Toddler Big Boy Bedroom Makeover | Shark Bedroom Decor

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When your toddler outgrows the crib and is ready for a real bed, a bedroom makeover is the perfect way to celebrate this milestone! This big boy bedroom makeover features shark bedroom decor, a DIY board and batten wall, and a custom shark tooth stenciled wall. Read on to see how we did it!

Fresh paint and DIY board and batten wall

When we first moved into our house, we chose not to do any painting right away. The walls looked fairly fresh, and I wanted to settle in a bit before I made any major changes.

After painting my office/guest room back in January, I began to get a feel for how I wanted to customize our home. And since Rowen’s room had a few places on his walls in need of repair, I decided some fresh paint would be a great start for his big boy bedroom makeover!

I went with Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray, since it’s a pretty popular neutral color. I love that it gives a calming feeling to the room. Not too light, not too dark.

What I really wanted to do was make a bit of a statement with a board and batten wall behind his bed. I’d never done anything like it before, so this was a first for me! I painted it Sherwin-Williams Naval to contrast the lighter walls.

I went the DIY route and it turned out pretty well. It was budget friendly too, with everything costing under $100. While it’s far from perfect, I am happy with the way it turned out. I really feel like it adds a little “something” extra to his room. Don’t you agree?

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Shark tooth stencil wall

My friend Jacki over at Crazy Life With Littles has been giving me all kinds of DIY vibes. She’s always doing something new at her house, and she recently did a stencil pattern on a wall that just turned out gorgeous!

Well the wheels in my head started turning and I decided that Rowen needed a wall full of shark teeth. Only there was just one problem.

A shark tooth stencil pattern doesn’t exist. Like at all. Anywhere.

I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head though. So I did what any quarantine-crazed-DIY-obsessed mom would do: I just made my own stencil.

I ordered stencil sheets from Amazon and drew a bunch of shark teeth on one of them. Using my Xacto knife, I cut the teeth out.

That’s it! In maybe 10 minutes I had my shark teeth stencils and I got to work!

Get this – I used “Shark Fin” gray Behr paint for the shark teeth. No kidding.

With a clean kitchen sponge, I dabbed the paint onto the wall through the stencil holes. I knew I didn’t have the time (or energy) to stencil the entire wall, so I just created a bit of a zigzag pattern from one corner over to the door. It was just enough to add interest to the wall without being too busy for a bedroom.

Honestly, I think I love the shark teeth more than the board and batten. And my DIY confidence just keeps growing…

Trading the crib for a twin bed

As soon as Rowen started climbing out of the crib (and back in, and back out), I knew it was time to switch him to a bed. I was hoping we would last in the crib a while longer, but for safety reasons it was time to say goodbye.

If you remember, it hasn’t even been a year since we moved into our new home and I gave Rowen his nursery makeover! But even though I loved the cute little sunshine decor, I knew I wanted to make a big change.

I waited until Saturday after nap time to disassemble his crib. I wanted to make sure he took a decent nap that day, and I wanted to prepare for a potential rough night of sleep on a day when my husband and I didn’t have to work.

Being prepared is what I do best.

We moved the white twin bed from Aren’s bedroom into Rowen’s room, since she was getting a new pink upholstered twin bed of her own. (Another great idea of mine – I knew she would be jealous of his new bedroom, so I gave him her old bed and gave her a new one!)

Although we could’ve gone with a toddler bed, I wanted to go ahead and make a bigger change to a twin bed and just skip the toddler bed stage. Hunter and Kaiden both had toddler beds from about 2-3 years old, but it just seemed like an unnecessary step.

Plus, I wanted this big boy bedroom makeover to be more special for Rowen – and it worked!

Organic mattress for sensitive skin

Rowen has always had the most sensitive skin, so making sure I furnish his room with the safest items has always been a top priority.

Choosing the best mattress was no different.

I had heard of My Green Mattress and did some research to learn as much as I could about it (so typical of me haha). I learned that not only are their mattresses handcrafted in a certified organic factory (right here in the US), but their company started because the founder’s daughter suffered from eczema and environmental allergies.

A mattress that can help reduce the chance of Rowen’s eczema flare ups? If these organic mattresses were the best for their little girl to sleep on, then they would be the best for Rowen to sleep on too!

It was a no-brainer decision for me.

We went with the Kiwi Green Organic Hybrid Mattress – a hypoallergenic mattress made with organic cotton, organic wool, and organic latex. No chemical flame retardants or polyurethane foams.

We are loving how comfy Ro’s new mattress is as well… especially since he sleeps SO much better on it than he did in his crib. (Yes, I do climb into his bed with him for sweet snuggles!)

I’m glad we got a great mattress for him to have healthy sleep for years to come.

Shark bedding from Pottery Barn Kids

When Aren moved into her twin bed, we decorated her big girl bedroom with beautiful pink bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. She still loves it, and I love that it’s such amazing quality.

So when I started looking for bedroom decor ideas for Rowen’s room, Pottery Barn Kids is where I went for inspiration.

As soon as I saw the Shark Party bedding, I knew it was the perfect choice. Not only does he love anything related to sharks, but animal themes will typically hold a kid’s interest for a while! I always try to choose decor that isn’t something they will outgrow in a year or two.

So shark bedroom decor won in an instant!

The shark sheets are organic, which is another great option for his sensitive skin. The quilt and shams are also soft and made from cotton without lots of harmful chemicals.

And these matching pajamas are just too cute! I never even knew Pottery Barn Kids had pajamas to match some of their bedding.

Rowen loves to point to all of the sharks and make fun shark sounds. Do sharks growl or roar? He seems to think they do!

Shark bedroom decor

I try to keep the kids’ bedrooms on the minimal side, at least while they are toddlers, to minimize distractions. The more toys and things they have, the more likely they are to climb out of bed and make a mess.

Without distractions, there’s a better chance of them sleeping. Which means I get to sleep. Priorities, I tell ya.

But at the same time, I can’t leave their bedrooms completely bare because that just isn’t cute. I just had to find some shark bedroom decor to finish off the room’s theme!

So I added a few nautical items that I just happened to grab from Target’s Dollar Spot – a little sailboat, a metal basket with an anchor (perfect for holding his eczema cream), and a little wooden whale that is hanging over his bed.

I’d eventually like to add more decor up there – maybe something big and orange – but for now the whale is just fine.

I also found a shark lamp from Target that I couldn’t pass up! Unfortunately it’s no longer available, but I really love this one!

I almost didn’t get this giant shark head wall decor from Target, because I was afraid it would scare him. Silly me. He loves this thing!

Some things we kept the same:

• Gray curtains (they are great at blocking out the sunlight)
• Cordless faux wooden blinds (already replaced old blinds with these for safety)
• House bookshelf
• Recliner (learned from other kids to not remove this too soon, as it’s great when they are sick or scared)
• Dresser (took the changing table piece off the top)

Big boy bedroom reveal

Rowen has only had his big boy bedroom completed for a few days, but he has settled into it so well! I was worried that he may not take well to the changes, but he actually transitioned seamlessly.

He has been falling asleep in his bed without any problems, and doesn’t even get out of bed at night. We do sit with him (for now) until he falls asleep at night, but he reads books until falling asleep at naptime.

I couldn’t have asked for any better outcome.

As for his new bedroom, I’m not sure which one of us loves it more. I know he is excited about the fun sharks, but I am pretty proud of all my hard work too! Not only with the walls and the decor, but finding the best (and safest) products for my little boy.

I can rest well knowing he will have healthy and safe sleep. Sweet dreams!

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