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How to Create an Amazing Science Bulletin Board

Subtitle: How to Spend a Lot of Hours Working on Something That Might Turn Out Cute  

Yeah, I know, it sounds funny.  

But, you’ve made bulletin boards, right?!   Sometimes they are inspirational!

How to Create an Amazing Bulletin Board- that will last all year! Several examples are shown- including step-by-step for a Mad Scientist board!

In this post, for your convenience, you may find Amazon Affiliate links to resources. This means that Amazon will pass on small percentages to me with your purchase of items. This will not create extra costs for you at all! It will help me keep this blog running!

I have a few to share with you and tell you how we made them!

Encouraging Messages

This one was so colorful and bright we left it in the hallway for a very long time.

The background is just pieces of construction paper that I taped together (the tape is on the flip side!)

Welcoming and Decorative

Even though this one is rather simple I love it. It gets the message across and just has a great look. Plus it was super simple to make!

I originally planned to put photos in the empty spaces, but never did. I liked it plain- scientists posters are hanging above the board.

In your classroom, you also have the ones that stay up all year, like the Calendar or kid’s work. I have those, too, in the STEM Lab. But, what about the ones you have to decorate that hang in the hallway.

We have to change those more often (at least I did!)

The Ones in the Hall

The ones you are assigned to complete.   Those are the challenging ones. I think it’s because we want them to look spectacular because everyone sees them. So, when I have one of those to decorate I really work hard to make them fabulous.

Both of the boards pictured were made after scouring Pinterest for ideas.

But, I did have one BIG problem!

I have to explain that our hallway boards are very large. We are talking about GIANT bulletin boards. Not the little square things or side panels by your white board. I am talking big.  

The inside length measurement of the boards is 90 inches. That’s SEVEN feet.  I needed ideas that could take up that much space!

So, Pinterest. I found, of course, ten tons of cute boards, including all those pictured above (and those are all my re-creations of pins I found).  

Then I found this board idea.

“Ah Ha!” I said. “I can make that!”

And, I did. It took a long time- really way longer than I had anticipated.

But it turned out to be my favorite board of all time.

The Scientist

So, first I started with the scientist lady. I needed a lab coat. Easy, I just used chart paper, drew it free hand, cut it out, and then cut a slit and folded back the jacket lapels. Easy, peasy.

Well, the one in the photo has stuff in her pockets. I decided to make the pockets actually functional and put objects in them. So, I made two beakers and colored them with markers. Uh….boring. So, I got out the glitter.

(And I might add, my custodian was in the room and saw me getting it out, and I caught the frown on her face…..custodians hate glitter.)   Anyway, my glitter beakers turned out fine in the little pockets:

Her Face

Now, for the face. I cut out a head and added some background hair. The eyes were easy, and I made a dimensional triangle nose. But I cannot draw a mouth.

  So, I got the lip gloss out of my cabinet that I keep in there just for picture day.

A good coating of that on MY lips and then I just kissed the drawing.

Yep, it made a perfect little mouth. I added some colored pencil lip liner!

The 3-D hair is just strips of brown paper that I cut and then just stapled in place. I made curlies around her face.  

The hand that you can see was rather empty so I made a hand lens. You can’t tell, but it actually has plastic inserted in the black paper…I’m a little OCD, what can I say?

The Pipes and Border

Then it was time for the pipes. Look back at the original board. The outside edge is a pipe that runs all the way around. It is connected to the static electricity ball and then has a few places where the open pipe is spewing bubbles.

  So, I cut strips of yellow paper and made the piping. For the corners I just made it rounded and then I added the open pipes.    

The yellow paper was just entirely too bright, so I coated it with colored chalk and rubbed it lightly with tissues and it now looks a little tarnished. I added pipe fitting connectors in yellow and bright colors.  

My favorite thing is the photos. I added six little squares to the pipes and used photos of the kids in the lab. I can change the photos occasionally and leave this board up for a while!  

The bubble dots were easy- just cut them free handed and drew around the edges with sharpie to make them cute. Now for the other bubble spewing pipe. First I made it with just bubbles, but it was a little plain, so I added pipe cleaners bent into zig zags.

Add a Title

I decided to go with Mad about Science. The letters were cut from a letter-making machine at our school (Not a Cricket. Ours is one you turn a crank and the letter rolls through and squishes the paper. Old.)

Here it is all finished!

I do love it and it stayed up the whole year. When I took it down I saved all the pieces and re-purposed them the next year. I am linking posts for you at the bottom about that!

In the meantime, I have so many sets of posters now that can help you decorate your space. Check the gallery below! (Click on any of the images to see more details!)

This is a gorgeous set with 18 motivational posters- all with words of encouragement. These would be perfect as a bulletin board display in your classroom, an inspiring display in your faculty workroom, or framed and sitting on your own desk.
This amazing poster set with gorgeous colors will decorate your classroom all year. Each poster features an encouraging and positive quote that will help motivate and affirm the students you teach. Each quote consists of only three words!
Another fabulous poster set with gorgeous colors that will decorate your classroom all year. Each poster features an encouraging and positive quote featuring a phrase beginning with the word 'always'.
This is a set of 8 posters provided in two versions. In addition to the full-size poster, you will have a part of speech label and a matching information strip. Display only the posters or combine the labels and info strips for a spectacular display.
This versatile poster set with gorgeous colors and amazing students' clip art will decorate your classroom all year. Each poster features an encouraging and positive quote that will help motivate and affirm the students you teach.

This is a set of 15 posters provided in two versions and each features a terrific positive quote.
Do you love teaching writing? My favorite part is introducing figurative language techniques! Who doesn't love learning about idioms and hyperbole? Your students will love using these whimsical posters showing the forms of figurative language they will use the most.

Have fun decorating your space and creating amazing bulletin boards!

LINKS FOR YOU:

How to Create an Amazing Bulletin Board- that will last all year! Several examples are shown- including step-by-step for a Mad Scientist board!

Perfect for your displays!

Comments

  1. The Science School Yard says

    I am in love with your bulletin board! I mean it. I have three outside of my room and two are empty… I might try to be a copy cat up here in Wisconsin!

    Renee at the Science School Yard

  2. Luv My Kinders says

    That bulletin board looks awesome! Definitely worth the 4 hours in my opinion. I really like the circle one you are doing next too. We don't have hall ways at our school so no boards to do, well except the ones in my room of course…lol.

    ~Laura
    Luv My Kinders

  3. Rose G. says

    I love this board! I will be doing this to display the best work samples of my students. Thank you for sharing.

  4. paulaM says

    Love your board, it is awesome! Can you tell me where you got or how you made your lettering?

  5. Carol Davis says

    The letters on the Mad Science board were made with a Cricket machine using scrap book paper! Thanks for visiting!