Creating a Montessori Bedroom. DIY Ideas

Arun moved into his bedroom and we have finally gotten our bed back. I can’t believe how much space our room has and how long a night can be. Montessori bedroom

After we moved into our new apartment, it took us a few days to arrange his room. Having days of seeing us entering his room and not knowing what was happening inside made Arun more curious and enthusiastic.

The reveal correlated with his second anniversary, so the bedroom was also a part of his present. His reaction was worth all the wait and work that Christian and I put into it. You can see how it all went on my Instagram account, where I posted his first moments and reactions. 

I appreciate Maria Montessori philosophy. I got so much of my inspiration from there. Other sources of inspiration that I got regarding my overall approach to Arun’s development were gotten from these great authors which I warmly recommend.

In this blog post, I will walk you through some basic information regarding Maria Montessori principles and how to apply them when planning to arrange your kid’s room. Asides from this, I will also mention some elements that I consider to be important for the development of our children.

Maria Montessori philosophy Montessori bedroom

Maria Montessori was an Italian doctor who believed that education should prepare a person for all aspects of life. Her philosophy consists of nurturing each child’s natural desire for knowledge, understanding, and respect.

She inspired creativity and independence in the classroom and at home by encouraging teachers and parents to create spaces where everything is within a child’s reach, even from a very young age. The bedroom, the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and entrance can be adapted so children can feel welcome and independent. 

There’s no need to be an interior designer or a Montessori expert to create a beautiful and inspiring bedroom. You just need some simple tips that will trigger your creativity. The most important thing to have in mind is that simplicity and naturalness are the keys.

The primary use of a bedroom is for dressing, changing, meditating and sleeping. It is a safe place where the child can find comfort, peace, harmony, and inspire independence — a place where we all recharge and connect with ourselves.

Colours and paint Montessori bedroom

If you decide to make these shapes and want your mountains to be pasted together like in my final result, you need to make one mountain with one colour. Then, wait for it to dry completely, apply the tape right on the dried mountain’s interior line and paint the other mountain with a different colour. 

For the moon, I used one pin, a thread and a pencil. First, I tied the pencil to one end of the thread and the pin to the other end. Next, I placed the pin where I wanted the moon to be and made a circle using the pencil. After this, I adjusted the size of the thread according to how big I wanted the moon to be. Finally, I applied the paint two times. 

What I used:

• 4 Paint boxes 0,70 L (I only used 45% of the green paint for the mountains, 20% of the light colour for the other mountains, and 5% for the moon)
• Brushes of different sizes
• 2 Paint Roller Tray
• 2 paint rollers
• Paper to cover the floor 
• 3 Decorative Masking Tapes of different sizes
• A thread
• A pencil
• A pin

Tip – after I applied the tape, I dabbed the tape with a damp towel to make it stick better on the sides. In this way, the lines came out straight, and the paint didn’t go under the tape.

The bed

A floor bed is an essential part of the Montessori bedroom. There are a lot of brands that have started producing gorgeous and creative floor beds. But if you are a little handy, I encourage you to try making your child’s bed by yourself. Floor beds enable freedom of movement, independence, and mobility which eventually teach kids the freedom of thought.

After we researched for some days, Christian and I decided that it would be a great experience to craft Arun’s bed. We found some ideas on Pinterest, decided on the measurement and started building it. We chose to make a tent-shaped bed.

What we used:

• Nine pieces of wood cut to size (the dimensions depend on the size of the mattress)
• A wood saw
• Some screws 
• 12 metal corners
• Paint

It took Christian about four hours to make it, including mounting, and it took me about one and a half hours to paint it. I applied the paint twice.

Changing and dressing area Montessori bedroom

We placed all Arun clothes, diapers, socks, and blankets within his reach. When having clothes within arm’s reach, children develop a sense of responsibility and independence. It can also help you because your child will be more than happy to go and choose his socks. For instance, I discovered that every time he picks his clothes, he is much more cooperative and willing to dress without resistance.

We have a big mirror in our wardrobe, but we decided to place one in his bedroom. When I told him that he would have his mirror, he was super excited. So now, every time he wants to see something for himself, he goes straight there. I even caught him a few times talking to himself in the mirror. It was adorable. 

For kids under 18 months, the mirror works as a cognitive concept. They can see the cause and effects of their movements. With time they will make sense of themselves in relation to the child they see in the mirror.

Play and movement Montessori bedroom

In a Montessori bedroom, the toys are carefully curated with limited but inspiring choices. Natural materials, life inspired toys and books, natural colours, and textures. 

At the moment, we placed in Arun’s room a wooden tractor, a wooden skittle he received from his aunt, a music box, a wooden whirligig, a wooden puzzle and a toolbox where we place shells, pinecones or rocks we find in our journeys outside. Also, we put some stuffed animals; a giraffe, a jellyfish, a hedgehog and Pluto, the bear he sleeps with. Besides toys, we placed a few books near his bed.

We change his books and toys every 7–14 days. In this way, there’s always something fresh and exciting to capture his imagination and interests. However, he does have a book that is his favourite, Milton’s Secret by Eckhart Tolle, which always remains.  

If you don’t know where to start, you can check out Lovevery’s Montessori-based subscription box. They send beautiful toys that target various ages and stages once every two months.

Altar

This is not among the Montessori philosophy. But it is something I consider essential for our kid’s emotional and spiritual development. It doesn’t matter what you believe in or how you choose to name this supreme force that holds the space for us – God, Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, you name it. 

Placing a little shelf with elements that instil a sense of peace, gratitude and humbleness will teach our kids these values that are much needed. It can be anything: a flower, incense, crystals, a picture of a deity, anything that is a representation of this magnificent energy. I believe this will help our children for the rest of their lives. 

I have mornings when Arun sees me meditating, then goes into his room, picks up his crystal and sits beside me in a lotus pose. It only takes one breath, but the feeling is priceless.

A part of our bedtime routine is to clear the home with Palo Santo. This action calms him and makes a smoother transition to bedtime. He takes his Palo Santo and starts blessing and cleaning his toys, the kitchen, the hanger, the shoes, the plants and everything he sees. 

Everything that involves fire – incense, palo santo, sage, candles – needs to be done under your careful supervision. 

Other

I also placed a children laundry basket in his room, some pictures with our families, a speaker and plants. 

Children want to learn and to helps us in any way they can. This is an essential part of their development, so encouraging their adorable efforts will significantly impact their independence. For example, it is cute to see Arun taking his dirty clothes and staking them into the laundry basket.

The speaker makes the atmosphere in the room more peaceful. We play in the background symphonic music, nature sounds or meditation music. The plants make the space more beautiful and alive, and they also clean the air. Christian taught Arun how to water the plants, and now he is the one who cares for them.

Costs 

We tried to minimise the expenses and be as friendly as possible with the ecosystem. There are things I never buy second hand, and there are things I buy second hand. In this case, the closet and the shelves were both second hand from Marketplace, and I managed to find them almost new. 

The two most expensive items, I believe, were the paint and the mattress. I paid for the colours and all the accessories somewhere around 200€. But I ended up painting in the other rooms with the same paint, so I believe a fair price only for Arun’s bedroom will be 100€.

If I have to give a rough estimate of how much it all costs, I believe it will be somewhere around 400 – 500€, including a new mattress and sheets. But the prices may vary from one country to another, and Denmark is an expensive country. So it is possible, depending on the region, to make all this with less. 

Final words

I have to say that I sincerely enjoyed organising Arun’s bedroom. The energy we invested in every element we made or intentionally settled in his bedroom gave a cosy and happy feeling to the room, which Arun instantly connected with. He slept there from the first night without any hesitation. 

I hope you found a bit of inspiration and that you will allow your creativity to express itself. You can create a loving and beautiful bedroom for your little one.

If you need more inspiration regarding this subject, you can follow my Pinterest board, where I pin new ideas constantly. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. I will be more than happy to answer them.

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Remember to love yourself!