• Earthy tones form the basis for colors in a western theme.boots and horseshoes 2 image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
  
  Decorating your little cowgirl's bedroom can be a shared project or a wonderful birthday surprise. Let your imagination take you back to the old westerns that featured fearless girls in cowboy hats and boots, riding off to save the day. Let the accessories you've chosen inspire your paint palette to create a private space that your little girl will be eager to return to each day. A good place to start is by buying what will go into the room, such as bedspreads, curtains or rugs. This could also be a family heirloom or other collectible that reflects your cowgirl's preferences.
  
  

Wall colors

• Once you've decided on the items that will go into the room, choose your wall colors to complement them. While you don't want to overpower the room with too much of the same color found in the accessories, you do want to create a tie-in between them. One example would be those used in bedding designed to fit a western decor.
  
  

Inspirations

• Using the basic colors in the bedding, choose a shade that picks up at least one in the fabric that isn't dominant. Keep in mind that western colors are muted with lots of earth tones coming into play. Leather, desert sand, and lasso rope are all examples of the types of earth colors seen in that setting. While not an earth tone, denim blue is also typically associated with the cowgirl image.
  
  

The big sky

• The wide-open-space theme is also a good choice for a cowgirl's bedroom. Using the western sky as a starting point, you can select a bright blue paint shade and break up the monotony of it with fluffy white clouds. A night-stand or chair painted in a pale yellow might represent bright sunlight. The colors in a spectacular western sunset are also good choices, with accessories to match. Textured paint in an antique rose or lavender shade gives walls a rough earthy feel without being dull and pair up well with glossy brown items that suggest the leather look.
  
  

Stencils

• Create borders around the room just below the ceiling or at chair-rail height using stencils of horses, cacti, horseshoes, stars or whatever ties in with patterns seen in your accessories. Carry this motif into lampshades, along headboards or the top edge of a dresser.
  
  

Paint-by-number murals

• Break the solid color habit by painting a mural on one wall. If you're not artistic, paint-by-number mural kits are available in many themes, including western. Try to incorporate other colors in the room into your painting, or make it the focal point from where to draw your inspiration for the rest of the room's colors.