How to decorate your home with a favorite SONG!!
I have to admit that Country Living Magazine was the inspiration for this post and I was just so excited about it that I had to do something with this new found inspiration.
I hadn't seen this done before (decorating with a song in mind) and I wondered about how this could be carried out and explored as a new way to decorate and I was HYPED. Well, after 2 days I can say I'm loving it. I'm loving the idea of decorating with a song. For 2 days I listened to hundreds of songs. My good friend, Theresa, from Shoestring Elegance and I had a lot of fun listening to music and singing (in our best singing voices, of course) to a variety of songs across the board and across the years. Some songs were fun and light and some were sad. Some songs make me weepy. Does that happen to you? I had a good crying session at 3 A.M. So, then I went to bed and couldn't sleep because I had all this music going around in my head and I was still full of ideas that would not quit. So I spent the day today going over MORE music. Let me tell you there are LOTS AND LOTS of songs you can decorate your rooms by. LOTS. I scratched the surface here with 20. I had more than this (some of my favorite songs just didn't seem to translate into room decorating). Anyway, here are my thoughts on how to decorate a room to a SONG.
Have fun and please leave me some comments on what song YOU would like to decorate a room by.
I'll be With You in Apple Blossom Time . Listen to a more updated version HERE. Can you imagine the fun of decorating a room with apple blossoms? Decorating an entire wall with handmade paper apple blossoms would be totally awesome! Of course, there are hundreds of tutorials on making paper flowers of all kinds on Pinterest. Hop over there and search for diy flowers paper. if you want to try making your OWN flowers.
Icing Designs made these awesome blossoms for a party but why couldn't they be part of a wall design?
Paper Daisy blog wallpapered with Anthropologie wallpaper. She has a story to tell on how she stretched an expensive roll of wallpaper to do an entire bathroom. I absolutely love these large blossoms.
Bye Bye Miss American Pie by Don MacLean in 1971. Listen to the classic HERE. The whole room doesn't have to be red, white and blue. It just needs touches here and there.
And what about this gorgeous use of a wooden pallet? This would be fabulous in a family room, too.
My Favorite Things by Julie Andrews opens up a huge amount of decorating fun. Here is the original song sung by Julie Andrews. Let's look at some of the favorite things in the song.. copper kettle, warm woolen mittens, packages tied up with string, cream colored ponies, doorbells, sleigh bells, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.
A picture of Julie Andrews in a field of wildflowers with a back drop of mountains or the album is a perfect way to start the decorating. Pillows of wildflowers, a few wildflowers in a copper kettle and pictures of the Swiss mountains are all great beginnings. Mittens hung on the wall or incorporated into a decorative pillow (actual mittens stitched onto the front of a plain pillow and a brown paper package tied up with string (or several of them) on a table would be a way to depict this song. How about a picture of geese flying either as a wall sticker or in a picture over the mantel? Cream colored ponies...
How about a fabric that looks like a brown paper bag, make it into a decorative pillow and tie it up with string. Very cool. Here's one from Pinterest. Don't you love this burlap pillow?
Two Delighted blog tied up a package with string (SWEET). They have a cute blog!
This one would be so FUN to do, don't you think?
This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie HERE.
This land is my land. This land is your land from California to New York Island... from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters. This land was made for me and you!
How about some awesome crafty map tutorials that are out there and there are some fabulous map crafts. Or maybe the globe and there are tons and tons of those. A map of America with the words "This Land is My Land" right on top of it. Take a look at these!
Of course, having a wall, perhaps above the couch that has some beautifully framed pictures of the places in the song, like the Redwood forest, or the Gulf Stream Waters, or the New York City Island. Actually, I think any framed picture of the American landscape would be totally awesome. However, if you want to "quiz" your friends and family about what song your room is decorated to, then you might want the pictures that are IN the song.
Any kind of American flag would be totally appropriate also. There are some great flag tutorials
Here is an awesome America wall sticker. Nice.
The Entertainer by Scott Joplin was a ragtime song which was a popular kind of jazz music during the years between 1895 and 1915. Listen HERE. The Maple Leaf Rag and the Pineapple Rag are also 2 great ones to consider. It started out as dance music and piano was the major musical instrument so any decorating using The Entertainer would have to have a piano or painting/picture of a piano. How about black and white striped couch or chair to depict a piano. If you HAVE a piano then you are golden. A framed picture of the original score of the Entertainer or several pages of the music which can be bought on Amazon. Musical notes on the wall. Print out large musical notes and have some of the music actually a line on the wall. A picture of Paul Newman and Robert Redford could be incorporated somewhere also for the movie, The Sting, which took place at that time. There could also be the gambling theme.
The movie, The Sting, with Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. Listen HERE. This would be interesting to decorate with, too, with a true gambling theme. Pictures of cards or a poker table, a repurposed poker table as a wall ornament would be awesome. Frame some playing cards in various poker "hands" like a straight, a full house, or a flush. Red pillows with playing card pictures on them. Look at this royal flush, people.
Here are 12 image transfer tutorials for transferring images to fabric from the Graphics Fairy. Get a picture you want online, transfer it to fabric using any of these methods and then make it into a pillow or frame the picture itself.
I'll be Seeing You is a World War II song that is so dreamy. I love it. Listen HERE.
A Bicycle Built for Two would be a really fun song to decorate with. Listen HERE. I love to use bicycles in decorating anyway and I think it would be nice for a master bedroom, perhaps with a picture of a tandem bicycle over the bed. Since bicycles are so big now in decorating you could probably get a bicycle themed bedcovering, topped with a pillow, perhaps with half the tandem bike on one pillow(for her) and the other half of the picture on the pillow(for him) right next to it.
Here is a darling card that could be framed or enlarged and used as a mural. Cool, huh?
Words from the song could be used in various ways around the room as could a bicycle lamp or picture of a tandem bicycle or just a pretty bicycle and there are no lack of them on Pinterest. Print one out and frame it. Voila!
Beyond the Picket Fence made this awesome bicycle using an image from The Graphics Fairy. Totally fabulous and would work in with this theme very well, don't you think?
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. This is the Shrek version... HERE. This is one of my personal favorites! I just love it. Somehow it seems so deep and spiritual at the same time. This was a Shrek song... just loved Shrek. At that time my granddaughter watched it all day long at 2 years old. All day. I got very familiar with the songs. :)
How could a person decorate a room, and what room, with this song? It's basically about King David in the Old Testament and how he made the bad mistake of ordering Bathsheba's husband to the front line in the war so he would be killed. Then he took Bathsheba as his wife. Still, David was a man after God's own heart.
How could a person decorate with this song? I had to include it in this list because it's such a great song and it's been sung by just about everyone. Any ideas?
My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys by Waylon Jennings and part of the soundtrack of the Electric Horseman. If you want to do something a little bit different, you could put a pair of cowboy boots on an end table AND a cowboy (or cowgirl) hat hanging on a hook on the wall.
Spurs, a lasso, and maybe even a saddle if you have one would be awesome to incorporate. Cowboy decorating. Gotta love it.
How awesome is tapestry? It could easily be incorporated into pretty much any design and turn it instantly into a cowboy theme without being too kiddish if you know what I mean.
Oh, I did want to say that Hobby Lobby has a whole section on decorating with a cowboy theme. I love that stuff. It has a certain nostalgia for the people in the East, anyway. People in the West are still living it. :)
Always Be Together is one of the songs in Grease. Listen HERE. I love all the 50's music. Another great song from this movie that would also work for a couple, You're the One that I Want. Both of these would be great wall stickers over a couple's bed. One of the Grease record albums (I see them at estate sales all the time) would work casually propped on a mantel or desk, as well as framed.
When I googled "Grease decorating ideas" I came up with 22 million results. You can have fun with this one, my friends, lots of fun.
You can buy poster prints like this one. Here's an awesome one on Etsy. You can buy any size and frame it for the area you like along with pictures of cars from the 50's.
A 50's car replica sitting on a mantel would be awesome. Or some decorative pillows... how about a pillow with the words "We go together" on it for the sofa? There are lots of pillow tutorials on the web like this one from Wit and Whistle. She shows how to stencil words on a pillow. Perfect.
A set of framed 50's cars would set the stage for this one very well. My nephew restored a 1957 Chevy Capri. Here's a picture of his restored beauty. You can see the post HERE.
Take Me Home Country Road by John Denver. Listen HERE. A framed country road is all that is needed here, I believe, with lots of comfortable furniture. How about a vintage wooden chicken coop for a coffee table? I've seen them and they are interesting and would be a great conversation starter, too.
When I think of country in this way, I think of a comfortable living space with some vintage items and perhaps some statuary of farm animals like cows, chickens or ducks. I painted this cow years ago. It was copied from another artist but I don't remember who.
Here's a cute duck I bought at a tag sale.
How about a rooster?
To all this could be added an artsy picture of John Denver or another artist who sang this song and the album or record could be hung on the wall or placed casually about the room.
La Vie en Rose is an old song and it's in French which just makes it even more romantic, doesn't it? You can listen to the song, HERE. Roses are so romantic and dreamy.
Maison Decor shows how to put French lettering on wood. Great tutorial.
A small Eiffel Tower as an accessory would add to the "Frenchness" of the room as would a lettered pillow with the words, je t'aime (I love you) or a framed je t'aime. A picture of the Arc de Triumph, a red beret cast casually on a chair or table, or a wall sticker like this:
My friend, Theresa, from Shoestring Elegance works with lovely floral decorating all the time. Here is a lovely idea for decorating with the song, La Vien Rose.
Missie Krissie made an antique lace rose that could be put on a lamp or a picture frame and look pretty awesome.
There are such dreamy, dreamy rose fabrics out there and I have some of them, too. Rose lace panels for the windows and shabby white couches with roses in vases and old books on an end table covered with lace or a rose placemat. How would YOU decorate with roses in a French style?
You can buy the stars that light up in the dark and put them on the ceiling. This is such a wonderful love song. "I'm captured by your charms" and "You are the one love" and "I'm yours" are appropriate for words on the wall of a master bedroom or on the ceiling.
A bedcovering with silver stars and a few sparkly pillows would work for this theme. What about a star marque? Marques are so popular right now and I know there are lots of tutorials on how to make them on Pinterest.
I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack. Listen HERE. It's is such a heartfelt blessing of life. I love it. The words, "I hope you dance" are perfect for a family room giving support to all in the family. Large wall letters that say "I hope you dance" in a focal point of the room. Pictures of the family and perhaps pictures of dancing shoes and pictures of dancers. Pictures of YOUR kids dancing outside in the grass, in the sunlight.
Mirrors by Justin Timberlake might appeal to the teen group and I have an awesome idea for this one. My niece broke up a mirror into pieces and glued them on the ceiling. What would happen if one fell down so I think this might be better put on the wall instead of the ceiling. It would also act as a mirror for them to SEE themselves... don't they love looking at themselves and taking selfies? This could be a very cool decorative idea for a teen's room. Please DON'T put them on the ceiling!
Maybe a picture of Justin Timberlake would be apt and a picture of the album.
Hound Dog by Elvis Presley was popular back when I was a kid. Listen HERE. I couldn't totally understand the song at the time. It's a little harsh. However, in this case, it would be used to show, perhaps, a picture of Elvis (stylized) and his record - gold, platinum or whatever. Pictures of dogs, obviously, would be fun here and a dog pillow or several dog pillows would be equally fun. How about some stuffed dogs? This might be a good theme for a boy's room, no?
How about a wall of dog pictures. These are dog paintings and it looks like some of them are paint-by-number paintings (I love those). This is very cool "hound dog" decorating.
If you HAVE dogs then do you want to make a pillow of them? These dogs almost look real. Dog pillows.
Have you seen this around? Cool
personalized dog pillow.
We Are the Champions by Queen would be a great kid's room theme with their trophies if they have any. If not you can buy one and put the word "Champ" or "Champion" on it. Blue ribbons are great, too. There are lots of tutorials for making blue ribbons on Pinterest, like this one. When my daughter was in the marching band she said they would sing this on the bus.
A little, blue check frock hanging up with red, sparkly shoes nearby say, "Wizard of Oz" in my book.
Let it Go from the movie Frozen by Disney is very popular for girls. I love the theme of this song, sometimes you have to "let it go" when people don't like who or what you are and you have to "let it go".
There are all manner of "Frozen" bedspreads, curtains, pillows, and etc. to decorate a girl's room not to mention the myriads of "Frozen" tutorials on Pinterest from decorating a closet to making paper snow flakes to put on the wall. Just type in "Frozen" in Pinterest and you will have plenty to do for several weeks. :)
Olaf the snowman has many, many crafts awaiting you also.
What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo, is a personal favorite also. It's so full of feeling. Hear the song, HERE. It's so full of wonder for our lives that can be taken for granted so easily. A globe, a large map of the world, and map pillows (you can buy, make, or paint) is a good start for a living room or family room. Some images for the room: Skies of blue, clouds of white, red roses, green trees, friends shaking hands, I love you, rainbows, and babies cry.
This song is all about the beautiful outdoors so a mural of a beautiful and bright outdoor scene would be bring the outdoors into a room.
A picture of Louis Armstrong holding his record (there must be one out there somewhere) and framed would give a focus and give others a fighting chance to begin to know what song the room is decorated around. His record or his album or both can be casually cast about. Pillows with blue skies, clouds, trees, red roses. friends together would appeal.
Big words - WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD - anywhere on anything. If you have a globe you can print on it (I've seen tutorials on how to do that on Pinterest - yes, I have globes. As soon as I saw these tutorials on Pinterest I had to go right out and get some globes at tag sales. Don't ask me if I've done anything with them).
picture courtesy of Wikipedia
How about this mural of a blue sky on the ceiling of this baby's room. It's like saying, "What a wonderful world it is, little baby."
And adding this cloud light? Awesome.
I hope you gotten some fun and inspiration with this post. It was really a lot of fun for me to do and a change from the ordinary. What a wonderful world it is, my friends. What a wonderful world it is!
Now tell me WHAT SONG you'd like to decorate with! What is your favorite song? What's your teen's favorite song? And how could you decorate with it? What does the album look like? What colors are associated with your song? Tell me your ideas!
Now I'm excited to see where YOU will take this idea.
Best wishes,
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