Book Magic Classroom Bulletin Board Idea

Make a bulletin board or classroom display all about the magic of reading.

Hey teachers and PTO moms and librarians! Today’s post is just for you. I am 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’s what the finished bulletin board / door decoration looks like:

Isn’t it 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 far off magical places while reading a good book.

This post is sponsored by Hobby Lobby. All opinions and ideas are my own.

There are a TON of details on this bulletin board. Some of the things I bought, some I made and others I just gathered from around the house and from deep in my craft room drawers. And the fun part is that YOU can choose what YOU want to put on yours. Let me walk you through the supplies I used and steps I took to make it so you can make one too.

And of course you’ll need a big assortment of magical details and doodads. I literally just wandered around Hobby Lobby looking for things that I thought qualified as “magical.” Try looking in the Fairy Garden, the Miniatures, the Scrapbook Embellishments, the Painted Wood Shapes and the Party sections. I found a lot of the coolest things in those aisles.

Side Note– If you have any bulletin boards to do, check out Hobby Lobby’s classroom decor. They have such trendy, fun themed papers and cutouts and trims. Here are a few of the ones I bought to use in the future:

Instructions

To make the magic book bulletin board, start by cutting the bulletin board paper to the size of your bulletin board or door, but DO NOT HANG IT UP YET! You want it laying on a tabletop or the floor because we’re going to add glitter and if it’s hanging up already, gravity will not be your friend.

How To Make The Giant Book

I made a cut file of the quote and book from above that you can download, so head to the bottom of this post and click on 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 your cutting machine.

Once you’ve cut and weeded your vinyl design, use transfer tape to adhere it to a sheet of thick craft foam. Then cut around it with a regular pair of scissors. The thicker foam makes the book stand out from the page a bit more. I really liked how it turned out. I attached it to the bulletin board paper with a regular kid’s glue stick.

How To Make The Glitter Swirls

Once you have the book and the quote attached to the bulletin board paper, it’s time to add the glitter swirls. I just drew swirls onto the paper with glue, then sprinkled the confetti all over the glue. When 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!

Adding The Magical Details

Now comes the most fun part of all… adding all the detailed pieces. First I hung the bulletin board paper in place. Then I attached each of the different items with hot glue. There’s no rhyme or reason here. I just wanted it to be a hodge podge 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 could add to get you brainstorming.

• Fairies
• Mushrooms, flowers, vines
• Outer space
• Magic wands, brooms, potions, wizard’s hat, flying keys
• Treehouse
• Peacock feathers
• Knights, princesses, castle, dragons
• Fairy tale items (pumpkin carriage, glass slipper, spinning wheel, etc.)
• Unicorns
• Pirate’s ship, treasure map, gold coins
• Sun, moon, stars, shooting stars, planets
• Mermaids, fish, jellyfish
• Airplanes, hot air balloons, submarines, sailboats, locomotives, race cars
• Playing cards, tea set, white rabbits, toadstools
• Butterflies, dragonflies, bees, birds

The last thing I did was frame out the top and bottom edges with the scalloped metallic gold trimmer. It’s a little thing, but it really made the door look more finished.

Video

Get The Cut Files

The reading quote and the book shape are both available to download at no cost.

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 have been in a creative rut all summer and honestly, this project was the perfect cure. It was so fun to try to capture the feeling of wonder that comes from reading. I hope it inspires you to read and to create and to support your local educators. Happy crafting!