How to Decorate Church Bulletin Boards

Bulletin boards are a great way to communicate a theme.

Decorative church bulletin boards communicate a mission statement, seasonal theme or lesson in a colorful and creative way. Provocative and eye-catching bulletin boards enhance the learning environment and focus attention on the life of the church. Teachers and church leaders can easily create compelling bulletin boards by following simple steps.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Large rolls of paper or wrapping paper
• Construction paper
• Stapler
• Glue
• Die-cut press or stencils
• Borders

1. Large rolls of paper in multiple colors work best as background. Red Gift Wrapping Paper image by Stacey Alexander from Fotolia.com

   Line the board with a solid color paper. Purchase large rolls from a school supply store or catalog. Staple wrapping paper onto the board for a special effect. Recycle large pieces of fabric that can be stapled onto the cork and re-used. Plan your strategy in terms of contrast; darker papers require lighter letters and figures, but if figures work better in silhouette, use lighter paper.

2. Purchase pre-made borders. warm border image by Attila Toro from Fotolia.com

   Purchase pre-made borders from a school supply store and keep on hand. Stock seasonal borders, borders with music notes, butterflies, flowers and solids. Attach borders to the frame with masking tape for easy removal. Make your own borders by cutting four strips of paper with a wavy edge and attach directly to the frame.

3. Use a die-cut or stick on letters. love golden letters background image by ennavanduinen from Fotolia.com

   Cut letters from a die-cut machine or purchase stick-on letters. Print out your own letters onto colored paper and cut out. Staple letters onto the paper-lined board. Make headlines large enough to be read from a distance. Create eye-catching and thought provoking titles. Turn a sentence into a question for greater impact. For example, an Epiphany bulletin board featuring the star of Bethlehem could ask the reader, "Do You Follow the Star?"

4. Cut figures from construction paper. paper samples for business cards image by Adam Radosavljevic from Fotolia.com

   Cut primary figures and objects from construction paper and staple or glue onto the board. Create landscapes, people, animals and flowers from items such as cotton balls, pipe cleaners, cup cake papers, Easter basket grass or sandpaper. Include three-dimensional objects when possible. For example, a bulletin board featuring the gifts of the Wise Men can have three-dimensional gift boxes stapled onto the board instead of a flat picture of a present with the title "What Gift Will You Bring Jesus This Christmas?".

5. Embellish with stickers, beads and sequins. craft a card! image by Shirley Hirst from Fotolia.com

   Embellish the board with stickers, buttons, ribbons, metallic accents and stamps. Feature pictures of the students, mission trips, handprints or footprints to personalize the bulletin board.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep bulletin board supplies in see-through plastic containers.

• Change the boards often, especially before each season; don't leave Christmas messages up until Easter.

References

• Boards Galore
• Bulletin Board Backgrounds and Borders

Resources

• Fresh Ideas for Sunday School Bulletin Boards