KidStyleFile

Today’s post written by Kat

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When I was backpacking in Europe and had no cashola/space for a Christmas tree, I simply cut out strips of wrapping paper, interspersed with rows of lollies, and blu-tacked them diagonally on the wall of our flat in Edinburgh.

Little did I know that our improvised wall art (which, by the way, looked pretty cool and was also edible, always a bonus) was actually the height of what’s hip in decor.

Wall stickers/art/decals or whatever you like to call them, are an inexpensive and easy way to update a room (and they’re not just for kids!) Removable – renters, rejoice! – and without the long-term commitment of a new paint job, there are SO many designs out there it can be a bit daunting. So here’s the KSF lowdown on the hippest buys you can nab online.

Mooo wall stickers are made from “a strong fine-weave adhesive fabric that doesn’t stretch easily and will stick to almost any surface including, brick, glass, and painted walls.”

Mooo have a huge range including these delightful Chalkboard Stickers from $15 a pack. Imagine your kids’ delight when they’re told they can write on the walls!

They also have a huge range of absurdly cute sticker designs, all with a plethora of colour options, from $60 for a pack of 48.

I found these For Walls Chalkboard decals over at the The Hip Infant and immediately fell in love. This little owl ($29.95) is possibly too cute to draw on, but he’d look so adorable perched on a wall! THI have a large range of For Walls stickers – look, I found elephants! – suitable for baby, boy’s and girl’s rooms.

Monsters or Robots look totally cool for little boys, while girls will love the pretty Shimmering Butterflies or Magic Tree designs.

For Wall Sticker packs start at $39.95.

Over at Urban Baby, a wide range of Wallcandy kits are just waiting to adorn your walls (or chairs, or tables, or wherever!).

Imagine how cool the Candy Factory ($119.95) would look, and how much fun to use – the kit contains 5.5m of lawn and 12 lollipop flowers for you, sorry, I mean the kids, to ‘plant’!

The Rococco Chalkboard ($49.95 inc chalk) would look equally at home in your kitchen, or try the beautiful Season Elements kit ($49.95) in the nursery.

Quite frankly, I’m lusting after them all!

Ekidna Kids stock wall art by Bosco Bear and My Munchkin Home, and you’re spoilt for choice: each and every design is just sooo cute! My picks? For the nursery, this giant mint Giraffe (on sale for $71.96) including dots to add as you like; for little girls a magical giant Fairy Castle (on sale, $103.96); or a herd of roaring Dinosaurs ($89) for little boys to play amongst! Bosco Bear also do a great range of seasonal decals (like this chic Christmas tree set, $89) so you can totally get into the spirit of the season, without necessitating a total renovation!

You’ve probably seen the gorgeous designs by Little Chippi floating around quite a few of your fave online stores – Shop House stock them all plus some cute Little Chippi Gift cards – and there’s a good reason this brand is so popular: the designs manage to combine cuteness with chic, and they’re Australian made.

I can just imagine a little boys room being suitably adorable with the Drive Time set ($82.95) and I’m seriously contemplating the Red Robin ($82.95) for my daughter’s room…if we can make space around all those elephants and owls…

Surfing around in the name of research, I also found the Wall Sticker Company, based in Melbourne and stocking designs for the home, office, kid’s rooms as well as a custom design service.

Check out this cool Elephant or Giraffe Custom name design (perfectamundo: “Charlotte” on an elephant, my search is over!) for $75, or imagine those most magical of words, “Once Upon A Time” ($55) tucked into your child’s favourite reading corner. These cute Jungle Animals ($65) are perfect for a nursery, or delight little boys with these cool Monsters ($65)! While you’re at it, add a calming influence to your work or study space with this gorgeously simple Blue Wren ($50) or consider inspirational quotes to add a point of difference to other rooms (from $65).

Please check individual sites for shipping details.

Today I want to introduce you to some fine established and up-and-coming Australian baby and kids product designers.

These talented and individuals pour their heart and soul into their work, resulting in the most wonderful artifacts that truly capture the magic of childhood.

I also want to send out a big shout out to everyone who is inspired to create and bring what you imagine to life. However young or old you are, or big or small your enterprise, your passion represents a positivity, individuality and diversity in the world that burns bright.

Vive the independent designer!

Below, view my multimedia presentation of 10 Australian designers (Chalk ‘n’ Cheese, Paper Wings, mill&mia, Red Thread Designs, Imprintables, Quinn Macool, Look at the Wall, Red Wagon, Miss Haidee, Evie LaLa).

There is music, so turn it up

Get inspired with this directory of resources that will lead you to a bevy of unique and boutique Australian baby and kids designers showcasing their talent locally and internationally.

On your doorstep

• Hope Street Markets, Sydney (www.hopestreetsmarkets.com)
• Magnolia Square, Melbourne (www.magnoliasquare.com.au)
• Mothers Market, Hobart (hobartmothersmarket.blogspot.com)
• South Bank Lifestyle Market, Brisbane (www.southbankmarket.com.au)

Online & around the world

• Made It – Australian independent designers selling online (www.madeit.com.au)
• Bubble – The Kids Trade Show (www.bubbletradeshows.com)
• Playtime Paris – The International tradeshow dedicated to children’s universe and maternity wear (www.playtimeparis.com)
• Life inSTYLE/ Kids inSTYLE tradeshow, Australia (www.lifeinstyle.com.au)

Pick up the current issue of My Child magazine, and turn to page 12, to read my Trend Watch article on independent designers. 

Post written by Miki
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For those of you who are decorating/redecorating/spicing up your kids’ bedrooms take note: there are only two days left to take advantage of the 20% discount off the whole room & decor section at Kids Gift List – www.kidsgiftlist.com.au, plus a FREE gift too!

That’s 20% off* all wall art, all wall stickers, all shelf stands, all book ends, all growth charts, all everything in the Room & Decor category! But only until Wednesday July 23, so don’t delay any longer!

Enter ‘KSFRD20‘ at checkout to take advantage of this awesome offer!

My personal favourite is the Coco Boheme elephant chalkboard wall sticker. I think it’s such a brilliant idea – wall art you can draw on! – and it wouldn’t be limited to the child’s bedroom or playroom. I can definitely picture one in my kitchen, it’d be perfect for shopping lists and for distracting a toddler while I’m trying to cook dinner. But hey, it’s a removable wall sticker! If I don’t want it in the kitchen any more then I can just move it into the playroom. That’s the kind of product I love; funky and flexible!

The wall art at Kids Gift List is fantastic too: a great range from ‘Look At The Wall’ which has a wonderfully fresh, organic feel to it and as every piece is handmade from specialty papers they’re all unique.

The deservedly-popular Little Chipipi wall stickers are there as well (20% off is a great deal on them!).

These are my picks for decor:

Prices quoted are after 20% discount:

KGL Wooden Wall Hanger ‘Butterflies’, $9.95 $7.96
Book Ends – Early Bird, $84.95 $67.96
Height Chart – Woodland, $44.95 $35.96
KGL Bookend – Green, $19.95 $15.96
KGL Room Thermometer – Pink, $9.95 $7.96
Shelf Stand – Enchanted Tree, $84.95 $67.96

Another gorgeous section at Kids Gift List is ‘Gifts under $10′. As with the rest of Kids Gift List’s range, everything in here is great quality and it all represents outstanding value. Below are pictured just a few of my ‘must haves’.

The My Child magazine discount code* is still running at Kids Gift List too, so you can use it to take 15% off (excluding the decor and room accessories products) the rest of Kids Gift List’s fab range of products. (If you can’t get a copy of My Child, email Angela and she’ll whisper it to you. )

Prices quoted are after 15% My Child discount:

KGL Bright Castanet Ladybird, $2.95 $2.51
KGL Animal Clap Elephant, $5.95 $5.06
KGL Bell Ring Red Stripe, $6.95 $5.91
KGL Combi Peace Blue, $9.95 $8.46
KGL Pull Along Pal Elephant, $9.95 $8.46
KGL Bookmark Car, $1.95 $1.66
KGL Pull Along Pal Pig, $9.95 $8.46

Kids Gift List stock fine products from Alex Designs, Baufix, Cinti does Vintage, Cheeky Little Soles, Dobbin and Drum Toys, Edenstar, Heavenly Creatures, KGL Gifts, Knox and Floyd, Lark Designs, Isa Toys, Like A Bike, Little Blue Fish, Little Chipipi, The Little Experience, Little Kitchen, Little Red Pear, Maiike, Merrigold, Oobi, Raggidy Rag Dolls, Rockabye Baby, Rosie Flo, Rubys & Robots, Sooki Baby, Sparrowkids, Sudo, Taltrade, Tee P, Tiny Revolutionary, Tiny Tribe, Tonic Baby, Trunki, and Zacharia Bier, so there are heaps of fine products for you to select from.

Kids Gift List deliver Australia-wide for $6.00 per order – that’s outstanding! See here for further delivery details.

*Please note that these discount codes apply to Australian residents only.

Decorating your child’s bedroom can be a daunting thought (so many bunnies, so little time!), but Kids Gift List – Kids Gift List – www.kidsgiftlist.com.au – make it easy to transform your child’s room from drab to divine with their fine range of room and décor accessories.

Kids Gift List stock a great range of wall art from Look at the Wall, Coco Boheme and Little Chipipi.

A key decorating tip is grouping pieces together for impact.

Buy 2,4 or 6 Look at the Wall pieces for a fun and sophisticated effect. These timber-based pieces are perfect for a child’s room with their soothing organic feel.

The Little Chipipi wall stickers make creating a striking feature easy to do as they provide lots of fun and funky elements to arrange according to your room layout.

For minimalist chic choose Coco Boheme’s large silhouetted animals. You can use them as a blackboard too: double duty delight!

In the decor piece department, you cannot go past the very splendid shelf stands from Cocoon Couture. I think these look great in friendly groups of two or three (and although they come finished with clear lacquer, I think the temptation for me to paint the bird red would be too hard for me to resist!)

There are also a selection of very affordable bookends, height charts and coat hooks, and even room thermometers from the Kids Gift List house range that will have you decorating with a confident flourish.

To inspire you further, Monique at Kids Gift List is gifting KidStyleFile readers 20%* off all products from the Room and Décor section of the KGL site. Enter ‘KSFRD20‘ at checkout to qualify for the discount plus a special little treat! Offer ends Wednesday July 23.

Clockwise from top left. Prices quoted are after the 20% discount has been applied:

Tee P Custom-made Utility Wall Hanger (accessories not included) $159.95 $127.96
Coco Boheme XL Elephant blackboard $99.00 $79.20
Cocoon Couture Shelf stand – Cheeky Squirrel $44.95 $35.96
Cocoon Couture Shelf stand – Early Bird $44.95 $35.96
Little Chipipi Drive Time wall stickers, $79.95 $63.96
Krooom Storage Bench $49.95 $39.96
Kids Gift List Room Thermometers (available in green, blue and pink designs) $9.95 each $7.96
Cocoon Couture Woodland Height Chart (also available in Jungle Land) $44.95 $35.96
Look at the Wall ‘Bug’s Life’ Wall Art, $119.95 $95.96

Kids Gift List stock fine products from Alex Designs, Baufix, Cinti does Vintage, Cheeky Little Soles, Dobbin and Drum Toys, Edenstar, Heavenly Creatures, KGL Gifts, Knox and Floyd, Lark Designs, Isa Toys, Like A Bike, Little Blue Fish, Little Chipipi, The Little Experience, Little Kitchen, Little Red Pear, Maiike, Merrigold, Oobi, Raggidy Rag Dolls, Rockabye Baby, Rosie Flo, Rubys & Robots, Sooki Baby, Sparrowkids, Sudo, Taltrade, Tee P, Tiny Revolutionary, Tiny Tribe, Tonic Baby, Trunki, and Zacharia Bier.

Don’t forget to check out Kids Gift List $25.00 or less clothing sale for some superlative bargains. And if you’re looking for a gift for your little one is, or his or her friends, then check out KGL’s Gifts Under $10 section, for budget friendly wow factor.

Kids Gift List also offers a FREE gift list service. This means that you can let everyone know which cool gifts you and your child would like, and need never fear the ‘gift’ of inappropriate toys, or bad fashion again!!

Simply login to create your list, pick out what your child would like or needs from the beautiful selection available, print and judiciously distribute for universal benefit.

Lastly if you’re not looking for room or decor accessories, but would still like a discount at Kids Gift List, then pick up a copy My Child and browse to pg.56 for a code that gets you 15% off*. Not near a newsagent? Leave a comment on this post, or email me, and I’ll send it to you

Without further ado, head on over to Kids Gift List to get a taste of the KGL experience for yourself !

Kids Gift List charge an unbeatable $6.00 flat for delivery, Australia wide (excluding over sized items).

*These offers apply to Australian residents only, and cannot be used on sale items, or in conjunction with any other code.

Trust Bronwyn at ShopHouse – www.shophouse.com.au to come up with something extremely special to kick the new financial year off with.

She’s stocked The House to the rafters with finery, and now she’s releasing it into the wild at 30% off!

Yep, you heard it right: get 30% off store-wide at ShopHouse for 5 days until Saturday July 5*

Enter this code at checkout to revel in your exclusive 30% KSF discount: KSFClearance

For those of you new to the program, ShopHouse stock a superb range of baby and kids clothing – check out Annabel Trends, Baobab, IDTee, Kee-Ka, Lil’ Lana, mill & mia, Mondays Child Pyjamas, Oobi Baby – skin and hair care products (Bod and Eco.Kid), a lovely range of toys and decor pieces from Alimrose Designs, Cocoon Couture, Krooom, Little Chipipi, Look at the Wall, Mon Tresor, Little Kitchen, and The Little Experience, must-have accessories from Penny Scallan, PouchMISS, Rileah Design, and even nappies (Moltex brand) and baby food (from Organic Bubs)!

I know that many of you are already big fans of the products and great service over at ShopHouse, and that you’ll need no incentive to head over and snap up the goods, however just wanted to keep you informed and up to date and let you know that ShopHouse is now stocking the *entire range* of Cocoon Couture products!!

Oooh!!! And Ahhhh!!

ShopHouse have the lot: the complete range of appliquéd beanbags (30 in all!), kindy/library bags, bookends, height charts, divine cushions (which I am seriously eyeing off), and that fabulous 3D wooden tree in both mini and mega sizes. Bliss!

Peruse my top picks for today to drool and delight You can view more picks from ShopHouse in my previous posts on ShopHouse here.

Also, while you’re over at The ‘House, don’t forget to take a look at the Sale section to score some goodies going ridiculously cheap.

Clockwise from top left. All prices quoted are after 30% discount.

mill&mia Round Neck Stripey Owl Tee $49.95 $34.96 - mill&mia tees are the best quality, and the cut is great. We wear them daily and get two years out of them!!
mill&mia Red Floral Folklore Clips $12.95 $9.06 – A lovely finishing touch to the ‘Folklore’ outfit.
mill&mia Denim Pinafore Folklore Dress $71.95 $50.36 – Nice heavy denim to keep your little girl snug and warm and looking good all winter. Wear as a top, as the little legs grow, and you’ll get years out of this piece!
mill&mia Ivory Leggings $39.95 $27.96 - Gorgeous quality, and oh-so practical.
mill&mia Red Round Neck Creepy Things Tee $45.95 $32.16- Cool in a Tee for little boys.
mill&mia Boys Classic Jean $62.95 $44.06 - mill&mia do the best jeans. Great cut and quality.
Look at the Wall Squirrel Wall Art $120.00 $84.00 - Beautiful wall art which ties in beautifully with the Cocoon Couture pieces.
Cocoon Couture Enchanted Forest Tree $495.00 $346.50 – A delightfully decadent and utterly magical decor element.
Cocoon Couture Appliqued Bean-bag $129.00 $90.30 - Absolutely gorgeous soft pinwhale cord fabric. Top handle makes these easy to move around.
Cocoon Couture Cheeky Squirrel Book Ends $89.00 $62.30 - Super cute!
Cocoon Couture Enchanted Forest Tree Shelf-stand $89.00 $62.30 - If you haven’t got the space (or the dollars) for the mega-tree, then invest here to get a slice of the magic.
Mon Tresor Wall Motif $19.95 $13.96 – Sweet wall motifs for your childs room. So affordable too! Buy several to create a bedroom menagerie.
Cocoon Couture Blue Little Foxy Kinder Bag $49.00 $34.30 – head off to creche, kindy or the library in style with these cool retro-styled bags.
Cocoon Couture Patchy Bunny Cushion witn Insert $55.00 $38.50 - I want, I want!! I do!!
Alimrose Designs Stripey Monkey Rattle $26.95 $18.86 - These monkeys are a regular gifting item for me. Suitable from birth, with a friendly face and bold stripes that little bebes really appreciate. Long lanky limbs to clutch on to, and a rattle for sensory stimulation.
Little Chipipi Drive Time Repositionable Wall Decals $82.95 $58.06 – You want them, and now they’re here, on sale! Jump now while they’re hot!
Moltex Nappies - Eco and baby-friendly nappies. Available in a range of sizes and quantities. Buy in bulk and save 30%.

Check out the ShopHouse Blog for news and great articles from ShopHouse.

ShopHouse charge just $4.95 for Express Post delivery Australia wide. Orders over $99.00 are delivered FREE. International orders are very welcome. Check the ShopHouse Shipping and Freight info for full details.

*This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.