Mum finds genius alternative to wallpaper for daughter's room and it cost £2.97
- Bex Ware, 38, wanted a mermaid theme for her daughters’ room
- Instead of splashing out on wallpaper, she spent just £2.97 on wrapping paper
- Paints and paste for under £20 completed the transformation
If you’ve been dreaming of transforming your home on a budget and are looking for cost-effective ideas, take inspiration from this savvy mum.
Bex Ware, 38 a housewife and mum of seven children aged two, seven, nine, 11, 13, 15 and 19, found a genius money-saving alternative to a mermaid wallpaper: wrapping paper that cost under a fiver.
Bex, from Swansea, bought three rolls of wrapping paper for 99p each, paint for £14 and paste for £2 to transform her daughters’ room on a budget.
Bex told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: “The idea came because my daughter wanted a mermaid bedroom and I couldn't find any reasonably priced wallpaper.
“My daughter is seven and she shares a room with her two-year-old sister. I was wrapping her birthday presents and chatting to my friend on the phone, and she said 'pity they didn't do wallpaper like this wrapping paper as it would be perfect!’
"I thought 'why not?’ and that was it. I sent her dad out to get three rolls of the wrapping paper and wallpaper paste.
“We already had bought turquoise paint and purples and pink gloss to paint the room. Then we set off to transform the room in time for her birthday.
“The wrapping paper was 99p from Home Bargains. It took three and a bit rolls. The wrapping paper was the thick foil type that doesn't rip easily so it's perfect to wallpaper with.
"I pasted the wall first and the paper went up like a dream! My daughter who is two decided the following day to paint a gloss over the paper to my horror, but thankfully it wiped off amazingly.
"I decided to paint her window wall in Miami mint and another wall in purple using paints from The Range, and I had some pink fondant paint left from my bedroom, so I painted three walls a different colour.
“I wallpapered the wall straight in front as you walk in so that her bed will be on that wall. I'm also drawing a mermaid so she will look like she's swimming across her room so the wall I papered with the wrapping paper will be part of her mermaid tail!"
Bex and her daughters were over the moon with how the project turned out, and considered it to be an ideal lockdown activity.
“The one tip I have for people is that if you have an idea, just go for it!” Bex adds. "As a family, we love experimenting with ideas on a budget.
"I have found during lockdown that decorating and coming up with new ideas has helped with mental health as I suffer from anxiety and it helps keep the mind focused.
“My main goal was to give my daughters a perfect bedroom as we’ve not been in our new house long and it's still a work in progress but the girls absolutely love the mermaid wall!”
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, comments: “I’m always looking for savvy money-saving materials to use for DIY projects, and using wrapping paper instead of wallpaper is a cost-effective and genius solution!
“Bex’s mermaid room looks fabulous - I can’t believe it cost just £20 to get this look.
“If you’re isolating at home, all these materials can be ordered online for lockdown-friendly projects!"
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