Last school year, Woodstock Union High School senior Abby Kaija came up with a unique way of decorating her locker. Since she didn’t use it very much, she turned it into a Little Free Library. This allowed other students to “take a book—return a book” whenever they wished.       

Principal Garon Smail says, “Abby came to me and said she wasn’t using the locker, and since she was excited about the Little Free Library idea, I encouraged her to do it. It was a good way to repurpose that space.”

Principal Smail also notes that there has been a decline in locker use from years past, primarily because most students keep their stuff with them in backpacks and book bags. However, he adds, “Lockers are still used as meeting places, a gathering point where students want to meet up with their friends.”

If you’re a student who wants to use your locker, there are ways to dress it up to fit your style. First, some locker don’ts. The principal says everyone’s heard about the forgotten sandwich in the locker that begins to smell after a certain time. “It is the students’ responsibility to maintain their lockers and keep them clean. It’s a space you’re allowed to use as a privilege. It’s still school property.”

When you get your locker, start by stocking it with these must-haves:

Once you have the basics lined up, you can concentrate on the extras—decorations! There are a lot of ways to make your locker fit your style and be a fun place to stop between classes. It just takes a little planning.

Magnets are a must-have for locker decorating. You can stick them to photos and anything else you want to hang up with a hot glue gun or superglue. You can also buy magnets that already have sticky glue on the back, ready to attach to whatever you want.

Some handy items to hang on the inside of your locker door include a dry-erase board and a mirror. A pen and pencil holder is another good idea, as are magnets with clips so you can hang worksheets, homework reminders, etc. And don’t forget to hang a few favorite photos. You can buy frames with magnets already attached or add some to a favorite frame, as long as it’s lightweight and has no glass. 

Want to go over the top? A big trend this year is locker wallpaper. You can buy ready-made locker wallpaper or put magnets on the back of some favorite wrapping paper. How about a locker light? Some are even made with motion sensors so they turn on when you open the door. (Some even look like fancy chandeliers!) Or you can add magnets to one of the push-on type lights and attach it to the ceiling of your locker.

Principal Garon Smail says to consider this: “If when you remove it at the end of the year, it will cause damage to the locker, don’t do it. You need to be able to remove it all at the end of the school year."