Kids and Teens

 by: Michael Holland

If your child loves all different types of animals, a jungle mural is a great way to make their room a fun and enjoyable place. You might be thinking how you will be able to achieve such a task, especially if you do not have artistic talents.

The truth is, however, that this type of mural is rather easy to construct as long as you have the tools to do it.

The easiest way to create a jungle mural is to transfer a desired jungle scene, animal or image to transparency film, and then use an overhead projector to display the image on the wall, which you can then trace out and begin painting.

You will find that transparency film can be purchased from any store that sells computer accessories, business or school items. As for the projector, you may be fortunate enough to be able to borrow one from your work place, or your child’s school.

If that is not an option, you can always rent one, or purchase one from a local business store or online.

The best place to look for images for your jungle mural is on the internet, simply because your child will be given many more options to choose from, as well as the images can be easily printed off on the transparency film. When looking for images, a good rule of thumb, if you are artistically challenged, is to make sure that you don’t select images with too much detail.

Try to select those that are two-dimensional. In addition to using transparencies, you can also use stencils for smaller animals such as for any birds that may be in the sky or sitting on trees. Stencils can be purchased in craft stores.

The best paints for you to purchase when constructing your jungle mural, are acrylic and artist paints, which you can get from craft or art specialty stores, as well as online. You will also need a variety of different sized brushes to go along with your paints.

When constructing your jungle mural you should also keep in mind that your mural is not only limited to the walls, you can also paint on the ceiling. For instance, if you are painting a lot of trees in your child’s jungle mural, extend the tress to make their leaves travel over the ceiling.

You may even consider coloring the center of the ceiling blue, to make it look as if the sky is peeking through a hole in the trees.

If you are not interested in adding a lot of trees, you can always make your child’s jungle mural more animal focused, by placing animals in different corners of his of her room. Don’t forget that you can use the shape of your child’s room to your advantage when creating a jungle mural.

If you choose to make a jungle mural in your child’s room, another nifty idea is to purchase for them a bunk bed or a loft bed. The reason is because these beds give a more tree house effect, which would really encourage the imagination of your child, and will improve upon the whole authenticity of the room.

You will discover that the more you brainstorm ideas with your child, the more creative you will be. Plus, not only will you discover that creating a jungle mural will be a lot of fun, but it is also a project that can bring together the whole family, making it a task that everyone can enjoy and take pride in.