Q: I'm looking for a large print for my daughters' bedroom (girls are aged 4 and 1) and I thought your readers might have some suggestions. Currently we have a small illustration from Alice in Wonderland hanging in the space but it is much too small. I was hoping to find something whimsical. Maybe a large book poster? My oldest daughter loves reading. Perhaps a print of sisters? I'm not sure what but it needs to be something that creates a scene and stimulates the imagination. Not too loud and not too gothic. The room is painted light blue, the furniture is white and fabrics are bright, funky patchwork. Please share your creative decorating ideas!
Sent by Amanda
Editor: Maybe you'll be inspired by all the large artwork in these two posts (here and here) about Big, Bold Memorable Art in Kids' Rooms. Readers, what ideas or links do you have for Amanda?
• Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first)
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Z2 iPod Dock and Wi...
10 Low-Budget Pantry Items Everyone Should Have
Summer Recipe: Gluten-Free & Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
We have a poster sized print of NC Wyeth's "The Giant" in our daughter's room. It combined a sweet vision of childhood and imagination that we found appealing. You can see an image of it here: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.wyethhurd.com/giantbg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wyethhurd.com/giant.html&h=480&w=407&sz=35&tbnid=loIf4av3dYRWEM:&tbnh=244&tbnw=207&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnc%2Bwyeth%2Bthe%2Bgiant&zoom=1&q=nc+wyeth+the+giant&usg=__5AEUrgnfQKSVn-cj-l6m8DKMXug=&sa=X&ei=sbSsTNm9LISBlAfcs-zOBw&ved=0CCIQ9QEwAA
Take a look at Ikea's fabric selections. We made a frame and wrapped a cool print around it and hung it up in our daughter's nursery. they have some really fun prints, then you can determine the size.
Not sure what your price range is but I first thought of this artist on Etsy. I just love his paintings with the kids playing. There are few on there now with girls that would look adorable on that wall!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58211289/leap-246-18x18-inch-original-oil
These aren't very large-esque, but perhaps a custom size is available through convo? I love this illustrator's style:
makes me think Sisters:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58072029/you-are-my-very-best-friend
or reading:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/58072007/imagination-v2
what about a pair of silhouettes of your daughters? you can get that on etsy too! (or diy)
We have a 28" x 28" canvas from avalisa.com in my daughters room. It really fills up the space and there are so many choices (size, image, color) there is really something for everyone.
One of the big art/poster web-stores has REALLY big prints of many of the avalisa designs as well.
I found both the canvases and the oversize prints to be reasonable for the size - especially considering the cost of framing is not involved.
What about a collection of larger prints?
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HidenSeek?section_id=6060273
http://www.etsy.com/shop/theblackapple?section_id=6929866
http://www.etsy.com/shop/marisolspoon?section_id=6386236
http://www.etsy.com/shop/berkleyillustration
Two ideas: 1) As kim2781 suggested, stretch fabric over a frame. For my daughter's house, I stretched inexpensive fabric over three 3'x3' frames: hot pink, orange, yellow. We also built a 4'x8' frame and did the same. If you're not up to building your own stretchers, you can buy picture frames at thrift stores and garage sales and stretch fabric over those. Backing with plain fabric, an old sheet, or batting looks best. 2) Decorate with your children's artwork, or at least the 4-yr. old's. Buy pre-made canvas or, again, stretch your own. It doesn't have to be fancy. Let your child "paint" with marbles, squirt bottles, rollers, whatever. THAT will inspire your children!
I was thinking about doing something like this in my daughter's room:
http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_product_static.asp?master_movie_id=5046&sku=274615
I suppose it depends on how committed you are. I am SO impressed with this entire-wall art piece. And it's cheap! YAY! The downside is you had better like the piece because it's not as easy to change as a picture. (And I'm obviously not suggesting you also go with Napoleon Dynamite. Choose a subject of your liking!) http://www.designmom.com/2010/05/napoleon-dynamite/
What about an "Ideal Bookshelf" from 20x200? Love this one of favorite children's books:
http://www.20x200.com/art/2009/08/ideal-bookshelf-1-jmm.html
Your question made me think of this poster instantly. I stumbled upon this print "Dreamship" online and bookmarked it for a future child's room. It's a print of an early 1900's (I believe) British Illustration of two children sleeping, showing a dreamlike ship floating off into the turquoise blue, moonlit sky, surrounded by birds. It has some of the magic of "Peter Pan" to me, and the colors are stunning, so it might fit the bill for you. I believe it's around 16x20, and you can order it matted/framed or not:
http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?startat=/getposter.asp&APNum=1248526&CID=C917C210579846FE9E135E930C39765E&PPID=1&Search=dreamships&f=t&FindID=0&P=1&PP=1&sortby=PD&c=c&page=1
Re: hanging your own children's work, here's a link to a post about my granddaughters' work:
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/look/look-kids-artwork-083057
Don'tcha' just love it?!
why not keep the one you have and add to it, starting a collection on the wall?
decals work great. here is an example of a seller on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NouWall?ref=seller_info
they are even customizable, you could do something with your daughter's name.
I got this Allium in purple for my daughter's room, and I love it!
http://www.avalisa.com/product.aspx?pl=3&col=3&id=188
For a book kid nothing beats Jaro Hess' 1933 print The Land of Make Believe. My son loves his!
http://www.jarohesslomb.com/RDI_%22Land_of_Make_Believe%22/Welcome_Jaro_Hess.html
What about a Shinzi katoh poster. http://shinzikatoh.com/shop/catalog/default.php?cPath=35_73_339
Love the prints suggested by teamcraun and you can't go wrong with Shinzi Katoh.
I love ichiban's suggestion. I would get that one.
I would suggest "Le Baiser Mouillé" by French illustrator Cathy Delanssay http://www.laffichemoderne.com/en/posters.php?ID_P=421
or several illustrations from The complete collection of pictures & songs by Randolph Caldecott
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Randolph_Caldecott_collection-page_0019.jpg
This is sweet, graphic, and ready to hang: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Michael-Zayn-Heart-of-Love-Thalia-Gallery-wrapped-Canvas-Art/4582577/product.html
Have you ever seen John Singer Sargent's painting entitled Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose? If you google it, I'm sure you can find images/posters of this. Two sisters in a garden holding glowing lanterns - very pretty and timeless.
where did you get the bookshelf?
allposters.com has some cute historic reading posters, vintage repro's of posters that hung in library's and such. Here's the one I like for your room
http://tiny.cc/z241a
i used a big piece of styrofoam from packing mirrors, but a piece of rectangle ceiling tile would work well too. i had the kids go outside and paint it up. very abstract, big, colorful, beautiful, light, and inexpensive.
Again you'll have to work with the artist to get a larger size print : http://www.etsy.com/listing/44938105/i-love-reading
Thanks for all your suggestions! I've now got some brilliant ideas.
There is a great website where up and coming artists give away freed downloads of their art for you to have. Here is the link.
http://indiefixx.com/Feed_your_soul/
You could blow an image up as large as you like and have it printed at staples or kinkos.