Open up a world of possibilities by buying decor online.
Waaay back in the early 2000s, as I was setting up my first classroom, the most thrilling part was heading off to the local teacher supply store and loading up my cart with all kinds of decorations (I went with the “Under the Sea” theme from Carson-Dellosa, if you were wondering).
I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything, BUT I can say I have learned a little bit about classroom decor over the years. For example, it is unnecessary to spend hundreds of dollars to create a cute classroom. I also learned that I preferred to find decor on TPT or Etsy, rather than shop the big-name catalogs. Why? Let’s go through a few reasons.
Just looking for decor? Head to my TPT store to see my decor bundles!
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Digital Classroom Decor is Unique
Search “Classroom Decor” on TPT and you will find over 250,000 results! No matter what theme or idea you have cooking up in that big, beautiful brain of yours, you’ll probably be able to find it.
Not to mention, you may even get the opportunity to customize your items! If you buy an alphabet poster set from a traditional publishing company, you get what you get. However, if you buy a set of posters from my store, you get options. You can print all the posters with the same color background, alternate colors, or even get really specific and print the vowel posters in one color and the consonants in another.
Take a closer look at the alphabet posters here.
You Can Save Money
Yes- using a printer, ink, and paper costs money. However, even taking that into consideration, if you compare purchasing decor from a teacher supply store or downloading it from TPT, you’ll still find that buying it online and printing it yourself is the way to go.
If you’re not one of those unicorn teachers with unlimited access to color printing at school, there are several options that can greatly reduce your printing costs, such as HP Instant Ink, or the Epson Ecotank (which I’ve had for over 5 years and have not replaced the ink yet)!
It's Easy to Replace
Here’s another first-year learn-from-me tale. I was so excited to purchase the big, shiny nametags with the alphabet and the map of the US and the coins and the multiplication chart for my first class.
Little did I know they would all be torn to bits by October, and I would be writing names on pieces of duct tape attached to the desks for the rest of the year.
Obviously, I also had a classroom management issue to address, but first-year me would really like the $22.50 I spent on those nametags back. Also, why are things always in packs of 24 when you have 25 students? I digress.
Poster gets torn? Label falls off? Nametag gets chewed up? When you purchase digital decor that you can download and print, all of these items can be easily replaced for cheap.
Lose a label? Easily replace it by printing another sheet.
Also: how many times have you bought a decor kit and ended up not using half of it? With printable decor, you only print out what you want, and don’t have to worry about storing or tossing elements you don’t!
Save Time with Digital Decor
The days of writing everyone’s name by hand are over (unless you still like doing that in which case, go ahead and keep doing that)! Buying things like number labels and editable nametags gives you the option of typing in info rather than writing everything out. During those first few weeks of school, anything that saves time is a blessing!
It's Made by Teachers
I’m not going to speak for every teacher who creates classroom decor, but I know that I take things I’ve learned about student learning (particularly neurodivergent students) and keep it in mind when I add new decor to my store.
For example, I utilize kid-friendly, easy-to-read fonts (particularly for primary products), and maintain a good deal of white space in my designs. I still enjoy using bright colors, but I try to minimize the amount in each product.
If you’ve ever walked into a teacher supply store and experienced sensory overload, imagine how your students feel when an entire room is decorated like that!
Ready to Start Setting Up Your Classroom?
Be sure to check out my TPT store if you are looking for ready to go classroom decor kits with inviting themes and student-friendly fonts and elements! Purchase pieces separately or save by purchasing a bundle of ready-to-print items:
