by Nan Keltie

Created on: December 09, 2009

Seasonal door decorations help welcome students into your classroom.  With the following tips, you can change your door décor each month - with very little time and effort.  A large straw wreath is the foundation for each design.  Enjoy!

AUGUST -
Start the school year off with a colorful eye-catcher that’s easy to make.  Wrap the straw wreath in wide green ribbon (or strips of green fabric) to cover up the straw, then attach the following items: Crayon boxes, glue sticks, pencils, and some miniature apples (wooden or plastic).  Make a small chalkboard out of black poster paper and write “Welcome Back” with white chalk.  Hang it just above the wreath.

Other items and ideas for this wreath: Use a hot glue gun to attach individual crayons and letters of the alphabet among the other items.  

SEPTEMBER -
By  now, your students have settled in and gotten to know each other a bit better.  Remove August decorations from your wreath and substitute with snapshots of student groups and classroom activities.  Add tiny colorful "notebooks" made of folded construction paper and label them with subjects like "English, Spelling, Writing, Math, History, Science," etc.   Place them around the wreath between the photos. 

Other items and ideas for this wreath:  Print out small graphics of school items and let the children color them before adding them to the wreath. 

OCTOBER -
Unwrap the green covering and let the straw wreath show through.  This month you’ll be attaching acorns, small pine cones, colorful autumn leaves (paper, silk or synthetic) and some perky plaid ribbon in seasonal colors.    

Other items and ideas: Small jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows can be used. Attach miniature candy bar wrappers and/or small wrapped treats.   

NOVEMBER -
This  month, you can leave the plaid ribbon but change up other items to reflect a Thanksgiving theme.  Small gourds and tiny pumpkins (real, paper or plastic) can be attached with wire or hot glue, depending on the item’s weight.  For extra color, wrap candy corn and pumpkins in plastic wrap and tie them to the wreath with yarn.

Other items and ideas: Turkeys, cornucopias, Pilgrims, Indians and cornstalks.  

DECEMBER -
Cover the straw wreath form by wrapping it in blue ribbon (which will also fit with next month’s theme) or cover the straw with synthetic greenery.  Add silver

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