sheet using a fine-point permanent marker.

Use water-based latex paints. For children's rooms, consider a semi-gloss finish. (Easier to clean off crayon marks and other messes!)

Buy paint tints at a home improvement or paint store. These are the tints used to mix custom colors. By buying a few primary colors, you can mix any color you want for accents, without having to buy a whole pint.

Paint large areas first with undercoats. In the mural pictured here, grass green and sky blue were painted first.

For smaller areas, use artist brushes, not broad house-painting brushes.

Novices should stick to large, flat colors. For more advanced painting, experiment with shading.

Detail your mural with a dark marker outline, using a paint pen, available at craft stores.