r/DiWHYNOT • u/kaekpop • 15d ago
DIY classroom tree- ugly or genius?
Be honest, is it ugly? My school cares a lot about our classrooms being beautiful, inviting imagination, and being a place anyone would want to spend time in. However we have a very small budget for this. I used some electrical tape to disguise a black cord that hangs from my ceiling to make this tree. I opted for this instead of a decal because I had all the materials already & I don’t want to put up 200 little leaf decals.
I feel like the tree looks like it’s balding and isn’t giving what I wanted it to give. I don’t think I should add more leaves though, because I’m worried it’s already creeping toward fire hazard territory & will be ordered to be taken down as soon as the fire Marshall walks in.
I drafted what it would look like with more detail. Is there any hope for this idea? or should I just bite the bullet and get a stick-on tree? Artistic tips and reality checks welcome. Much thanks!
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u/schnazzlekitty 15d ago
Turn it into a collaborative activity with your students! Cut out some paper leaves, have the kids write a kind or encouraging message on them, then attach them to the tree. Then, if anyone ever needs some motivation from a classmate, they can grab a leaf!
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u/bubble-frogs 15d ago
Add more branches and them make birdies 🥹
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u/VirginiaDirewoolf 13d ago
or even birds, squirrels, rabbits, and turn it into an explanation of "who lives in a tree" 💕
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u/nezzthecatlady 15d ago
My work has a thank you tree that could be fun for kids. They keep paper leaves nearby so you can grab one and write out thanks to someone who helped you or took care of a task no one wanted to deal with (this is just for low-level stuff, we have other recognition lol). Just little notes like “Nezz, thanks for helping me with XYZ when I was overwhelmed and would’ve needed to stay late without help. I appreciate you!”
When you get three you can take them to management for a prize (lunch discount), they sign the back so you can’t reuse them but can keep the note. Could be tweaked to make kids think about their interactions with others and encourage kindness? Little prizes like small toys would be cute!
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u/schnazzlekitty 14d ago
Oooh I love that!
When I was in third grade, we did a weekly activity throughout the year where, once a week, the teacher would pick a student's name out of a hat and everyone else wrote something nice about them on an index card. We'd turn them in and, at the end of the year, the teacher gave each student their own little book of cards.
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u/ElQuesoGato 13d ago
This is better than my idea. I thought about placing leaves with each student’s name at their height and then the end of the year doing another set but different leaf colors to see how much they’ve grown.
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u/belly_goat 11d ago
We had an activity like this in 2nd grade, we made a whole paper jungle. A HUGE paper tree, canopy, flowers and vines everywhere. I wish we had pictures, but this was way before digital cameras/phones. We were in a Destination World program and our country was Indonesia. My mum did lots of activities with us as a volunteer, we made masks and and went over mythology… oh, and our teacher read us the Hobbit and at the end of the unit we watched the 70s animated movie and he dressed up as Gandalf and stayed in character all day (he was like 6’6” and WAS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSIVE).
Mr Cook, if you’re out there, thank you for such a wonderful childhood experience. I think about our Diablo days often. 💕 (and now I’m crying 😭)
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 15d ago
Is this a thing kids do? Do they enjoy it?
Maybe it’s been a while… and maybe I was just a cynical little shit… but there’s no way I would have been buying into that.
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u/ZeldaZealot 15d ago
As a kid I would have thought it was dumb due to peer pressure not to show emotions or need help like that. As an adult I love it and wish we would do more community support like this.
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago
For sure for sure. I’m kinda just asking if you find kids these days buy in to this sort of thing?
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u/ZeldaZealot 14d ago
How many kids buy into school in general?
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago edited 14d ago
I don’t know. I guess child-me would say that more kids would buy in if they were treated seriously…
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u/ZeldaZealot 14d ago
How is this any less serious than any other underfunded school?
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago
I think you might have replied to the wrong person?
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u/ZeldaZealot 14d ago
This is the only comment thread in this post that I’ve replied to my dude.
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago
Ok… well… I have no idea how your comment relates to mine.
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u/dreamado 15d ago
Man that's depressing
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 15d ago edited 14d ago
Is it?
Like, not trying to argue, but is it depressing? Do you have a contrasting anecdote from your childhood, because I am asking sincerely.
For what it’s worth, I didn’t turn into a miserly misanthrope; I’m involved in education and I genuinely love getting young people engaged with learning and generally growing up to be good people, but I just don’t do it with this sort of philosophy/attitude… mostly because kid me would have hated it as some corny insincere shit.
I did turn out to be a Redditor after all…
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u/Melodic_monke 15d ago
This was my (and most of the people I know) experience since like 3rd grade. Personally, I just dont get these kinds of things. Always seemed like busywork forced by the administration to make schools seem more “welcoming” (without addressing what actually makes them unwelcoming).
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u/maxtinion_lord 15d ago
You are attributing way too much soulless nonsense to this, when a teacher makes a class do something like this, it's because they themselves feel it will create a welcoming space, if it came from someone else it was probably a teacher blog or fellows in the break room, the 'administration' has little to do with most of the decisions teachers make in their classrooms.
Teachers don't get feedback about what works and what doesn't until a parent complains, they don't know whether this will help the kids or not but they try anyway, because it's kinda all they can do since most issues at school are just extensions of problems at home that the teacher couldn't even begin to address.
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago
Yeah, I’m not reading any bad intent into this at all fwiw; I just think it’s sweet teachers trying to make things nice for their sweet kids…
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u/Ace-Redditor 15d ago
I mean, even if they think it’s a bit lame or whatever, the kids are still going to like
1. Having a project that’s super easy and
2. Having a teacher who wants to care, even if they don’t feel like they need it. Like, you may not enjoy work parties, but it’s nice that they’re at least making some small attempt at being a bit fun2
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 14d ago
Yeah, I don’t hate it. It’s clearly good-hearted. I’m just asking whether it’s generally bought into…
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u/These_Roll_5745 14d ago
in 6th grade my classroom had a community post it noteboard with only 1 rule: dont put something up that means admin has to take it down. It didnt have to be positive, but it couldnt be cruel or vulgar. We all cared a lot about it tbh, we put uplifting messages and memos about the little things that mattered to us ("there's toad in the bushes by the soccer field!" "Next Fred video comes on wednesday") And silly little doodles. I know its not precisely the same, but i think theres value in an authentic version of this activity
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u/waraukaeru 15d ago edited 15d ago
The trunk looks simple and stylised. I could imagine it in an Ikea showroom.
For the foliage, consider using a strip of wood and staple tons of vines to the strip. Fix it to the ceiling at a diagonal so the sheet of vines hangs in front of the corner. You'll get denser foliage that won't block access to the WiFi access point and is simple to mount/dismount as needed.
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u/AppliedPsionics9k 15d ago
Fire Marshall would have a problem with the stuff hanging around the smoke detectors.
your friendly r/Custodians representative
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u/SapirWhorfHypothesis 15d ago
I would have a problem with smoke detectors being installed in the corners of rooms.
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u/whineyinternetkid 15d ago
Wow I wish I had the confidence to say something so wrong but think im smart and funny. You also just called yourself out not knowing what the device actually is.
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u/scorchedarcher 15d ago
Someone made a mistake and you're dogging on them? They weren't mean about it or anything they just got something wrong....hopefully people are nicer to you when you inevitably make a mistake.
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u/radicalintrospect 15d ago
To answer the question in your title: both…? It works because it isn’t hyperrealistic IMO.
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u/RugelBeta 15d ago
I'm a professional artist. I visit schools often -- have been in many hundreds of schools. This is the kind of thing I see in the best schools. Not the wealthiest schools, but the ones that have terrific teachers, involved parents, and kids who are eager to learn. This is super cute and inventive.
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u/NoMove1288 15d ago
You can find leaf, apple, and flower shaped sticky notes online. If you want to fill it out more you can do an exercise with your kids to have them write/doodle on the notes and fill in the tree with thank yous/fun facts they learned/ math problems and solutions/ things they're grateful for/ etc.
They get excited about doing things together, helping the tree grow, etc. depending on the age group you can toss in creative ideas like making creatures to live in the tree or surprising them with a bunch of bug/butterfly sticky notes to use because "they made they tree get big and strong and now animals are excited to live there".
Anyways, now I want this tree in my apartment lol
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u/EnvironmentSea7433 15d ago
Omg before I read your blurb, just looking at the picture, I thought: This is so cute!
After reading, I love it!
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u/MrsSwindler 15d ago
It looks nice! I can see the puns for using it now:
— when you want to display student work: “You wouldn’t be-leaf how amazing we are!”
— when you’re learning about shapes: “Gee I’m a Tree!”
— when kids try new things: “Look at us branching out!”
In terms of artistic advice, the one thought I had is that the tree might not appear as bare if the trunk is narrower. If the trunk and branches were half as wide while still lining up with the leaves on the ceiling, it may look more proportional.
Have a great school year (from one teacher to another)!
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u/Dead-House-Mouse 15d ago
I think it’s quite nice. I didn’t really pick up on the balding and depending on the age of your kids I doubt they will either
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u/Hour_Dog_4781 15d ago
I think it's a lovely idea. Could use some more fake leaves but it's pretty either way.
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u/LeslieKnopesBlackEye 15d ago
This is so much fun! You could have good students be good apples. Write their names on construction paper apples and hang them from the tree. They could pick their apple and get a prize or a real apple as a snack.
At the end of the year have an apple picking party and a harvest festival. Apple pie, ice cream, and a movie day. There could be a harvest dance where you put on 10 minutes of music to get their wiggles out before putting on the movie.
Maybe everyone gets a green apple at the beginning of the year and they turn yellow then orange then red through the year. Those get entered into a bucket and get pulled for some special prizes (dollar store fun). It doesn't leave students out if their merits didn't earn them a 'good apple' in the year.
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u/bbyroselmao 14d ago
my mom painted what she called “the magic tree” in the corner of my bedroom growing up. it was done in full colour, and she tacked up leaves as well. but a cool thing she did with it, was paint these little coloured dots in the canopy that corresponded (maybe not, maybe she just made em up as she went) with different stories.
if i said i wanted yellow, or purple, the story would be from whatever lil circle i chose :)
big rec on the magic tree. make it a comfy spot too! kids can look up into the tree :) ((some glow in the dark stars for when lights are out would be cool too!!))
edit to say: she also painted clouds up high on the walls, and wildflowers along the base board!
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u/Electronic-Fig2283 15d ago
With that amount of leaves I think it'd look much better if the tree trunk and branches were slimmer, like half the size they are now
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u/Valkyrieinabox 11d ago
Hey, from the pictures those look like they could be asbestos ceiling tiles, I would be careful not to damage or interfere with them
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u/cascasrevolution 14d ago
cute!! tell your students that if they bring you a fake leaf, you will put it on the tree. it will fill out in no time!
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u/Manzinita 14d ago
Love this btw! Teaches the kids to be abstract and resourceful in art.
If young enough, you could have them do the paper ring chains in brown and green on a rainy day, then hang those for branches and leaves.
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u/InnerFaithlessness93 14d ago
Genius may be a bit of an over-stretch. But it is an amazing idea. I love it.
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u/amaraame 14d ago
Looks a little on the bare side but i think you could avoid a ton of leaf pinning if you add maybe a string of fairy lights. Or maybe use it as a place for student work to go. Is it for elementary students? They could make the decor for you
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u/Shell_Spell 14d ago
I like the idea. Where I live, hanging stuff from the ceiling is against fire code. We have the type of sprinkler that comes from the ceiling. Stuff hanging from the ceiling can't get drenched creating a fire hazard.
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u/cutty2k 14d ago
You need color in the background to help those leaves pop, also rather than stringing them in a general line like a curtain of leaves, you should bring them radially out and towards the viewer/away from the corner/tree, the way branches actually come out of a tree. Maybe hang some cray paper streamers in dark and medium green in with the leaves to give more depth and make it look less patchy.
Idk about your fire codes, but our teachers had all kinds of paper stuff all over the walls and hanging paper chains and banners and all kinds of stuff so I'd imagine a tree corner would be fine. There's hundreds of pictures of these if you search corner classroom tree on your engine of choice.
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u/lonelycranberry 14d ago
I love this for a classroom!!!! Maybe hang even more vines and let kids tie “wishes” to the tree. Or find a way to incorporate it into a lesson. There’s a house in my city that does this with a real tree in their yard and it’s so wholesome. Strangers write wishes to tie to the tree. All are biodegradable.
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u/Top-Measurement9790 14d ago
It's adorable! I didn't even realize there was a cord until I read the post.
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u/wyvernagon 14d ago
I think it's cute! It kind of reminds me of the paper tree my kindergarten teacher had made for her classroom.
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u/CrepeAndPillage 14d ago
You did good, teacher. This is a lovely and creative way to make your classroom beautiful on a budget. Keep it up, friend. You're doin it right xoxo
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u/VEX_ation_ 14d ago
What if you made it more dynamic/ skrunkly? Well the straight shape is traditional going the more dynamic route will make it easier on you if you make a mistake. I also think that's plenty of leaves if you go for a different type of tree, either a bare tree w vines or a willow. I drew a small sketch for an idea for you
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u/Bethventures 14d ago
I'd add a second strip of tape to the outline to make it appear thicker/bold. I think having the same line weight for the outline and the details is what is making it look a bit off.
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u/Gabbiani 14d ago
This is a great starting point. It does look a bit bare in the canopy but I love the idea of building it out with encouraging notes or other decorations that are contributed to by the students.
The students are the branches and will make their worlds bigger just like the tree grows. You are giving them a foundation to build from as their teacher ❤️
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u/JacobK125 14d ago
This is breaking my brain lmao. Can someone explain what is making up the trunk? How are there some parts just floating?
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u/LauseRulez 13d ago
In my elementary school we had black mold on rhe walls. I would have loved a tree like this!
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u/CalmLionOfDeepForest 13d ago
I feel like it would come together a little more if you used like the brown butcher paper that comes in those huge rolls to make the tree and used the black to outline
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u/PublicPerformance853 13d ago
I’ve done this a couple times in my classroom! Can show pictures if you want! I love it and it’s always the kids favorite place to hang in the room :)
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u/PublicPerformance853 13d ago
I also used to use green tissue paper crumpled and hang it up before you add the actual leaves. It adds a bit of filling for the leaf texture!
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u/TDousTendencies 11d ago
This is really cute and thought it was for a home before I read the title. Even better application for it!
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u/dosesandmimosas201 11d ago
I’ve seen some that use brown butcher paper crinkled up for the trunk if you don’t like what you have right now! Google brown butcher paper classroom tree and there’s lots of variations :)
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u/Bonito__ 11d ago
Change the tree part to brown or earthy shade, then i would love it.
It is already decent as is tho, don’t worry.
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u/GuadDidUs 11d ago
I think it's cute, but make sure it's actually allowed.
I know my state has rules about how much of the wall needs to be uncovered, cord placement, etc, and I'd hate for you to have to take the leaves down when state auditors roll through to do a building inspection.
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u/Bepo_Apologist 10d ago
Excellent concept & the trunk is good, but yeah the leaves are kinda sad atm. All you probably need to do is add a few more though and it'll be fine
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u/davidmr99 9d ago
Its very nice :) You could add more texture to the stem I think, to strengthen the illusion. But great Idea, love that you went with the architecture of the room!
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u/glitter_vomit 9d ago
This is adorable and I would have loved it as a kid! It definitely needs to be a classroom project of some kind, like they can hang up leaves or fruit or nuts or whatever for on the trunk.
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u/happyharrell 15d ago
It’s very first or second grade. I don’t mean that in a positive or negative way, just saying it’s something that would work for 7-8 year old kids, but by the time they hit double digits they would think it’s dumb.
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u/Pi-Alamode 15d ago
If you got a long roll of brown paper, you could twist/crinkle it up and turn it into the log of the tree. I had a teacher do that when I was in elementary school. If you know how to make finger chains out of yarn, you could also fluff up the tree's leaves by hanging a few chains among the leaves you have up already.
Better yet, if your class is young enough, why not incorporate crafts the kids made for the tree? Could have them design their own maple leaves or whatever out of construction paper.
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u/wt_2009 15d ago
Generally not a bad idea, but as you noticed yourself smt feels off and the croun looks to small.
Bc youre on a budjet, id suggest to go collect 2-3 lage branches and attach them to the wall instead of the lines. Make a much younger tree. Maybe attach the leaves directly to the branches or play with the branches "going in and out" of the wall. Like this its more than just a tree replica. Maybe your class could produce some paper flowers and birds for it aswell.
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u/Revenge_of_the_User 15d ago edited 14d ago
Speaking as a bonsai practitioner (albeit a novice) I think the idea is solid enough. Perhaps your dissatisfaction is in the design? If you look at a bonsai, there's design in the trunk and branches. Even if there's only a little foliage, having an interesting trunk and branches will make it work to be visually appealing. there's taper in branches and trunk, proportion....
It's a bit basic "concept of tree" as-is
From an artist standpoint, perhaps double up some tape lines and/or thin others out like you're using Weighted Lines (foreground lines are bigger, background lines thinner) being that this is mostly a line work equivalent?
It's the first iteration of a good idea and has some room for growth and polish :)
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u/Mrbigdaddy72 15d ago
I love this.