Every year, I have the privilege of setting up a local ELA classroom to give back to my Appalachian Highlands community. While each classroom holds a place in my heart, this one is extra special to me. Not only did this tiny Tennessee school play a huge role in my childhood (it was my K-8 alma mater), but it also served as a community hub in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Some of the students here lost everything, and I’ve never been more proud of how the community came together to help those in need. Creating this cozy cafe themed classroom has been such a joy and one small way to give back to a place that means so much to me.
When designing this space, I wanted it to feel like my weekly work session at Barnes & Noble. Once a week I treat myself to an iced coffee, find a cozy corner, and settle in with my laptop. In fact, I’m writing this blog post from my favorite spot right now! From my table, I can see shelves of books, hear people chatting, and smell coffee brewing. That warm, inviting atmosphere was my inspiration, and I’m so excited to show you how it turned out!
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Cozy Cafe Themed Classroom Costs:
- Cozy Cafe Decor Pack: $10
- Old Pile of Books Shower Curtain (alternative link): $30
- Sage Green “Curtains”: $22
- Stay Golden Neon Light: $35
- Green Leaves Backdrop: $8
- Burlap Bulletin Board Border: $14
- Cardboard Fireplace: $50 ($10 alternative)
- Brick “Chimney” Paper: $7
- Recharagle Flame Light: $17
- Macrame Plant Hangers: $22
- Track Ceiling Hooks: $8
- Flexible Seating Yoga Balls: $40
- Greenery Bulletin Board Paper: $19
- Cardboard Awnings: $15
- String Lights: $15
- Thrift Finds (old books, lamps, baskets, plants, mugs): $30
- Miscellaneous items (Dollar tree lantern, Big Lots rug, pillows etc.): $35
- Using what the teacher already had: FREE!
- Using stuff I found in my shed: FREE!
Total: $362
Junior High Cozy Cafe Themed ELA Classroom
The before picture shows a junior high school classroom with block walls and lots of potential. This teacher has spent the past few years adding to her collection of flexible seating, so I wanted to work with what she had to make this space even better!
As you can see in the after picture, most of what I changed was adding more lamps! This classroom is blessed with a lot of natural light, so now with the additional light sources, the overhead fluorescent lights will rarely need to be turned on (but when they are, this teacher has some great sky view covers for them as you can see in the before!).
Click the reel above to see the space on video!
As for numbers on the old books, those can be used for first day stations! Once I started using stations on the first day, I never looked back. For me, it helps calm my first day jitters and sets the tone for the entire year. After the numbers are used on the first day, they can easily be stored or displayed then brought back out for other secondary ELA stations throughout the semester!
Now let’s take a look at the teacher’s area. Shower curtain art is kind of my signature. I’ve used them in all my classroom makeovers because they are inexpensive, come in a variety of colors, and are easy to hang with command strip hooks. Simply put the shower curtain rivets through the hooks and voila, cozy central! Can you peep the cat in the window? 🙂
Junior high flexible seating ideas
A cafe themed classroom pairs so well with flexible seating. Her students have the seating options of: Feet fidget bands, futon seating, high top seating, and now yoga ball seating. All these flexible seating options remind me of walking into a cozy cafe and finding your favorite spot to read, write, and discuss.
I just love this spot and can picture students doing their independent reading bell ringer or writing with their ambient media cue.
Cozy Cafe Themed Classroom Bulletin Board
When I was brainstorming the cozy cafe themed classroom, I knew I wanted to have a fireplace. I found this one and think it turned out so cute! When I added the rechargeable fire light and dollar tree lantern, talk about cozy vibes to the max!
Posters can be pretty and functional! These posters fit the theme plus provide figurative language examples and reference points. I also think the READ bulletin board turned out great and adds to the literacy focus of this classroom.
On the other side, I added a “Stay Golden” neon light and love that it gives a subtle reference to The Outsiders and Robert Frost which are both popular picks in junior high ELA.
All in all, I just added a little coziness and charm to this block wall classroom. I hope this junior high ELA classroom tour has given you some inspiration and resources for adding a little warmth and whimsy to your learning space!
