How to Decorate a Co-Worker's Office

When your co-workers become your friends, it's only natural to want to commemorate events in their lives like birthdays, anniversaries and accomplishments. Learn how to decorate an office in a way that allows your co-worker to celebrate and still get work done amidst the festivities.

Instructions

1. Discover if there are any company policies against decorating. If your co-worker's office is visible to customers, for example, your boss might not appreciate you hanging streamers, posters and balloons regardless of the occasion.

2. Choose decorations that are appropriate for the tone of your office environment. Posters with raunchy images or banners with questionable messages may entertain you co-worker, but your boss may be less than amused. Try generic birthday, anniversary or promotion designs, instead.

3. Add color by draping streamers, strands of beads or wide ribbon around the inside of her office door and window frames. If she's celebrating a birthday, cut numbers from cardstock, attach them with ribbon and hang the strands from the ceiling or doorway.

4. Hang a poster board or piece of butcher-block paper on his wall so co-workers can stop by to add greetings and well wishes throughout the day.

5. Top her desk with cards, flowers, baskets of favorite snacks and favorite photos of the times you've shared. Add a new surprise or treat each time she leaves her office.

6. Offer to help your co-worker clean her office when the day is done. She and the janitorial staff won't appreciate having to scrape confetti off the floor or peeling tape and streamers from the walls, for example.

Tips & Warnings

• You can express humor when decorating your friend's office, but be sure the joke won't interfere with his workday. If he's got an 8 a.m. meeting, he won't appreciate the fact that you've encased his desk and office supplies in cling wrap.