‘Tis the season for festive holiday chaos and brainstorming your Christmas classroom decor! Looking for Christmas door decoration ideas for school as fresh as winter snow? Our Teach Starter teacher team has checked our list (twice) and compiled some inspiration for you to create a door to remember this December.
With a little paper, a few downloads and some holiday magic, these bright and cheerful door displays will have your students excited to enter the classroom and start the countdown for winter break. Read on for Christmas classroom door ideas, plus winter and holiday doors to celebrate the season with inclusion in mind.
As a bonus, some of our wintry ideas can remain on your door until the winter season is over — so you can decorate once and enjoy it for months and months to come.
Christmas Classroom Door Decoration Ideas
Before you dive in, we suggest that you don’t restrict these to the classroom door — if curious little hands are likely to undo the hard work you and your class have put into building these door displays, why not create a holiday bulletin board inside your room?
Or explore ready-made bulletin board kits you can download and print now!
There’s something here to bring Christmas cheer to everyone!
Holiday Truck Door and Hallway Decor
Photo courtesy of Missouri elementary librarian Mrs. Shores
It’s tree shopping time! Elementary librarian Mrs. Shores of Missouri did a fantastic job combining two classroom doors into a festive hallway scene. One door was beautifully transformed into a reindeer barn door while the red truck filled part of the wall and the other door.
Other than colored paper, all you’ll need to create these door decorations for the holidays are some colored lights and some handprint cutouts from your students to complete the tree for the truck bed.
This Class is Only Silent At Night
Is winter the season when your students are just too excited to sit still in class? We’ve been there! “This Class is Only Silent at Night” is sure to get some laughs from some of your coworkers if you choose this classroom door theme. Decorations are pretty open-ended with this title. Consider Christmas lights on the outside of a snowy cabin or a starry night sky glowing above a decorated tree.
Elf Surveillance
Photo courtesy of Kindergarten teacher Ms. Bee
Santa Claus is comingggg, to your classroom! Kindergarten teacher Ms. Bee put her kids’ faces on little elf bodies to mimic Santa’s helpers. You can easily recreate this look using our “Elfie Selfie” elf photo templates below.
To create the Santa Claus in the corner, you’ll need some red and white paper plus white cotton balls. The blue paper background makes the little elves really pop!
Take an Elfie
Photo courtesy of Arizona third-grade teacher Molly
Speaking of elves, you can give a digital twist to Santa’s workshop like third-grade teacher Molly from Arizona did on her classroom entrance! This works great if your classroom door has a window. If not, see if you have a colleague with a window who’d enjoy this activity for both of your classes!
To recreate this door, have each student poke their head through the window and take a snapshot. The paper cutout of the elf in front of the window will make each student look like they have an elf’s body.
Letters to Santa
Enjoy the elves but not the selfies? Combine writing skills with your classroom holiday decorating this school year. Santa’s elves will love helping collect his mail from this classroom door decoration. Parents or guardians who drop in for your school’s holiday play will get a sneak peek at what their children are asking the Big Guy for this year (and not sharing!).
You will need:
- Large colored paper roll for backing
- Printable Letter to Santa writing template
- Up-cycled cardboard box for a mailbox (we used an old cereal box, some crepe paper and cotton balls!)
- Cardboard roll for a mailbox post (ours has been decorated with crepe paper and some ribbon)
- Busy Little Elves heading using our Blank Letter Cutouts
- Elves — ask your students to color these adorable Create an Elfie Selfie templates and attach a photograph of their faces! (alternatively, have students play our Roll an Elf Activity to create their own hilarious elf character)
- Green triangles to make grass
- Scrap paper snowflakes
Santa’s Workshop
Another elf theme can simply be decorating your door with the words “Santa’s Workshop” or “Santa’s Workshop: Busy Elves Inside.” Just like Santa’s elves are hard at work making toys each year, your students are hard at work finishing all their crafts, projects and assignments before winter break. Cotton balls, candy canes, teddy bears and other toys would make great decor for a workshop theme.
Santa’s Nice List
Photo courtesy of Iowa second-grade parent volunteer at St. Pius Emily Kelly
Is your class on the naughty or nice list this year? Consider Santa’s Nice List as a Christmas door theme if your school year is off to a great start.
Second-grade parent volunteer Emily Kelly helped her child’s teacher decorate this classroom door at St. Pius in Iowa for the holidays. Snowflake cutouts, Christmas trees and Santa popping out of the chimney create this cute idea with all the students’ names listed on the Nice List.
Santa’s Nice List — Reward Door
Alternatively, you can use the Santa’s nice list door decor idea as a classroom reward system!
Reward your students for making it through these past few months with something to smile about: A place on Santa’s nice list and your classroom door! Each student can write their own name on the door to make themselves feel proud of their positive behavior.
You will need:
- Christmas wrapping paper for backing
- 4 sheets of paper for Santa’s “Nice List”
- 1 length of garland large enough to frame your door
- Stars (from our Christmas Picture Templates resource).
To make Santa’s nice list, we printed a title on a plain piece of paper and stuck it to the second piece of paper end to end. We rolled up two sheets for the curly ends and with a little clear tape magic, and voila — a fun door to welcome students to the classroom for the holidays.
Fa La La La Llama
Who doesn’t love a cute llama decked out in a Santa hat? They’re all over holiday merch, so why not add it to your door this year? Combine this adorable South American animal with the Christmas carol “Deck the Halls” to create a musical Christmas classroom door.
I’ll Be Gnome For Christmas
Gnomes are always a hit for the holidays, and our Christmas Gnome Craft Template serves as a great base for an easy Christmas door themed around “I’ll Be Gnome for Christmas.”
Alternatively, you can also use our Funky Christmas Gnome craft templates so students can practice their zentangle skills.
Oh, Christmas Tree!
We’ve repurposed a number of our Christmas resources as door decorations to help you and your students dress up this jolly Christmas tree. Please note the use of the angel may not be appropriate in public schools.
You will need:
- Large colored paper roll for backing
- Green kite-shaped pieces of paper for the tree
- Gold paper star
- Student-decorated paper ornaments (print these simple ornaments here that students can take home for winter break!)
- “Gifts” for under the tree made from squares of wrapping paper and ribbons
This tree would make a great bulletin board too! Use it to gather your class’s Secret Santa gifts if you’re short on space and don’t have room for a real tree in the classroom.
Whoville
Photo courtesy of first-grade Texas teacher Connie Dorosky
The Grinch came out to play in this fun Christmas classroom door from Texas first-grade teacher Connie Dorosky. Crumpled brown paper creates a cave-like exterior with a “keep out” sign drawn onto the entrance. This is a perfect theme for all the Grinch lovers out there!
Means a Little Bit More
If you’re a Whoville and Grinch enthusiast, use a meaningful quote from the story to decorate your door: “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” Include a colored paper design of the Grinch pondering or even him holding his little dog Max.
Holiday Classroom Door Ideas
Do you want a classroom door decorating idea that’s holiday-appropriate but doesn’t scream Christmas? We’ve put together some of our favorite ideas with a focus on winter, some of the best treats of the holiday season and more!
Kindergartners are Worth Melting For
Just like Olaf thought some things are worth melting for, you may feel the same way about your class this year. Don’t teach kindergarten? No problem. Slip in your students’ grade level and make this idea your own.
A sun above a snowman? A snowman on the beach? The possibilities are endless.
We Love Reading A Latte
Photo courtesy of Texas third through fifth-grade teacher Kari Owen
Teachers + coffee = smiles and stamina, any time of year! So why not celebrate the love for this caffeinated jet fuel with a holiday-themed coffee door? Texas third-grade teacher Kari Owen did just that with her own version of the iconic red Starbucks holiday cups.
Her cup says “Starbooks” with the header “We Love Reading a Latte.” For the straw, cover a gift wrap roll with green paper and cut out some white snowflakes for the base of the cup. Cheers!
Love the coffee theme? You can also use elements from our Thanksgiving “We are Thankful for a Latte” bulletin board set, such as donuts, pumpkin spice lattes and marshmallows.
Smart Cookies Inside
Speaking of cozy drinks and wintery snacks, use a gingerbread theme to create a “Smart Cookies Inside” classroom door that’s holiday appropriate.
Print out our Funky Gingerbread template, and have each student practice their fine motor skills and zentangle patterns to create a fun version of the sugary treat to post on your door this holiday season.
Another fun gingerbread door can easily be assembled with our Roll to Create Gingerbread House or Gingerbread House craft templates.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Sleighbells ring, are you listening? A winter wonderland theme will make your door a magical entrance to the classroom. We recommend the image of a snowy path aligned with snow-covered trees leading into the distance with a paper rendition of your school.
Cute paper woodland creatures would add that much more magic to a theme like this!
Having Snow Much Fun
Want to save yourself even more time? How about setting up a holiday classroom door you don’t have to take down after winter break? Our teacher team created this idea with January and February in mind: Having Snow Much Fun works for all the winter months!
Here’s how to make it:
- Print off the snowman template from our fun snowglobes — one snowman for each student in the class.
- Add your students’ names to each snowperson.
- Make snowflakes, or print them off from our snowflake syllables resource for reading centers!
- Cover your door or bulletin board with black paper.
- Mount your words, snowpeople, and snowflakes.
- Sit back and admire a door idea that will make your classroom a welcoming space all winter long.
There’s Snow Place Like Room ___
Speaking of having “snow” much fun, this additional snow pun is a perfect wintry theme you can leave up until Valentine’s Day! Just add these words to your door, and decorate with your students’ homemade paper snowflakes. A darker background color will complete the look.
Snowman Special
Photo courtesy of middle school history teacher, Mrs. C
Remember when Olaf wanted to experience summer? Middle school teacher Stephanie let that happen with this fun classroom door display created by her students to show what would happen if snowmen hit the beach! If you live in a state with minimal to no snow, this may be the Christmas door decoration idea for you!
Oh Deer! Classroom Door Decor
We love that this classroom holiday door idea plays on the holiday spirit with a fun pun while also being inclusive of students who don’t celebrate Christmas. After all, reindeer are simply animals!
Print these fun little reindeer for an easy door set-up, add your students’ names and the words “Oh Deer,” and you’re all set! This also makes for a simple classroom bulletin board for the holidays.
Want to get your students more involved in creating the decor? Try these holly, jolly reindeer options:
- Print out a zentangle reindeer pattern craft, and have students decorate their own reindeer for the wall or door.
- Download a reindeer antler headband template, and snap a photo of each student sporting their headband to add to your decor.
Oh Deer! Winter is Here
Expand the “Oh Deer” theme to the winter months ahead with our printable “Oh Deer! Winter is Here” bulletin board set. The cutouts from this collection can easily be used on a classroom door if your bulletin board is already full for the season.
The best part about a classroom door with this theme is that you can leave it up for another month (or more!) after the holiday break.
Our Class is Snow Much Fun
If you live in a state that has a lot of snow each year, consider tying in the theme to your classroom door. How can snow be fun? You can roll a snowman, create snow forts, go sledding or catch snowflakes on your tongue. Any one of these snowy ideas could make cute classroom door decor.
Our vote? Attach a photo of each of your students to a paper cutout of someone sledding and make a giant snowy hill for them all to sled down with the words “Our Class is Snow Much Fun” at the top.
The Holidays Are Among Us
Photo courtesy of sixth-grade teacher Liz Gutierrez of Texas
This “The Holidays Are Among Us” door from sixth-grade teacher Liz Gutierrez is about as easy as it can get for classroom decorating — and it works if you’re trying to avoid the word “Christmas” to include more kiddos too! We love the little crewmates from Among Us!
Happy Llamadays
Instead of “Happy Holidays,” add in a llama for a fun and inclusive twist to make “Happy Llamadays.” You can choose to have your llama dressed in a cozy sweater, a scarf or even tangled up in holiday lights. Whatever you choose, we think the llama theme is here to stay!
Your Light Makes the Season Bright
Photo courtesy of third and fourth-grade special education teacher Ms. Melfi
New Jersey teacher Ms. Melfi shared this holiday-themed classroom door idea that’s perfect if you’re trying to steer clear of being blatantly “Christmas” to better include all students. Recreate this lit holiday door with our printable lights template!
Our Light Shines Bright
Like the adorable door above, you can include everyone by switching up your title ever so slightly to “Our Light Shines Bright.” After all, working as a class is a team effort, and everyone shines when each person does their part.
You can use this idea with Christmas lights directly on the door or make an extra glowing Christmas tree with ornaments with all your students’ faces. The star on top could have a photo of your entire class or a snapshot of your school!
We Are a Bright Bunch
Use the same lights template, and put a small twist on the classroom door with this fun idea that celebrates your students’ smarts. Use string (or cooking twine!) to create your holiday light string, and each bulb can be printed off on colored paper. You can also opt for using simple white bulbs to make this classroom door decorating idea work well beyond holiday time.
It’s Cool to Be Kind
It’s always cool to be kind, but the words work even better when you’re brainstorming wintry holiday door decorations. This idea could go any number of directions:
- Have each student create their own snowman with some cool sunglasses to attach to the door (you could also do the same with elves or penguins).
- Decorate your door with snowflakes that have handwritten compliments from your students about each other.
- Instead of a wish list for presents, have your students write a list of ways they can be kind in the new year.
Waddling Into the New Year
Reindeer and snowmen and penguins, oh my! Another easy holiday classroom door theme are penguins on ice. Use our Penguin Bulletin Board Borders to outline the edges of your door and our Penguin Banner to write the words “Waddling Into the New Year.” The penguin cut-outs below are simple and cute to decorate the rest of the door or you can alternatively use our free Funky Penguin templates to get your students involved in decorating!
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