Do it yourself kids theme bedrooms: basketball furniture, crafts and decorating

Turn your child's room into a basketball-lovers dream with the help of the simple project ideas featured in this guide.

Basketball-it's a game for some, and an obsession for others. If your child is among the ranks of the basketball obsessed, a basketball themed bedroom may be in order. Read on for several great projects that are sure to turn his room into a basketball-lovers dream.

Floor- If you're going to create the ultimate basketball bedroom, you've got to have a basketball court. Purchase a basketball stencil kit, and paint a half court onto your child's floor. If you have hardwood floors, the court can be stenciled onto the wood, and then sealed with a high gloss polyurethane, just as a real court would be finished; or for a cheaper version, pick up some self-adhesive linoleum tiles from your local home improvements center. Then, just stick the tiles down, and paint the court onto the surface of the linoleum.

Walls- The colors of your child's favorite team make an obvious, but appropriate choice for a basketball themed bedroom. Paint the walls in one of the team's colors, and then add accents such as team numbers, player's names or the mascot in the remaining color. Then, once the paint is dry, tack up posters of your child's favorite player or players.

Laundry basket- Encourage your young sports enthusiast to put away his dirty laundry by mounting a basketball goal to the wall, and placing his laundry basket underneath it. (Just be sure to mount it high enough to discourage slam dunks that could lead to damaged walls.)

Bed- Help your child keep track of the score with a scoreboard headboard. Start by applying black paint to a piece of plywood or masonite. Then, once it's dry, add a white border and a score. Finish by securing the headboard to the rails. Note: You can also use this idea to update an existing headboard.

Pillows- There's no better place to dream about basketball than on a basketball shaped pillow. Pick up some orange fabric, and sew several round pillows. Then, apply the black lines using a fabric pen or some fabric paint. For additional accent pillows, wrap old basketball nets around pillows in a favorite team's colors.

Dressers- Update a plain dresser quickly and easily by removing the old knobs, and adding basketball shaped knobs. (These are available at most home improvement centers for a minimal cost.)

Curtains- To create curtains that live up to the rest of the room, just slide several basketball pennants onto a curtain rod, and mount it above the window. The pennants will give the illusion of a valance, and provide a colorful display of your child's team spirit.

Storage- If your child's room is short on storage, try a wall of lockers. It's a perfect tie-in with the basketball theme, and gets all of the clutter behind closed doors. Note: For a fun detail, stencil the names and numbers of your child's favorite players onto the locker doors.

Put one or more of these projects into action, and you're sure to score big with your child.