Today’s classrooms are not the same as they were when we were kids. In fact, if you are a Baby Boomer, it is likely that you might barely recognize the classrooms that are a part of your child’s or grandchild’s days. From oversized colored adhesive dots clinging to the walls to small colored dot stickers helping students quickly identify their subject specific notebooks, some of today’s classrooms look better than some people’s first apartments. In fact, the effort that many teachers put into their classroom spaces is incredible. Creating a space that can feel like a home away from home, is just one of the ways that teachers create the best prepared educational environments.

Although originally created for office purposes, there are many ways that colored adhesive dots and other colored printable labels are used. As teachers, office managers, and even parents look for a way to make sure that they are as organized as possible, it should come as no surprise that many office supplies are being repurposed in other ways.

Printed Colored Labels and Stickers Help Office Managers Organize a Variety of Spaces

Color coding stickers have long been used to help organize file folders in large cabinets, but it is important to realize that many of these supplies can be used for purposes outside of the office as well. From tagging garage sale items with prices to creating stunning decorations in a classroom, the number of ways that simple colored adhesive dots can be used.

Another way that many of these colored labels are used is in helping to mark different mailing items. Consider some of this information about the many ways that these standard office supplies can be used both in and out of the office, and in the organization of mailing items:

• Research indicates that color increases brand recognition by as much as 80%.
• 85% of shoppers indicate that color is a primary reason why they buy a particular product, and not another one.
• There were 65 billion total parcels shipped worldwide in the year 2016.
• The United Parcel Service (UPS) handles 15.8 million packages on an average day.
• Researchers discovered that subjects performed 5% to 10% better on standardized pattern recognition tests when they were administered in color rather black and white, according to a 2002 study.
• Colored labels can help mark items that are Made In America. This is especially helpful during the Made in America week of July 17 to July 23, which was declared in 2017.

Finding a way to make a classroom feel like home can be a challenge when you are on a tight budget. For this reason, there are a number of teachers who repurpose basic office supplies to help add color to a classroom, while at the same time create an easy to maintain organizational system.