Covering Classroom Shelves (relatively) Cheaply

I've been working on ways to cover my shelves and make my room look more unified, all without spending too much money.  Here's how I've been doing this:
  • Take black butcher paper and cut to desired size.
  • Put a cute picture from a calendar in the middle (Dollar Store calendars rock)
  • Put a border at the bottom.
  • Laminate the whole shebang.
  • Attach with a strip of color-coordinated duct tape to the shelf above.
If you're working with a very wide shelf, it might be a good idea to make separate "doors" that are half or 1/3 of the width of the shelf.  That way, you don't need to lift a long, heavy flap.  Just lift the little door you want to move.

As an added bonus, you can say, "Hey, Joey, go get a dictionary.  They're behind the tiger!"


The side of my cheap utility shelves that make the side of my classroom library area:
 


Covered back side of my (sagging) utility shelves.  I store class library books on the other side and mini-books on this side.  So, I'm covering the shelves on this side, since the kids don't need to see the mini-books.  I'll eventually cover the top shelves as well.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hubpages - Why and How I Wash my Dishes by Hand

Image
 My dishwasher bit the dust about a month and a half ago.  As I'm taking a year off work and going off my savings, I decided not to replace it and have instead been washing dishes by had. Oddly enough, I've found that I kind of like it, and I've worked out a way to get around the "gross factor" and keep everything rather not-disgusting.  I wrote and article for Hubpages that you can find here: I realize it's hardly anything earth-shattering, but I hope it helps someone in the same situation.  As a side note, my old dishwasher makes a great pantry!
Read more

Squirrel Banjo Band Preposition Interactive Notebook Packet

Image
  It's hard to keep kids engaged with grammar. I always try to make my sentences and activities as silly as possible to keep the kids interested. One of my favorite ways to keep kids paying attention is to use their names in example sentences. I pick a numbered stick, ask the child if I can use his/her name in a sentence, and write the sentence on the overhead. The class corrects the grammar in my sentence or finishes a sentence starter with a certain grammatical task. Today, I created and posted a packet of "old school" notes on prepositions (5th grade Common Core skill). The packet features a Squirrel Banjo band. The worksheet on identifying prepositions tells a story of an annoyingly loud Squirrel Banjo Band, a visit from an (unnamed) president, and a happy ending for all involved. It includes two pages of interactive notebook notes (Old School notes are on grid paper and meant to look like sheets from before mass-production), a drawing and practice activity, and ...
Read more