So, I’m a substitute helper in a couple of daycares in my area.
I’m also a DIYer who lives for makeovers — the kind of person who sees a sad corner, an unused wall, or a glue-covered craft table and thinks, “This could be so much better.”
So when I looked around the classrooms and saw walls that had been absolutely ravaged by decades of Scotch tape “galleries,” I knew I had to come up with a better classroom display ideas.
And by “better,” I mean one that wouldn’t rip paint off like a bad wax job every time we changed out the masterpieces.
Step 1: Steal Inspiration Like a Pro
Pinterest, my old friend, did not disappoint. There it was — an image of old-school brown clipboards hung in neat rows, so artwork could be swapped in and out without removing the clipboards themselves.
Genius.
Simple.
But also… a little meh.
Amazon affiliate link to clipboards. For full Amazon affiliate disclosure, please see bottom of the page.
Because here’s the thing: No idea is truly original. We just take what already exists and “Frankenstein” it into something uniquely ours. And that’s exactly what I did.
Step 2: Do Some Math (I Know, I Hate It Too)
Most school-aged art is around 8.5″ x 11″ — unless you’ve got an overachiever who goes mural-size.
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Leave about 1″ between each piece of art.
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Multiply that by the number of little Picassos in your class.
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Divide by your wall space to figure out how many rows you’ll need so everyone gets a turn at displaying their art.
(If you just skipped over that math part, same. You’ll figure it out when you start hanging clips.)
Step 3: Build the Base
Pick up some pre-primed MDF baseboard from your local home improvement store. Cut it to length.
Slap on a coat of paint in whatever colour matches your classroom. Or don’t match at all — go bold. This is a space for displaying children’s art, not tax audits.
Step 4: Clip It, Clip It Good
Lay an 8.5″ x 11″ paper on the board and mark where your low profile clips will go. Keep that 1″ spacing between sheets. No need to leave space at the ends — let the art overhang for drama.
Pre-drill tiny holes and screw the clips in place.
Boom. You now have a functional classroom display board. But we’re not stopping there…
Step 5: Make It Adorable (Because, Obviously)
Why settle for plain when you can make your classroom display idea ridiculously cute?
I grabbed some scrap wood, cut it to about 6″ wide in various lengths, and angled one end into a point with my mitre saw.
A little paint,
a stripe of black duct tape, and suddenly — giant crayons.
Are these classroom display ideas evolving in your brain too? What else can we make, what shape, size, colours… triangles, circles, hot air balloon…
And here’s where another “evolution” happened:
Why hang crayons around the display board when you can make the crayons the display board?
Yes. A whole row of rainbow-coloured crayon-shaped boards, each holding a child’s art. Even without art, they double as wall décor.
Step 6: Take It One Step Further (Because I Can’t Help Myself)
Just before I ran out of classrooms to install these in (yes, I have a problem), I decided to try a pencil crayon version of my classroom display idea.
These were made from 2″x4″ wood, but I ran the length of them over the bevel on my table saw to give that No.2 pencil shape. The points were cut on the mitre saw, but then I went over (and over, and over, and over) them with the sander to round the tips to more of a sharpened pencil look.
Cover the area you don’t want painted with painter’s tape and give them a couple/few coats of spray paint.
Spoiler alert: The pencil crayon design became my favourite. It’s bright, it’s whimsical, and it makes displaying children’s art a statement feature in the classroom.
Why These Classroom Display Ideas Rock:
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No tape. No wall damage.
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Quick swap-out — no need to rehang frames or fight with push pins.
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Cute even when empty — the crayons/pencils are part of the décor.
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Inspires kids — they love seeing their work on a real “gallery wall.”
So, whether you’re a teacher, a daycare helper, or a parent looking to level-up your art corner at home, this classroom display idea is a fun, inexpensive, and Pinterest-worthy way to start displaying children’s art without wrecking your walls.
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