The copy room to the side of the cafeteria was pretty grim looking. No natural light, a single exposed bulb, mismatched pen holders and stacks of paper on a too-narrow shelf, and nowhere to sit and organize your work. This was not a motivating place for a teacher to get work done.

Enter my love of organizing and $7 of my monthly SCRAP stipend, combined with $2 worth of Bins finds and some items from a student’s grandma who does estate sales (her leftovers are always welcome in Room 3 – thanks, Barb!).

I decided on the super creative theme of “blue”, because it would be super easy to find items and also since it contrasts nicely with the orangey-red brick and wooden paneling. Upholstery samples became no-sew pennant garlands, fabric was draped over the tops of shelves to soften the edges, and scrounged art adds interest to the walls.



A roll of wall paper was tacked in place to brighten up/cover the 60’s era wood, and all the bins and storage got switched out for blue versions. Mismatched plastic bins worked, as long as they were blue!

Fish gravel from a free pile, a jar I found under my classroom sink and some party supplies from Scrap make a practically free bit of whimsy for the corner… please note the tissue box is blue. 🙂

The pen cup was a ceramic candle holder I found at the Bins… I had to set it in a pot of simmering water to get the wax to melt, which I poured out to make a dozen fire starters. This goes deep, people.

My favorite piece is this wreath I made! It’s a metal hoop wrapped with strips of bubble wrap for thickness, then wrapped in blue fabric scraps. I purchased 20 blue ribbons from a big bin of awards at SCRAP and cut them into leafy shapes and hot glued them onto the wreath. Voila! A blue-ribbon worthy copy room that seems less Soviet-era depressing and a little more friendly – Whitman teachers deserve it!