The pressure of social media to have the “Pinterest Perfect” classroom can be a little overwhelming for any teacher, especially those on a budget. We are very fortunate in our classroom that we have a small budget for items needed, and we have full discretion on how we use it, but the last place we want to spend it is on decor. We prefer to spend any money we have on quality resources and learning materials. Check out this list of ways to decorate your classroom that don’t break the bank.
Use Student Work to Decorate Your Classroom
Start your year off by creating open spaces where you will place students’ work. Artwork or writing is a great way to include students in the decorating, and it doesn’t cost a thing.
Some of our best bulletin boards have been designed and decorated by students. They love to have control. It’s difficult as a teacher to give up some of that control, but it is so rewarding to see students own the space. When students feel like they have some control in a space, they are more likely to feel like the classroom is a safe place for learning. Students who have ownership over their learning space are more likely to enjoy learning.
If you are looking for ideas for different art projects you can display, we have several posts with free projects.
- Art Projects That Will Last All Year
- How to Create Back to School Power Words
- Simple Art Projects for Back to School
- 9 Spectacular Art Projects For a Pen and Paper
Typically, we start our year by covering each of the bulletin boards with fabric and a simple border that can be used all year. Then we add student work within the first weeks of school. We reuse the fabric from year to year. It doesn’t fade or rip and can be washed.
Create a Collaborative Poster Together
Use this Welcome Collaborative Poster to start off all your decorating. If you are already on our email list, you can find it in the Resource Library. We can send it directly to your inbox when you sign up for our email list. There is also a French version available. When you click the link, you will see the French version option.
We have lots of other collaborative posters available. Each of our posters comes with 18, 24, or 36 pieces. Students colour their own pieces, and then they are all assembled into one poster. We also include a follow-up activity to use to extend the learning or use for the early finishers.
Teamwork (Working Together) Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
O Canada English Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
O Canada French Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Groovy Group Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Sacred Plants (Indigenous People) Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Einstein Learning Quote Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Kindness and Friendship (Be the Sunshine) Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Nothing is Impossible (Nelson Mandela Quote) Collaborative Poster Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Use Anchor Charts or Learning Materials to Decorate Your Classroom
We avoid hanging up things to simply decorate the space. Part of this is because we have a rule that only 20% of the walls can be covered for fire safety rules. But clutter does not help students learn, and frankly, it bugs ninjas, too.
We try to include students when we make anchor charts. These are charts with points students need to remember while working on different topics or concepts. Our charts are never fancy or pretty, and they are always student-directed. We have them up while we need them and recycle them when we are finished with them.
Recycle Materials to Decorate
Create your own decorations using materials you already have on hand. For example, you could make paper flowers, garlands, or bunting using construction paper or scrapbook paper. Paint old jars and use them as vases (to hold art supplies). Turn old picture frames into bulletin boards or use them to display student work.
Take materials straight out of your recycling bin. Turn them into a paper chain or make some simple flower blooms. Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s good for the environment. Any type of paper works, even newsprint or wrapping paper.
Scarves, socks, mittens, or pants make interesting borders. Roll or twist them or just use them as decorations around the edge. We don’t recommend hanging up any underwear.
Take your cardboard from cereal, granola bars, candy, or snack packaging. Cut or tear it into strips and use a hot glue gun to piece the strip together into a border or place the pieces onto a piece of masking tape. You can paint this any colour to brighten up your space.
Dollar store cupcake liners come in a variety of colours and patterns. They make a frilly border for your bulletin board.
Dollar stores have tons of streamers and tissue paper. Keep tissue from gifts to make tissue paper flowers, or twist it together to make a border. Streamers are a quick border, but they aren’t very durable.
Use Furniture to Decorate Your Classroom
Sometimes simply rearranging the furniture can give the classroom a fresh and new look. Experiment with different layouts to see what works best for your classroom. If you are looking at including flexible seating options, you might want to check out our post, Everything You Need to Know About Flexible Seating.
Create spaces for group work and independent work. Don’t forget to leave spaces to walk around and move about the room.
Use Books
Use books from the classroom library to create interesting displays and create cozy reading nooks. Not only will this brighten up your room, but you’ll also be encouraging students to read the books. Your school library should have books that you can sign out for your classroom.
Don’t forget that older students love picture books too. They are often written for grade 5 or higher, so don’t forget to add picture books to your classroom.
Ask for Donations to Decorate Your Classroom
Ask families or the school community for donations of items such as posters, books, or decorations that they no longer need or use. This can be particularly helpful if you are trying to decorate for specific holidays.
If you are looking for something specific, ask to borrow it temporarily. This can be great because then you don’t have to worry about storing it when not in use.
Don’t Decorate Your Classroom
Your classroom doesn’t need to be dressed from head to toe. In fact, studies show that too many decorations can be a distraction: The Decorated Learning Environment: Simply Noise or an Opportunity for Incidental Learning?
Wouldn’t it be nice if when you graduate with your teaching degree or get a new teaching job, someone would throw you a shower full of stuff for your classroom? Wouldn’t it be even better if schools were properly funded?
We’d love to hear how you decorate your classroom on a budget. Tell us all about it in the comments below.
