Ceiling Clouds
If you want to do something unusual and inexpensive for your living room or bedroom why not put something on the ceiling?
Most people think of mirrors when they think of the bedroom ceiling, and of course you can do that but only do so if you are looking to create a bordello effect. A much more interesting thing to do is to make clouds, rainbows or other effects by using material.
Parachutes
The easiest and probably one of the cheapest ways to do this is to get hold of one or two disused parachutes from an army surplus store or online and then attach it to all or part of your ceiling. Of course you need to make sure that it is fire-retardant for safety's sake. If the material is not already fire-retardant you can buy a variety of sprays that will do the job for around $20.
Colors
Most parachutes come in white but you can also get a variety of color dyed ones. Prices start around $30 depending on the size, the condition and where you buy it from. Expect to pay more for silk chutes than for nylon ones. If you get a plain white one you can always dye or tie-dye it to match your décor. Play parachutes, smiley faces, rainbows or night sky 'glow in the dark' chutes are perfect for kids' rooms. These tend to be more expensive than ex-military ones. You can even buy chutes to color in as a family before putting them on the ceiling.
Lowering Your Ceiling
If you have a very high ceiling you can use a chute as a cheap way to lower the height. This makes great sense as it will help insulate the room and cut your heating costs. This is also a great way to make a cozy room for your little one.
What You Need
To put your chute up on the ceiling you need
· One or more parachutes depending on the size of the room
· A large staple gun and staples
· A stepladder
· A friend or two or three to help
Putting Up Your Chute
· Open up the chute and lay it on the floor
· Find the hole in the middle
· Using your stepladder hold the chute up to the ceiling
· If you have a central light fitting turn the light off and put the fitting through the chute hole. Staple the material around the hole to the ceiling, making sure that the material doesn't touch the light fixture
· Then staple the outside of the chute around the edge of the ceiling as near to the wall as possible while making sure that there is enough material to create the cloud pillows you want
· Create clouds by stapling the material to the ceiling at intervals so that the chute billows and forms cloud pillows. It doesn't need to be exact but you do need to make sure that the chute is fairly evenly held up over the whole ceiling
· Make sure you cut holes for your light fittings if necessary
The whole job shouldn't take longer than an hour or so, depending on how many people you have to hold up the chute while you staple.
Now all you need to do is to invite your friends around to admire your creativity.