My Classroom

My Kindergarten Classroom

Here are some of my Classroom Decorating & Organizing Tips:

1.  If you need a large rug for your students to sit on, just buy two 5'x7' carpets and tape them together in the middle using colorful duct tape.  In this case, I bought two rugs that have colorful squares (one for each student) and it made one 5'x14' carpet.  It's much cheaper and you can get a design to match your classroom!

2.  Use beautiful printed or solid gift wrapping paper to cover your bulletin boards!  Love that the possibilities are endless!  Your classroom will look amazing.  Don't go too crazy with multiple patterns and colors.  Stick to a few colors and then make the patterns complimentary.  (Large scale, medium scale, & a small scale patterns will work together because they are different in size.)  It's good to go with a floral, a stripe/plaid, and a dot or a small print.  Too many colors will make the room too crazy, so choose a pattern you love and then pull the complimentary colors from that pattern!

3.  I LOVE FABRIC!  You have to be careful if you school doesn't allow you to put fabric in your room or it has to flame retardant.  But, there are ways around it!  Spray with the special flame retardant spray if necessary.  I put fabric on everything!  I put fabric all around every table in my classroom (not student's tables) for beauty and extra storage!  What teacher doesn't need extra storage?  Right?  I stack bins and all those odds and ends I can't figure out how to store under those tables.  Easy access too!  The same rules apply to fabric as to the gift wrapped bulletin boards!  Watch your scale and pattern choices and make sure that the colors compliment.  Also make sure your bulletin board paper and your fabric compliment each other!  But, HAVE FUN with it!

4.  I like to color block sections of my classroom.  For example, if I have a reading area, I make sure the little rug, chairs, bookshelf, decor and wall pictures have a dominating color theme and I have the other colors within the classroom as complimentary colors within that station or area.  It helps to visually contain a space with out using extra furniture...just COLOR!

5.  Be mindful of the psychology of color!  Certain colors evoke different moods, thoughts, and perceptions.  Although I love to dress in black, it is depressing color to see on the wall all day in a kid friendly environment.  Think about other colors that can achieve what you want without it being too dark. Check this site out to learn more about color. 
http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htm


6.  Use wrapping paper for window treatments!  I love for my classroom to look like a home, and since I cannot put fabric on the windows, I use wrapping paper!  Simply cut the shape you want from a roll of your favorite wrapping paper and hang it with staples.  It looks super cute and just like a valance...only with paper!  LOVE!