Create a bulletin board or classroom display about the magic of reading.
Hello teachers and PTO moms and librarians! Today’s post is just for you. I’m sharing a really fun bulletin board idea based on this quote:
You can find magic wherever you look.
Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.
– Dr. Seuss
And here is what the finished bulletin board/door decoration looks like:
Isn’t that cool?! I fell in love with reading when I was in elementary school and I feel like this classroom decoration really captures the feeling you get when you visit faraway magical places while reading a good book.
This post is sponsored by Hobby Lobby. All opinions and ideas are my own.
There is a LOT of detail on this bulletin board. Some of the things I bought, some I made and others I just collected from around the house and deep in my craft drawers. And the funny thing is that YOU can choose what YOU want to wear on yours. Let me walk you through the supplies I used and the steps I took to make it so you can make one too.
Supplies needed
And of course you’ll need a large selection of magical details and doodads. I literally just wandered around the hobby lobby looking for things that I thought qualified as « magical ». Try to look in Adventure gardenit Miniaturesit Scrapbook decorationit Painted wooden shapes and Party sections. I found a lot of the coolest stuff in those hallways.
Side note– If you have some bulletin boards to do, check out Hobby Lobby’s classroom decor. They have such trendy, fun themed papers and cutouts and trims. Here are some of the ones I bought for future use:
Instructions for use
To make the magic book bulletin board, start by cutting the bulletin board paper to the size of the bulletin board or door, but DO NOT HANG IT UP YET! You’ll want it laying on a table top or the floor because we’re going to add glitter, and if it’s already hanging, gravity won’t be your friend.
How to make the giant book
I have created a clip file of the above quote and book for you to download, so go to the bottom of this post and click the blue button to get a copy.
To make the book, I first cut the book design out of holographic vinyl. This was my first time using this particular type of vinyl and just a little helpful tip…it comes with a thin protective plastic sheet over the top. Remove that layer before sending it to the slicer.
Once you’ve cut and stitched your vinyl design, use transfer tape to adhere it to a sheet of thick craft foam. Then cut around with regular scissors. The thicker foam makes the book stand out a little more from the page. I really liked how it turned out. I attached it to the bulletin board paper with a regular children’s glue stick.
How to make the glitter swirls
Once you have the book and quote attached to the bulletin board paper, it’s time to add the glitter swirls. I just drew swirls on the paper with glue and then sprinkled the confetti all over the glue. Once the glue was dry, I shook off the excess confetti. Yes, it was messy. But you know what? Sometimes it’s worth it. This confetti is SO sparkly and colorful and fun!
Adds the magical details
Now comes the funnest part of all…adding all the detailed pieces. First I hung the bulletin board paper in place. I then attached each of the different items with hot glue. There is no rhyme or reason here. I just wanted it to be a bunch of happy, imaginative things I’ve read about in books. And I love how it turned out! It’s like a giant 3D I Spy game!
Here’s a list of items you can add to get you brainstorming.
- Fairies
- Mushrooms, flowers, vines
- Space
- Wands, brooms, potions, wizard’s hat, flying keys
- Wooden cabin
- Peacock feathers
- Knights, princesses, castles, dragons
- Adventure items (pumpkin cart, glass slipper, spinning wheel, etc.)
- Unicorns
- Pirate ships, treasure maps, gold coins
- Sun, moon, stars, shooting stars, planets
- Mermaids, fish, jellyfish
- Airplanes, hot air balloons, submarines, sailboats, locomotives, racing cars
- Playing cards, tea sets, white rabbits, toadstools
- Butterflies, dragonflies, bees, birds
The last thing I did was to frame out the top and bottom edges with the cut out metallic gold trimmer. It’s a small thing, but it really made the door look more finished.
Video
Get the clip files
The reading excerpt and book form are both available for download at no charge.
There are PNG, JPEG, and SVG versions in the folder, so grab whichever file works best for what you’re doing. To access the files, click this blue button:
I’ve been in a creative rut all summer and honestly, this project was the perfect cure. It was so much fun trying to capture the sense of wonder that comes from reading. I hope it inspires you to read and create and support your local teachers. Happy making!
