[Perfect for Photos] Decoration Ideas for School Festivals and Cultural Festivals

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

At school festivals, it’s common to have attractions, exhibits, and food stalls set up in classrooms, isn’t it?

Of course, the main attractions and stalls are important, but to really elevate the atmosphere, decorating the classroom and hallways is essential!

That said, since you have to prepare within a limited time, many of you are probably looking for quick, stylish, and cute ways to decorate.

In this article, we’ll introduce decoration ideas for school festivals—from easy options to slightly more elaborate ones.

Use this article as a guide to transform your everyday classroom into a wonderful space!

[Highly Instagrammable] Decoration Ideas for School Cultural Festivals (71–80)

paper flower

Paper flowers made from tissue paper are a classic decoration for classroom displays at school festivals! Layer the tissue sheets, accordion-fold them, secure the center, and then fan them out—surely everyone has done this at least once, right? Since it’s a delicate task, let’s work together to make them.

If you have a bit of extra time, try adding a small touch to shape the petals in different ways.

You can also stick them onto a backing to form letters, which would work great for sign decorations!

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Hane Keisuke

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Cloth on the ceiling

Have you ever seen fabric hanging from the ceiling at Asian-style general stores or at party venues like wedding receptions? Let’s try incorporating that into classroom or gym decorations! Using colorful ethnic-patterned fabrics creates an exotic atmosphere; using solid pastel pinks or light blues gives a cute vibe; and using lace materials makes it feel even more fairytale-like.

Choose according to the mood you want for the venue.

It’s also recommended to let fabric drape radially from a single point on the ceiling, like a canopy.

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Hane Keisuke

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Paper plate art

How about making art with paper plates and using them as decorations on walls and other surfaces? Paper plates may have a somewhat cheap or kids’ crafts image, but these days there are plenty of colorful and stylish options.

Above all, they’re easy to pick up at 100-yen shops or cute variety stores, which makes them convenient and highly recommended.

You could collage onto a simple paper plate and treat it like a single frame, draw geometric patterns, or use embroidery thread to create string art—any of these would look lovely.

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utatane

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[Perfect for Photos] Decoration Ideas for School Festivals and Cultural Festivals (81–90)

Showa-era retro walls and signs

If you’re setting up a mock shop with a Showa-era café or a romantic retro café theme, creating the right atmosphere inside is crucial.

Signs and posters are essential for evoking that Showa feel.

The famous signs—like Yumi Kaoru’s mosquito coil ad or Kon Omura’s Oronamin C ad—have become treasures that now sell for high prices.

Try recreating that vibe by making vintage-style signs.

Old newspapers also make great props for the atmosphere.

If you go to a large library, you can view old newspapers; copy articles featuring figures like Rikidōzan or Shigeo Nagashima and use those.

It’s also nice to use traditional kanji forms and to deliberately include the old hiragana characters ‘ゑ’ and ‘ゐ’ to enhance the period feel.

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Taki no namida pin ku

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In conclusion

We’ve introduced decoration ideas that are perfect for school culture festivals.

They range from easy options using items from 100-yen shops to large-scale decorations that require thorough preparation.

Some ideas are sure to look great in photos, so if you decorate well, they’ll definitely become a hot topic! If any of the decoration ideas caught your eye, be sure to give them a try!