Crystal McNerney, a mother of four, considers herself an expert on creating spaces that kids can enjoy. She also understands how to design a creative, cozy room for kids on a budget.

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McNerney, of Organizing And Decorating Kid's Rooms, did just that when she designed a room shared by three of her four boys.

McNerney is like many parents who create theme rooms in which their children enjoy sleeping and playing.

There are several avenues that a parent can take when creating a theme room. But before you start stocking up on Elmo bedroom paraphernalia, get a few ideas from parents who have managed to create a room their kids enjoy without breaking the bank.

Get Kids Involved

"They couldn't decide on a color," McNerney said of her three older boys. Her children are 4, 7, 9 and 16.

To appease everyone, she said she sectioned the room off, using colors that the boys agreed upon -- blue and white. She also used a border that contained red, yellow and green as accent colors.

She also got her sons involved by allowing them to put their handprints on the walls using the accent colors.

"They loved looking at it," she said. "They would put their hands up there to see how much they grew."

Although many parents decorate rooms using TV or movie characters, McNerney does not advise doing so.

"You want something that will hold a child's interest," she said. "They don't usually hold interest in characters that long."

Getting Great Ideas

With this in mind, she suggested that parents talk with their child about interests and favorite colors to come up with a theme.

McNerney also said she does not recommend buying themed furniture for a room.

"I would not suggest buying furniture, but instead pulling in bedding, curtains and accessories," she said. "Go after sturdy furniture that will grow with a child. You can make any furniture go with a theme."

McNerney said buying SpongeBob headboards and kid recliners do not really make "financial sense."

Choosing Furniture

Misti Norusis, of Wish Rooms, disagrees. She believes that a child's space should be created with kids' furniture.

Additionally, she said hand-painted children's furniture is extremely popular.

Norusis said that after ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover" aired a show that included a fire engine theme room, she got numerous requests for the firefighter set.

Some of the other sets Wish Room offers include All Star Sports, Our Little Angel and the Noah's Ark Collection, Princess Sets and Rock-A-My-Baby Furniture.

"The (Rock-A-My-Baby) sets are awesome for little girls as they provide space for a doll baby," said Norusis.

She said pink is in with girls of all ages.

"We sell a lot of pink products and are constantly getting questions about them. For example, our most popular item overall is the girl's pink camouflage sleeping bag," she said.

Make Room For Learning

For educational purposes, Norusis said a space should be created in the room for a book display or art easels.

"Desks are real popular as there is a growing trend to replace the TV in children's rooms with a computer and desk," she said. "Roll-top desks made for kids are very popular and provide the functional use of a great desk with a bit of old-world charm."

Bring A Story To Life

Creating a kids room doesn't have to be focused on furniture, however. Another way to decorate a kid's theme room is by painting a mural on the walls.

"Kids want exciting, fun," said Randy Triplett, a mural artist for Creative For Kids based in Chicago. "They want bright."

Triplett, who has been painting murals all over the country for about 10 years, said a mural in a kid's room offers more than a coat of paint.

"Creativity is trained out of children by age 6," Triplett said. "Creativity is lost because of our rigid educational system. They love this stuff because it generates creativity."

In addition to spurring more imagination and creativity, Triplett said murals help kids enjoy being in and playing in their room.

He knows this firsthand because Triplett has painted murals on the walls of his children's rooms. He said it brought him great satisfaction.

"It is that miniscule of a moment, when the kids see it and go, 'Wow,' 'Holy moly,' 'This is great, dad,'" Triplett said.

Triplett, who offers mural kits on his Web site, said parents should not be intimidated by taking on the task of painting their kid's room.

"I started out with a $3 cartoon book," he said. More Resources

• Theme Ideas For Kids' Rooms
• Decorate To Inspire Your Kids
• Painting Trends Make An Impact