5 Ways to Set Your Bulletin Board Up For Success
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1. Use a long-lasting background. It's tempting to just use whatever butcher paper you can scrounge up in the teacher's lounge, but you'll ultimately save yourself time and maybe even money if you use fadeless paper or fabric. If you go the fabric route, it can even last for years!
2. Use neutral colors. I'm not saying your board has to be beige, but pick a background and borders that won't need to be changed seasonally or because they clash with your displays. One year I used a solid mint fabric, which looked great with every display I had up throughout the year. I also think black is a great choice for borders!
3. Don't mix patterns. I might be in the minority on this, but I think multiple patterns on one bulletin board is overkill. If you're going to do a patterned background (I like using a woodgrain pattern), choose a solid border. If you're using a patterned border, go with a solid background. Sure, you want your board to be bright and attractive, but you don't want it to overwhelm student work.
4. Over-staple. Kids are going to touch your bulletin board when they walk by it-- it's unavoidable. So go ahead and staple, staple, staple those borders. You can even get really crazy and laminate your borders first, though I've never taken it that far.
5. Try corrugated borders. I used to think these were too old school, but now I love them! They're often a bit sturdier than the flat kind and they're so cheap! They also look great layered and add some texture without being too over the top.
If you follow these tips, you can leave the basics of your bulletin board the same ALL YEAR!
Just change out the student work monthly and you're set! You can even grab my Monthly Bulletin Board Bundle so you have a fresh + fun activity ready to go each month.
It includes a seasonal and meaningful activity for each month of the year suitable for grades K-8, plus three bonus kits! Each kit includes a craftivity option, as well as a no prep version. Check it out here!
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