When I think of a classroom I want students to feel just as comfortable there as they would at home! I was able to bring a cozy, bohemian feel to this classroom with the help of chunky fabrics and pillows, a calming color palette, watercolor graphics and several cactus themed student crafts! The end result is a third grade classroom that's a safe space to learn and play but also makes students feel calm and comfortable.
A statement making bulletin board is a great way to give any classroom an instant refresh. The color palette of the bulletin board matched perfectly with the rest of our classroom. I kept the color palette soft with pinks, shades of greens, and pops of mint. Black accents like the Simply Sassy Wide Bulletin Board Borders and the "STAY SHARP" Classroom Café Bulletin Board Letters helped to visually break the board up.
This cactus-inspired board packs a punch with giant paper succulents that you can make yourself! See the step-by-step instructions to make your own Paper Succulents here. The only supplies you'll need are scissors, a hot glue gun, our FREE Succulent Leaf Template and green cardstock.
To make bulletin board letters pop I added some Black Cardstock behind the Classroom Café Bulletin Board Letters. Adding 3D elements like large bulb string lights helps your board stand out and gives it a sense of home.
Use Schoolgirl Style™ Woodgrain Bulletin Board Borders to create cute frames for your students' work. Grab the free printable for these Cactus Handprints here! Cut the borders in half if you feel like they're too thick. I love the way these darker wood borders pop against the Fadeless® White Shiplap Bulletin Board Paper that was used for the base of this bulletin board.
Add even more visual interest to your bulletin board by turning flat cacti from the Cactus Bulletin Board Set into three dimension elements! See the full step-by-step tutorial here.
Hang Large Cactus Laminated Tote Bags along the base of your bulletin board. I like using these bags as student prizes or to simply help transport classroom materials from place-to-place throughout the school day. See the tutorial to make your own Succulent & Cactus Bulletin Board here!
To the right of the bulletin board is a door that's decked out in cacti! DIY Paper Succulents and a trimmed Macramé Wedding Garland adorn the top of the door. The door was outlined in the same Simply Sassy Bulletin Board Borders and Double-Sided Coral Bulletin Board Borders as the bulletin board and also had Fadeless® White Shiplap Bulletin Board Paper as the background. 
Cactus cutouts from the Cactus Bulletin Board Set sat on top of shelves made from Schoolgirl Style™ Woodgrain Bulletin Board Borders cut in half. Write each students' name on a cactus to complete this oh so cute look! I used Classroom Café Bulletin Board Letters combined with Lowercase Script Letters to create the "minds GROW here" phrase. 
Let's move on to the always important teacher desk! I wanted this desk space to feel special and above all organized. To create a personalized feel I used a Cactus Wedding Shower Custom Banner. To make sure the banner felt connected to the rest of the room I used Uppercase Script Bulletin Board Letters and Lowercase Script Bulletin Board Letters to spell out the teacher's name.
The banner was taped to Black and White Stripe Bulletin Board Paper that was stretched across the entire front of the desk. I finished off the front of the desk with a Macramé Wedding Garland that I trimmed a bit.
On top of the teacher's desk Cactus Pens and Succulent Pencils are contained in an oh so cute Cactus Tumbler. A small, Pink Bud Vase, Cactus & Succulent Stickers and a Large Round Wood Slice Centerpiece complete the rest of this little vignette. An American Crafts™ Emerald Green Cart to the right of the teacher's desk keeps essentials like manipulatives, flash cards and crafting supplies organized and close by. Be sure to download the FREE Printable Cart Labels here for your own classroom!
Up next is the classroom reading corner! Even if your classroom reading corner or library isn't this big you can still bring in decorative elements like poufs, pillows and soft rugs to make the space feel cozy. I wanted this space to feel organized and not too busy so I stuck with a color palette of turquoise, black and white.
To create a classroom library, separate books into various Turquoise Book Bins according to genre. You could use a permanent marker to write directly onto the bins (or even use a peel and stick label), but I opted to use these Wood Place Card Holders that clip directly onto each bin. I then labeled each place card holder using a fine point chalk marker. I like this method because then the bins can be reused year after year as your library expands and can also be moved anywhere around the classroom.
Store reading tools such as flash cards, rewards, and pointers in Turquoise Large Storage Bins with Lids. These bins are great because the lids lock shut and have a handle on top that makes transporting the bins super easy.
Use Cactus Bulletin Board Cutouts to clearly label each storage bin. Make sure to keep Laminated Cactus Bookmarks on-hand for students too!
Instead of installing curtains to make this reading corner feel like home, I chose to stick with the bohemian theme and hang a couple of beautiful Macramé Wedding Backdrop Curtains. Use small nails or adhesive hooks to hang from windows.
Looking for super simple wall decor to dress up a drab space? Add a themed poster and some wooden shelving! These DIY Unfinished Wood Hexagons are versatile and fit well in any space. Give them a fresh coat of paint to quickly customize them. I chose to just paint the insides of these hexagons because I loved the natural wood color so much! Style your wall decor with adorable succulents to complete the look. I still can't get over how beautiful these Cactus Motivational Posters are! Frame any poster by using Schoolgirl Style™ Woodgrain Bulletin Board Borders cut in half lengthwise.
For this gallery wall I used Fadeless® White Shiplap Bulletin Board Paper to bring some warmth to the room. I added some more Cactus Motivational Posters, a paper Spring Succulent Welcome Wreath, a “3” Marquee Light-Up Kit, one Farmhouse White Washed Window Frame, a Gather Canvas Sign and one more DIY Unfinished Wood Hexagon to spruce up this previously plain wall.
Utilize cubby storage by adding in Rectangular Wire Baskets, Turquoise Book Bins and Large Black Storage Bins with Lids. This is a great way to organize bins that can be used for group work and other classroom supplies students may need to grab for themselves throughout the day.
Keep paintbrushes, Cactus-Shaped Pens, and pencils organized with this Art Supplies Storage Rack.
Keep smaller items like push pins, mini erasers, paperclips, and rubber bands in this We R Memory Keepers® Storage Bloom. To expand it you simply twist the top! Trust me, this will be one of your new favorite storage items.
And that's a wrap! I hope you've been inspired to makeover a bulletin board, reading corner, storage center or even an entire classroom this year. Whatever you decide, make sure the space feels like home and is a place where students feel welcome. Don't forget to check out the step-by-step tutorial for the Succulent & Cactus Bulletin Board and how to make your own DIY Paper Succulents!
