Traditional paper borders in school colors can be a thing of the past with options like using Christmas lights or even the pages of an old book. Christmas lights in your school colors, or even multi-colored or white strands if that's not an option, will catch attention and add to the festive feeling of Homecoming in a unique way. Another non-traditional border idea is the use of book pages or school newspaper pages to line the Homecoming display. Some options to pull from well worn and well loved books can include old yearbook pages (if there are enough extras to use) or even pages from books that may be loosely related to school mascots, such as "The Odyssey" if the school mascot is a greek warrior.
One unique idea for a Homecoming bulletin board is to use photos from "then" and "now." Since Homecoming is a celebration of the history and current achievements of the school, and alumni are often welcomed back to celebrate and reminisce, a series of photos from decades past leading into the present allows both alumni and current students to bask in the pride of the school. Picture comparisons are also enjoyable and interesting. For instance, juxtaposing older and newer photos of teachers, past Homecoming events or school grounds will draw people to the board and help stir excitement for the event.
Bulletin boards don't need to be decorated with just flat two-dimensional paper. Fabric backgrounds or found objects can add eye-catching textures to the board decorations. For example, since Homecoming often occurs in autumn, consider using real fall leaves to decorate the board. Another option to create a sense of texture is turning foil muffin cups inside out and stapling them to the board. Blue cups work well to create a three dimensional illusion of water for your display.
Instead of generic sayings about school spirit, personalize the board with meaningful words from students. Either allow students to choose their favorite inspirational quotes or make up their own based around a theme of your choice. For example, you can choose the theme of pride in relation to school pride and allow students to research quotes on pride or write their own and use their choices to decorate the board. These words will allow the students to feel a sense of cooperation and inclusion in the Homecoming celebration far more than a more generic saying chosen without their input.