Not a Pro.

When her toys fill the shelves it will be filled with her personality.

Some inspiration:

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Others may disagree, but unless a kiddo has severe allergies I prefer carpet in bedrooms for children. My kids play on the floor all.day.long. (legos) and if you're on a budget, why lay flooring only to cover it up with a rug?

She's old enough that it would be a sweet memory for her to have some creative control over this room. I'd offer her three wall colors (nothing dark or bright, an off-white, blush pink, blue-gray, green-gray) and let her choose.

My girls are mud pie makers and tree climbers too, but I think the best thing in a three-year-old's bedroom is a cozy place to sit with some forward facing book ledges. These are made out of rain gutters.

https://bookriot.com/2017/09/01/how-to-make-rain-gutter-bookshelves/

I loved watching Peppa Pig when I was babysitting a three year old. Peppa pig has a web site with crafts you could incorporate into the decor. So does Paw Patrol. I can see a bright blue on the walls. IKEA has a great storage option with colorful boxes called Trofast. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/19027/

No to carpet or rug, with one exception: If you have a traditional rocker, putting a 5'x7' rug with a non-slip backing beneath a traditional rocker will protect the flooring and help keep the rocker where it is intended to be..

Your three year old likely cannot haul around a vac; however, you could teach her to use a dust cloth mop or Swiffer -- or swifferlike duster (and/or to skate across the room in old socks set aside for thst purpose)-- and you'd be doing both of you a favor by doing so while she's young. .

Do include one open bookshelf; however, do have a place for her to put away her possessions, both to protect them and help her create good habits that can last a lifetime and serve her well.

Choose neutral colors for the wall and trim so the room will age with her; however, offer her the opportunity to choose from several bedding sets you select based upon what you know of her current interests. Then, in addition to white miniblinds -- buy the new kind w/o string for raising/lowering them -- choose solid color curtains or drapes in a color from the bedding she has chosen.

You could include among her furnishings items such as a large whiteboard (metal w/magnets) for her to display her artistic talents, a size appropriate table and pair of chairs -- her own desk -- and a place for her both store and display stuffed animals and/or dolls. One similar to these can be hung using a plastic pipe the width of the fabric shelving with either a porch swing chain run through it and the ends hooked together and attached to an eye hood in the ceiling -- a rafter in the corner of the room. These are also available in solid colors (for adult purses) and smaller individual pockets for shoes.

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/disneysofiathefirst5shelfhangingorganizerpurple.cfm?source=pla&kwid=ClosetOrganizers%20newskus&tid=WALM1490-1&adtype=pla&kw=&lsft=adtype:pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Pirtais3QIVlovICh24wAAdEAQYBCABEgLJmvD_BwE

I like the reading corner and the idea of using rain gutters for shelving. I could spray paint them a bright color. She loves flopping onto the sofa or a bed, so a bean bag chair would be perfect.

The hanging storage would be perfect in the closet, especially if I hang it from a low clothes rod. Not sure if I can fit a new closet organizer kit into the budget, so I'll have to get creative.

I may put her dresser in the closet so there's more play space on the floor and still have room for a reading corner.

Yes! I love keeping ALL the clothes and toys behind closet doors. If you have an active Craigslist in your area, that might be a great source for budget friendly, used closet organizer system things.

You don't need expensive closet organizer kits.

Instead invest in a really strong sturdy length of metal pipe -- (or two if you want high and low hanging rods -- from a hardware store or plumbing supply house) -- measured only slightly shorter than the closet is wide and a pair of stainless steel rod holders (think shower curtain rod) to hold each of

[https://www.houzz.com/products/open-closet-bracket-for-1-5-16-closet-rod-with-5mm-posts-m7340-satin-nickel-prvw-vr~119673810?m_refid=PLA_HZ_119673810_953898464 [(https://www.houzz.com/products/open-closet-bracket-for-1-5-16-closet-rod-with-5mm-posts-m7340-satin-nickel-prvw-vr~119673810?m_refid=PLA_HZ_119673810_953898464&device=c&nw=g&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxs7wva6s3QIVloqzCh3HwgIMEAQYBCABEgJI7vD_BwEthem.%25252525C2%25252525A0)

[Don't get the plastic hanging thingys or any pipe that will bend with the amount of weight they would be carrying. Wood ones are available. If you choose wood, make sure it's thick enough to not bend but small enough to fit the hook of your clothes hangers.]

You need to make sure you attach these brackets to actual wood with at least a 1" screw. Attache them to either a stud or a floor-to-ceiling 1"x4" vertical board attached to the wall at least at the floor plate and at the top wall plate. For how far from the back of the closet wall you hang them, use your widest coat/clothes hanger as your guide -- you need room for a thick coat sleeve to fit between the hanger and the back wall.

Edit to add: If your closet is unusually wide, you might use shelving board to build floor to ceiling shelves in the middle and use shorter pipes.

The one window faces NNE and gets direct sun only until about 8am in the summer, then the front porch roof blocks it. We are on 3 acres in a rural area with only woods across the street, so we don't have any privacy issues. I'd rather make curtains that I can run through the washing machine than deal with cleaning blinds.

Closetmaid Cubeicals storage is very versatile for clothing and toy storage. (We hang up very few things anymore since my kids (5&9) like to fold and put stuff in drawers.)

I have a coup[le of freestanding white storage units we bought at Michaels, leftover from when the room was for sewing. Maybe I could lay a short (3') pipe or thick dowel across them for her church and holiday dresses, and winter jackets. The rest of her clothes fit nicely in a drawer. The cubbies of the storage units can hold toys. Her shoes are already stored in the hall near the back door.

Something to consider:

Since flat screen digital tvs replaced analog tvs, many good, deep, tv cabinets are being sold or donated.

Many of these cabinets are quality wood and have doors that closed over the tv. Many also have drawers and/or cabinet doors, making them very usable as linen closets or even for clothes storage (add a rod) or for toy storage by doing little more than adding a new luan back to cover the holes for cords (power, cable, etc.) . I've even seen one at a Habitat For Humanity Restore Store that was converted to a little girl's toy kitchen.

Check local "antique and more" stores, consignment shops, Habitat for Humanity, GoodWill, Salvation Army Family Stores and charity thrift stores for one near you.

Depending upon the quality/price of the cabinet you find/choose from what's available, you could use it as is, refinish it or even paint it in your child's favorite bright bold color. You might be able to paint ( inside and/or outside ) a solid door to create a chalk board or add a cork board, add a mirror or even let your child cover it in stickers and/or their own art..

You might consider adding a skylight to the roof of the porch that blocks the sun. Sunshine entering a room helps a person's intenal clock set -- and some exposure to sun can help keep vitamin D levels up.

If you're on a tight budget, you can often find paint cans someone donated because they didn't use it all at the larger Habitat for Humanity Resotre Stores.

Getting a table at a bargain would mean you could cut the legs shorter and paint it with less budget guilt.

Much will depend on your parenting philosophy.

Are you hoping to reign in her tendencies to use her body actively indoors and restrict her access to things she can "fix," or are you willing to allow her some liberty within defined boundaries, or are you planning to actively encourage her to experiment with everything in her indoor environment?

I think that info is relevant based on your description of her and the words you chose!

She has already helped me paint some furniture (I was using a chalk paint - easy to wash off skin). We have a large fenced back yard where she climbs on wood saw horses, plays in the water, picks ripe tomatoes (which she won't eat), sneaks into the peas (none for the pot) and chases the cats.

Last winter we let her ride her tricycle indoors in our long central hallway and around the kitchen table. Haven't decided what to do this winter. I may throw a sheet over a card table for her to play fort. I wish our only local gym had times we could take children. Another year and we can enroll her in our local Gym Ratz.

If I buy the right type of storage cubes, I might have space to set up a climbing/obstacle course in the sun room.

Any ideas on what I could provide for her "fix". An old radio? A box with doors?

We're not into fairies, but building a small Hobbit town might give her something to work on. We have a bin full of legos left from when our kids were young. She had some practice with them last weekend and did okay, good for her age. Still needs a helper.

Cardboard and duct tape. Some of the best "toys" ever.

Talk with local pre-school officials about options for small children in your community. You might consider enrolling her in a dance class to help her develop her coordination. Then consider enrolling your tomboy in karate class to help her develop her physical strength and, importantly, her self confidence. Such classes also enable children to meet other active children their same age. As she "discovers" herself, she'll let you know when she outgrows one thing and wants to move on to another -- and then you can expect to make changes to the room (or at least its contents) that reflect her personal growth.

Building blocks and leggo toys and erector sets are not just for boys.

Art supplies (relatively inexpensive from the Dollar Tree) can give you a visual opportunity to see her changing tastes, discuss what's on her mind, as well as help her develop her creative side while learning boundaries: Teach her where the artworki can and cannot be done -- not on the walls or furnishings.

Provide a table and chairs and coloring books and tablets -- perhaps crayons, perhaps colored pencils (not necessarily wood, though that would provide an opportunity to teach her not to run with sharp objects).

If you are worried about crayon art on the walls, you might consider the plastic round tipped colored gel ink pens.

If you have a craft/hobby, you could bring her to your table to teach that to her.

Art is an opportunity to closely interact with your tomboy and watch her tastes change/mature and both guide and anticipate changes she would want to make to her room and/or furnishings.

In a few years, bikes. Old bikes from the dump or cheap at a second hand store or collected from friends whose bikes bit the dust for whatever reason. My ten year old daughter dismantled about eight old useless bikes last summer. This summer she does all the bike repairs. She got a tool box for her last birthday and has covered all her walls with finishing nails to hang up her displays. I wouldn't give a preschooler electronic devices to take apart; too many tiny (and poisonous) parts. But my 3-yr-old loves being allowed to turn on and tune my clock radio. He's more into driving toy cars than fixing things, though he does like to hammer. He also loves to wash dishes (unbreakable ones only for now), fold wash cloths, push Start on the dishwasher, washer, and dryer.

Your fort idea is a good one. I used to make fort kits for my kids occasionally: an old sheet or two from the second hand store (the more vibrant/patterned/flowered the better!), good quality large clothespins, some diaper pins, twine (I gave them reused baler twine lol) She'll need help for a few years still but around age 5-6 she'll be tall enough to manage quite well on her own.

I agree that the best plan is to know your boundaries and let her be the guide on what she does within them. It sounds like she's an outside kid so I would definitely invest in some high quality clothes that are appropriate for your winter season and let her continue those outdoor activities all winter. Those chickens aren't going to feed themselves!

Cardboard and duct tape! She nearly used up a roll of painter's tape week before last. Today was brightly colored pipestems, a hole punch and the cardbord from the back of a writing tablet. The hole punch and some scrap paper won.

Old bicycles - great idea.

Yes to the art. She's a bit messy, but on her mom's good days the 3yr old gets lessons in water colors and finger painting. So far she's ambidextrous, but seems to be favoring her left hand for detail work, like drawing and painting. In our family, back 4, uh - 5, generations, the leftys have been the artistic ones.

Guess I'll take her to the local Ace to pick out a dozen color cards, then watch over the next month to see which she hangs on to.

None of our notebooks have the cardboard back. Hilarious.

I found a sure-fire way to predict my kids' handedness (including nieces/nephews who I do childcare for) is to watch them climb stairs. The lefties lead with their lefts, all the others with their rights. My left handed son rolled to his left first as an infant too :)

Here's what I have so far for the bedroom design -

Let granddaughter choose the accent color for the room. I'll choose the main wall color after I know the accent.

Open shelves for books and education toys, such as her alphabet song game and etch-a-sketch.

A reading corner with a bean bag chair (saw some child size ones at Target).

Table & chairs - she already has a set.

A low clothes rod and shelving in the closet. We already have a toy box on wheels I made from an old milk crate (covered with quilt scraps because of the metal braces).

A hammock for her stuffed animals made of stiff PVC or pipes and fabric - maybe hang above her bed.

Does anyone have experience with the wall mounted hot wheels track?. She seems to have a collection started already.

Perhaps a spice rack or one intended to display Hummel type figurines would work for the hot wheels collection. ...

If you haven't already experienced the joy of thrift store shopping for items you seek at bargain prices, do.

Habitat for Humanity Restore Stores (larger ones) often have used furniture and furnishings and lots of kitchen items.

Also, likely because children are going back to school and will have outgrown their bikes or trikes before next summer (and/or they'll be getting a new one for Christmas or their next birthday) -- and/or storage space for something not expected to be used again is limited -- fall seems to be the time of year when bikes and trikes are often donated. Make a few trips to Habitat and other thrift stores near you. Good luck with your search

lindsey, she leads with her right on stairs, and still paints, draws, eats and plays with legos like a baseball switch hitter.

Local Habitat had at least a half dozen bikes last week. One note if you're looking for bikes: Make sure they work before purchasing and do try to find bikes with fenders -- they catch any grit/dirt that could otherwise get slug up by the tire.

Here is the bedspread she has been using. I usually have it multi color up, but for 2 days had it solid blue with muave border up. Last evening she told me she didn't like it the way this photo shows and wants the solid color side up because she like purple.

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Based on more research I was thinking of going with a pale straw yellow for the walls and paint her re-purposed furniture in bright colors. A solid color for the curtain on the only window and maybe she'll have fewer nightmares.

I'm not sure how it would look with this bedspread.

How about a lego wall section? I think they are so decorative and fun. Lego wall

talaveran, great story about a Lego wall. I'd like to do one, but we hope to sell in a couple of years and I'd dread the consequences of taking the base plates off the wall.

Danielle Black, yes, painting a dresser multiple colors is a good idea. Had one, decades ago for our baby room. Made it easy to teach them to dress themselves as toddlers: socks and underwear in green drawer, pants in blue drawer, etc., then as they got older, how to put away clean clothes.

Not sure about the twinkle lights. I'd have to sneak in after she's asleep to turn them off, assuming she didn't stay awake all night playing with them. After all, she is only 3 years old.

Last I calculated, the nearest IKEA store is 3 hours away, maybe 4, depending on traffic. We're pretty rural.

However, I do have a 1950s kitchen spice rack I got at last year's Ladies White Elephant party.