Decorating a classroom could easily cost a small fortune, and most people agree that a teacher's salary, while it might be small, isn't exactly a fortune. Use these classroom ideas to come up with your own unique decorating scheme to welcome kids this year.

Getting Free Materials from Publishers
Your textbook publishers may have free educational posters and bulletin board items that correspond with what you'll be teaching this year. Ask your office clerk if there's a box of posters sitting around somewhere and finally call the publisher, or email them, and ask if they would please send you a few. Sometimes they will do this at no cost, other times they will ask you to pay shipping and handling.

Children's book publishers are often just as generous with their materials. Scholastic will send posters matching the book covers of popular books. If you sign up to distribute Scholastic fliers to your students, the company will send you promotional materials and you can even spend a percentage of the "sales" on classroom items, like books, posters, stickers and even electronics.

Classroom Theme
Having a classroom theme is great for subject-specific teachers. A geography or social studies teacher, for example, might stop off at a travel agency and pick of complimentary travel brochures and maps. Let them know you're a teacher and they might even be willing to save promotional posters throughout the year for your classroom decor. Be sure to thank them in your notes to the parents, in case ine of them happens to be looking to schedule a trip.

Free Classroom Items from the U.S.Government
The Federal Citizen Information Center offers several posters, click on the "free resources" tab. The National Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities will create posters for the purpose of spreading positive messages about learning and distribute them to teachers for free for decorating a classroom.

No matter what your classroom theme is, you can find thrifty classroom decorating ideas all year long. Make a constant effort to pay attention to free educational materials. Be imaginative, you can use promotional pamphlets and posters to stretch your classroom decor dollars.