Classroom

Door decorating contests are a December tradition in offices, schools and dorms, and searches for ideas are up sharply this month. A good contest door is bold enough to read from down the hall, and simple enough to put up in an afternoon. Before you start Measure the door. Most interior doors are 30 to 36 inches wide and 80 inches tall. Ask what you can stick to it. Many places don’t allow tape on painted doors. Painter’s tape or washi tape (on Amazon) is usually safe; packing tape often pulls paint off. Ask about fire rules. Some buildings don’t allow paper covering the whole door, or anything near the handle. The easiest winner: wrap it like a present Cover the door in wrapping paper or kraft paper (on Amazon), then add a giant ribbon cross and a big bow. A wide wired ribbon (on Amazon) holds its shape. Add a gift tag with the team’s name. ...