<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">Redesign the bedroom and teach teens valuable DIY skills</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – The rainbow and kitten theme you picked for your daughter’s room when she was a baby is now ruining her social life as a teen. And your son can’t hold his head up among his teammates until you redo his room’s pirate theme with something more appropriate for a teenage linebacker.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">In this economy, though, who can afford to give their teenager the room decor of his or her dreams? Actually, you can – if you get your teen involved in the planning and execution of her room redesign.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">What’s more, involving teens in redesigning their own rooms teaches them valuable budgeting and home improvement skills that will serve them well when they own homes someday. Focus your teen room redesign project on teaching a handful of important skills, including:</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>* Budgeting -</strong> Allowing your teen to update her decor is a great way to teach her budgeting basics. Start out by deciding how much cash you’ll contribute to her efforts and how much she’ll have to come up with on her own. Help her allocate her funds by deciding what she most wants to change about her room. Can she live with the carpet if she wants to buy a pricier bed? Is the wall color OK as long as she can have new linens and drapes?</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>* Painting -</strong> It’s the simplest, most cost-effective way to give a room a completely new look and if your teenager learns how to paint well now, he’ll never fear the job later when he has to tackle it in his own home. If you’re not confident about your own painting skills, sign yourself and your child up for a class in the basics at your local home improvement store.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>* Flooring -</strong> Installing, hardwood floors, tile and vinyl can often exceed the cost of the materials. Learning how to install carpet yourselves can be a great money-saver, allowing your teen to stretch his budget and acquire a valuable skill at the same time.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/12a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/12a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>* Wallpaper murals</strong> -Unexpectedly easy to install, wallpaper murals are a great, cost-effective way to make a bold, personalized statement in any room. Look for a company, like Environmental Graphics, that offers teen-friendly images and complete online instructions for installation. Visit <a href="http://www.DecorPlace.com" target="_blank">www.DecorPlace.com</a>  to learn more.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>* Linens and drapes -</strong> The lesson here can be twofold – either how to shop for and find great linens and drapes at discount prices, or how to make your own at a fraction of the cost you would pay to buy them. If you possess basic sewing skills, you can easily help your teen tackle making his or her own drapes and linens. Or, you can both enroll in a sewing class at your local community college to perfect your skills.</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Helping your teenager redecorate her room can be a great way to teach her valuable skills, refresh your own abilities and enjoy a memorable experience together.</p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>