Two-and-a-half years ago, when John and Molly Monitto moved into their house in San Rafael, California, their son Todd's room was a blank canvas. Todd, then 5 and an astronomy fan, wanted to decorate with "space things." His mom seconded the idea. As a teacher, she'd always loved her students' artwork and thought it would be fun to put up space-themed wallpaper that "looked as though a kid had drawn it." Try as she might, though, Molly couldn't find anything that matched her vision -- until she realized the answer was right in front of her. "My son is an incredible artist and draws such great pictures," she says.

To get his work onto the walls, she traced his drawings onto overhead transparency film (available at office supply stores), then borrowed an overhead projector from his school. She projected the images onto the walls, where she outlined them, then filled them in with acrylic paints. The results were, well, out of this world. "Todd thinks it's really cool that his drawings are up there," says Molly. "It's the first thing he shows people when they come to visit."

 
Project Pointers
• If you can't borrow an overhead projector, check the local Yellow Pages or the Internet for a service that rents them.
• To size the images, start with the projector close to the wall and gradually move it back until the drawing fills the blank space without overwhelming the room.
• Use pencil to trace your child's drawing onto the wall. For a boldly graphic look, brush black acrylic paint along the image's outlines before filling in with acrylic colors.