The holiday season is a wonderful time for creativity – and you know who rocks this the most?

Teachers in elementary schools. We are FULL of all the FESTIVE things.

If you need a few fresh ideas for your Christmas bulletin board this year, you're in the right place! Here are four fun ideas to make you smile, along with the ever-popular ugly sweaters!

CHRISTMAS BULLETIN BOARD INSPO

Haul out the holly! It's that time to get in the holiday spirit and deck the classroom halls and walls!

I don't know about you – but ugly sweaters crack me up. The uglier, the better. To be honest, when this idea started percolating, the sweaters found at Good Will were quite possibly from my very own closet circa 1982-1996.

I wasn't offended. I was PUMPED!

My mom was an elementary music teacher back in those days, and she had ALL the “teacher sweaters.” You always knew what the holiday was by the knit-wear my mom was rockin'. I raided her closet and wore those sweaters with PRIDE atop my stirrup pants from The Limited.

Yeah, baby. I was COOL.

Last month on my birthday, a 5th grade girl I had had in kindergarten brought down a card for me from her and her class.  I loved it, of course, but later, when I was reading through all the names – I was…Perplexed.  Confused. My age was showing up in a big way.  

Could these 5th graders be saying GOOD things to me?  Or…NOT. They called me a Slay-Queen and told me to keep it slay. (In my brain…crickets.)

I had to take it to my super cool high school nephew, and from what he helped me understand…I think they were calling me cool-ish – in their 5th-grade way.  

#SLAYIN

I was truly honored…and couldn't get it out of my head…so VOILA!  I created a set of Christmas bulletin boards and door decor ideas in their honor – and, of course, I'm also paying homage to my original sweaters – back before they were ‘ugly.'

#SLEIGHIN See what I did there?  😉 

SLEIGH ALL DAY

This first version is all about your kids SLEIGHIN' THE UGLY SWEATER GAME! All the pieces you see are interchangeable and moveable.

The frames? The sweaters? The letters? The cute sleigh? ALL OPTIONAL AND MOVEAVBLE! The cool thing is that you can tweak it to fit on a lot of bulletin board sizes – and even turn it into door decor!

ELF YOURSELF

Is there a kid out there that doesn't take selfies? And, of course, what kid doesn't want an elf-yourself moment?! Combine the two and you have yourself a group of CLASS sELFies!

All ugly sweaters come in color and black and white – and there are also plain options so your kids can design their own. Ugly sweaters, elf feet, and mittens come in large and small sizes – so you can choose to fit your own needs. All you need is to take their picture and cut out their cute little faces – tadah!

And…you know you wanna elf yourself, too. What are you waiting for?

CLOSE-KNIT

I wish I knew how to knit. Once I read that Julia Roberts was a knitter – and just like that, it was cool. My sister is a genius with needle and thread. Mom was too. My grandmother quilted like a beast. Me? I couldn't sew a button on to save my life.

BUT…one thing I'm really good at is creating a CLOSE KNIT CREW in my classroom! I bet you are too.

UGLY SWEATERS

The K. CREW Catalog Sweater Collection

I have been called a J. Crew hippie. I love mixing classic styles with unique pieces. Every Christmas, I love the J. Crew catalog with all of its holiday sweaters. So, if you teach kindergarten, lucky for you – you could create an annual K. Crew Holiday Sweater Collection!

Optional Keepsake Catalog

A bonus optional catalog is included in this Christmas bulletin board pack. Offered in color and black and white, with both K. Crew and CLOSE KNIT crew options. Keep it in your classroom and make it an annual event – or copy catalogs for all of them to take home as a keepsake.

Christmas DOOR DECOR

You could take any of the themes and turn them into door decor! Pictured below are a couple of options with ugly sweaters. I know every classroom door is different – some have windows and others don't – make it work for your own unique needs!

Cover your door with wrapping paper or butcher paper, or just use a border (two are included in the Christmas bulletin board pack) and outline your door or doorframe. You could also just hang some fun lights around the outside of the door.

UGLY SWEATERS XL IDEA

Since ugly sweaters have become such a beloved part of the Christmas tradition, they make such a quirky and engaging Christmas bulletin board theme. Encourage students to design their ugly sweaters – but what about involving staff, too?

Consider organizing an “ugly sweater day” at school where students and staff can wear their silly sweaters – this not only builds school spirit but also encourages camaraderie among students. Our staff has an annual ugly sweater competition, and the winner gets an equally ugly trophy to keep for the year.

CHRISTMAS BULLETIN BOARD INFO

OKAY! It's decided! My bulletin board wants a glow-up! So – what all comes in this pack?

All the Details:

• Tips for how to print, assemble, and create
• 4 different bulletin board ideas
  • K.Crew – Holiday Sweater Collection (for kindergarten)
  • Sleighin' the Ugly Sweater Game #Sleighallday
  • We're a Close Knit Crew!
  • Our Class sELFies

• 1 specific board to kindergarten – 3 ideas for ANY grade
• Every bulletin board/door can be mix & match to your preference/need
• This decor can be modified and rearranged to fit multiple sizes of bulletin boards
• 2 optional borders
• Bonus mix & match pieces
• All sweaters, mittens, and elf feet come in TWO sizes & are in both color and black and white
• Letters come in both color and black and white
• Optional keepsake catalog in both color and black and white
• 205 pages in total

Creating a Christmas bulletin board in your classroom or hallway is the perfect way to spread some holiday cheer. With fun themes like ugly sweaters, you can create an engaging and festive environment for both students and faculty. So gather your glitter, let the students' imaginations run wild, and create a space that celebrates the joy of the Christmas season!

Interested in having a school-wide theme next school year? Read this!

Need a new Christmas tune for your Holiday Playlists? Read this!

Need some ornament inspo? Space-Themed Ornaments or Beachy Ornaments