How to Decorate a School Locker for a Birthday

Last Updated: November 13, 2021

Decorating a friend's locker for their birthday has been a tradition throughout US high schools for years - it's a fun and creative way to share memories with them and show them you care! And once you help decorate someone's locker, you can expect them to do the same for you!

Steps

1
Ask your school about rules for locker decorating. You wouldn't want to start decorating just to find out that it's forbidden. Are you only allowed to decorate the outside of your friend's locker? Only the inside? Find out about all rules so that you can't get into trouble.
2
Make sure you've got the right locker number and the right day. These would be big mistakes if these were not correct.

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3
Discuss the plan with some other friends. You could do this by yourself, but the more the merrier! Plan out when you will decorate the locker,(before school, between classes, etc.) and what supplies you will need.
4
Meet at the allotted time, and start your decorating. This would probably after or before school.
5
Cover the locker with wrapping paper! Add ribbons, pictures and other things you know your friend likes! Be sure to use bright happy wrapping paper because remember, it's their special day! Also don't forget tape.
6
Decide if you want to be at the locker when your friend arrives. Just remember that if you aren't there, it will keep the friend in suspense as to who decorated the locker. If you are at the locker, the surprise might be ruined, because your friend will see the crowd.
7
Make signs on your computer and print them out.
8
Tape candy to their locker (or leave it on the floor next to their locker).
9
Make a lot so that your friends locker is almost completely covered. You might also want to just put colorful sticky notes on it for brightness.
10
When your friend comes by, try to act as natural as you could. Hopefully your friend will be happy when he opens the locker.

Community Q&A

Question

What should I get for the candy?

Community Answer

Whatever your friend likes or whatever you feel like. I like hard candies since they are easier to tape, but even gummy candy (in a packet) would do. I'd stay away from chocolate bars, as the chocolate would melt, and I'd also avoid big packets of candy as they can be too heavy for the tape to hold. Either way, just make sure to put something your friend likes.
Question

If my friend's birthday is over the weekend, should I decorate their locker on Friday or Monday?

Community Answer

On Friday. If they won't see it until Monday, just make sure you don't put anything inside that will rot.
Question

What if you have very few things to put on her locker and you can't buy them in time?

Community Answer

Decorate the locker using creativity. Draw or paint a sign. Paint and cut out a grenade and write "You're the bomb!" Look around your house to see if theere are some leftover balloons or crepe paper from a party. If not, use paint, glue, and paper to make a paper-ring garland or fringe. Use sticky notes in different colors with fun sayings on them.

Warnings

Be sure to take notice of what your friend says in the few days before their birthday. If they drop hints that they'd rather not have their locker decorated, then back off. But if they let slip that a decorated locker would be a great surprise, go for it!

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Double-check that you have the right locker! The worst case scenario is to decorate Molly's locker with Happy Birthday Samantha!! Not good!

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Make sure to decorate the locker quickly! You don't want your friend to show up while you are still decorating the locker! That'll pop the fun!

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Sometimes people may rip things off of the locker, so don't be surprised to see the locker messed up! Your friend will still love it that someone (you) decorated it.

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Make sure you can have things on the outside of the locker because your teachers may get mad (and possibly send you and/or your buddy to the principal). If you can't, do something on the inside like slip a note through the little vent.

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Don't write on your friend's locker with markers or tools. School custodians may not appreciate this.

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When you tape things to your friend's locker, be sure to not get anything on other people's nearby lockers. They might not be so appreciative of the decorating.

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If you decide to decorate the locker during a spare class, do it quietly. There are other classes in session, and you don't want to get in trouble for being noisy.

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Some people might get angry if they have summer birthdays, they might feel left out.

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Make sure the items aren't blowing or going into somebody else's locker space. If it does they could rip all your hard work down.

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Make sure that your school allows this! Some schools have very strict rules, and breaking them could get you into serious trouble. If your not sure, ask a teacher, not an older student, rules can be changed. If your not sure, don't do it, no matter how much you want to. Your friend will understand. Better safe than sorry.

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