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    Home » Vintage

    Back To School Home Decor Ideas

    Published by Pam Kessler | 490 words. · About 3 minutes to read this article. - 20 Comments

    Once the kids start going back to school around here, I start getting an itch to get the fall home decor out.

    But it really is a wee bit early for the pumpkins and owls to be making an appearance, so I decided to go with a back to school theme.

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    Top 5 Items To Use In A Back To School Vignette

    • lunchboxes and thermoses
    • chalkboards
    • flash cards
    • yellow number 2 pencils (is there a #3 pencil?)
    • books

    This is on the shelves in my living room that I put up to "conceal" my lovely HVAC vent.
    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    The last time you saw them they were sporting a summer theme with my DIY Nautical Patriotic Banner.

    A super easy DIY patriotic banner tutorial. Anchors, flags and sailboats combine for a nautical Fourth Of July home decor style or any patriotic holiday.

    Now it's been a LONG time since I've been back to school, but I assume they still have chalkboards in the classroom.

    Or is all done on fancy Smart Boards now?

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    Kids nowadays will miss out on all the fun of cleaning erasers for the teacher.

    Of course my handy dandy plaid school lunchbox had to be in the vignette.

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    I had grandiose delusions of drawing a map of the United States on this chalkboard, but opted for taking the easy way out and hanging some flashcards from an old measuring tape instead.

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    This is the rest of the area. Darn HVAC vent!

    (You can see what this area looks like now in my Colorful Summer Home Tour post from 2020).

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    Why yes, I do have a Skotch Kooler in my living room! That's probably more summery than fallish, but it's plaid, so it stays.

    And actually, it was part of my Vintage, Rusic, Industrial Holiday House Tour last year too. I make my thrift store finds work overtime for me.

    Yesterday when I was putting this together, I posted a photo on Instagram and Facebook asking for people's thoughts because I was sort of stuck.

    I had gathered the lunchbox, pencils and a few other things, but it seemed to be missing something.

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    So I asked and I received so many good suggestions. A couple weird ones (it is the internet after all), but tons of great ideas!

    I ended up adding an apple (fake) on top of the wooden chalk box and some more books to the chalkboard side of it.

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!

    I would have loved to add a globe, since that was a popular suggestion, but my globe was way too big.

    And believe it or not, I only have one globe. What is wrong with me?

    So my tip of the day is if you are stuck and can't figure out why something doesn't quite work, just ask the internet. They'll tell you.

    Update:  A globe has been acquired!!!

    Back to school vignette with a vintage globe and plaid lunchbox

    What's your favorite way to decorate this time of year to fill in the awkward gap between summer and fall home decor?

    Or do you just go straight to pumpkin town?

    A back to school theme is the perfect way to bridge the gap between summer and fall home decor. When it seems like it is just too soon for pumpkins or owls!


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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. [email protected] Stroll Thru Life

      August 16, 2015 at 8:54 am

      I love it. How fun and what a creative vignette. I think it is perfect.

      Reply
    2. Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces

      August 16, 2015 at 9:16 am

      This is so fun for early fall! I've started flipping my decor over to fall with color changes...we already have ripe apples and orange Chinese Lanterns in the garden...so it is TIME.

      Reply
      • Kirby Carespodi

        August 16, 2015 at 9:35 am

        I'm sorry, but my suggestion of wine was not "weird." Believe me, we teachers go thru a gallon of the stuff a week. So maybe the bottle should be empty. *sigh* Four more years!

        Reply
        • Pam

          August 16, 2015 at 11:13 am

          Hey, that one actually made sense. Wine makes the world go around 🙂 How about a wine bottle on top of the globe???

          Reply
    3. Kim Kenward

      August 16, 2015 at 9:41 am

      As much as I hate to see anything related to school (and I work in academia at a university) this is brilliant. I'm going to borrow the flash card bunting idea for my fireplace mantle.

      Reply
    4. sue

      August 16, 2015 at 12:23 pm

      Ugh to the back to school decor since I teach and hate to see the summer end. Yeah, I'm greedy, I admit it! More, more said the baby! Chalkboards? Hah, hah, white boards and interactive boards to use with a computer, more likely.

      Hey, what about trying to stencil something onto those vents? I know part of you wants them to blend in...but they are vents and they really can't go away. So, I was thinkin' and I thought symbols for the four seasons, sun, leaf, flower, snowflake...or something. That's a first thought, perhaps others have some ideas, too.
      Initials? A saying, like, PEACE or LOVE?

      Hmmm, what think thee?

      Reply
      • Pam

        August 16, 2015 at 8:31 pm

        Stencils sound interesting! I went for YEARS without ever decorating that wall because I just wanted to not draw attention to that vent in any way. And then I decided to just ignore it. So now it's time to pretty it up a bit!

        Reply
    5. stephanie

      August 16, 2015 at 1:39 pm

      It is SO cute, I was so excited to see that scotch kooler used in a fall vignette, I have one too that I use on my front porch but could never make the plaid work for a summer vignette so planned on using in for fall along with a vintage plaid thermos. Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
    6. Michele @ The Vintage Vixen

      August 16, 2015 at 2:20 pm

      I love your back to school vignettes!!! I decorate for fall right after Labor Day. It's my favorite time of year so I extend it any way I can!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
    7. Morning Waters

      August 16, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      I had that same plaid lunch box when I was a child and recently found another one on Ebay with the thermos! Its now plays a part when I dress up our vintage travel trailer. I always get requests to sell it when we go to the vintage trailer rallies. Sorry its NFS ; > }

      Reply
      • Pam

        August 16, 2015 at 8:29 pm

        Yay for the thermos!!! I've found a few more of those plaid lunchboxes at yard sales and they never have the thermos in them. I guess they must have broken easily back then!

        Reply
    8. Brenda Kula-Pruitt

      August 16, 2015 at 5:07 pm

      Every day, I wake up and tell myself that I'm going to get a lot done in here. Then suddenly it's the end of the day, and nothing got done. (Is there a way for you to increase this font? I can't hardly read what I'm typing!) Why do builders put those vents in the stupidest of places? They're probably laughing all the way to the bank. And I wanted you to know that every time I see a plaid school lunch box, I think of you.
      Brenda

      Reply
      • Pam

        August 16, 2015 at 8:27 pm

        I keep changing the font and it keeps changing right back!!! I'm going to have someone look at my blog this week and do a little bit of "tech" work, so I'll see if they can fix it for good.

        Reply
    9. Melissa's Antiques

      August 17, 2015 at 9:54 am

      First of all, let me compliment you on your writing style. I love how it feels like you're talking directly to me. And some of your remarks truly crack me up -- A girl after my own heart! Your vignettes are beautiful. I have a few in my house and I honestly don't really change them. I may add a piece here or there or some tinsel and ornaments at Christmas... but that's about it. I'm pretty lazy with my home decor. 😉

      Reply
    10. melinda

      August 17, 2015 at 6:38 pm

      How cute is this. Whyvdid I nkt think of something
      like this? I gues I am so busy "going back" that it didn't
      cross my mind.
      I think you should add some crayons too. 🙂

      When does your son return to school?

      M : )

      Reply
    11. melinda

      August 17, 2015 at 6:40 pm

      Apparently I can't spell either or it is my
      Kindle's fault.

      M : )

      Reply
    12. Erica

      August 18, 2015 at 10:11 am

      This is the cutest idea! I still have my 4th of July stuff up 🙂 It's been a really busy summer and who says you can't be patriotic year round?

      That Skotch cooler fits in perfect! I see those in a lot of tailgating pics on Pinterest.

      ~Erica

      Reply
    13. Emily @ Two Purple Couches

      August 18, 2015 at 4:06 pm

      I struggle with the in-between seasons decorating dilemma, too. I love this back-to-school idea, especially the measuring tape monogram! Did you make that or find it somewhere? Very cool!

      Reply
    14. Susanna-Cole King

      August 28, 2015 at 1:24 pm

      I'm belated I know, but I love this! But seriously, if you were a teacher, I'm sure you'd have the best decorated classroom. Also, I hope your poor arm is feeling better! I broke my arm about the same, when I was 7, which was really just the beginning of a long stream of clumsy injuries for me, haha.

      Reply
      • Pam

        August 28, 2015 at 4:46 pm

        Ah, thanks! It is feeling better now. Now that I can move my fingers a little bit, I don't feel so helpless too so that helps.

        Reply

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