I’ve been seeing the term “independent play” pop up more and more lately at Zelda’s school, and even though I’m not one to read a ton of parenting books or follow a specific formula for raising Zelda, my interest was piqued. I really, really like the idea of fostering Zelda’s creativity because I think creativity is EVERYTHING and setting her up to let her imagination run wild while playing independently sounded like a good way to get creative juices flowing.

This idea was what was going through my mind as we set up Zelda’s new room. I wanted to create a few different special spots for her to just slow down and let her little brain take her places. And with me being into glamming and style the way I am, my mind naturally went to creating a vanity space.

Now, I know makeup can be a touch controversial when we’re talking about little girls. If you have a problem with it, that’s totally fine, it’s your opinion. Maybe this isn’t the post for you. But for me and Zelda, I let her run with it. I feel like she’s at that age where all she wants to do is be just like me and mirror my actions (which I have to admit, terrifies me as much as it thrills me). So instead of having her all up in my vanity space, I turned this would-be storage area into a super functional mini glam room.

 

3 Tips for Creating Your Own DIY Vanity

Get Creative With the Space You Have

First, if you have a nook in your home, definitely use it for an independent play set up. I feel like they’re perfectly sized for kids to just live in, so if you have a closet under some stairs or an awkward corner in a bedroom or office, don’t waste it! Use it to create the perfect space for your kid(s) to get creative.

For Zelda’s space, I knew I wanted to use the nook for a vanity, but I still definitely needed part of the room to serve as storage too. This led to me installing this shelving solution from The Container Store. It’s very inexpensive, easy to do yourself and perfectly stores all Zelda’s games. I also added some hanging storage for her off-season clothes and hid her luggage and other miscellaneous things behind them.

For the vanity itself, I had to utilize the wall and didn’t have a ton of depth. Luckily, I snagged this floating shelf with drawers from Wayfair. I’m sad to report this shelf is literally sold out everywhere in the white (I searched high and freaking low), but I linked a brown version that you could easily paint. I also recommend swapping out the hardware to make it feel a bit more custom. It’s all in the details, right? Anthropologie always has amazing hardware, which is where ours is from. Last, but not least, the mirror is simple, functional and from PBteen.

Add Some Color or a Pattern

Now that you kind of have the layout of the space down, it’s time to add a little bit of personality! Paint is a great option and you could easily do a little accent wall, but I opted for removable wallpaper. This stuff is AMAZING. I highly recommend it for any child’s room or play space because it’s easy to change in a couple of years when your kids might want something completely different. Coloray is the best removable wallpaper I’ve come across if you’re looking for a stylish and durable option.

The rug, which is also a DIY on the blog from almost three years ago, used to be in Zelda’s teepee. She would play on it every single day and I’m wildly impressed with how well it has held up.

Make Your Space Serve You

It’s easy to look at your home and, at first glance, not see a suitable space for something like a DIY vanity, but I say make your space serve you! I think we can be very literal and think that because a room doesn’t immediately suit our needs, it’s not the right space. Don’t be deterred if there are shelves or hanging racks in the way. Take that stuff out and make that room do what you need it to do!

That’s it! Super simple and I guarantee your kids will love it! Let me know if you have any questions about the products I used or how I set up the space – I’m happy to answer them!

Photo Credit: Hallie Duesenberg