You can make a school cone either by using a pre-made cardboard cone blank or by crafting one from scratch using photo cardstock or similarly thick cardboard (about 250–300 g/m²) or cardstock. You can then decorate the homemade or ready-made blank however you like using crepe paper, stickers, fabric ribbons, paints, and markers.

When filling the cone, the rule of thumb is: Heavy items like water bottles or books should go toward the bottom, while light gifts and candy fill the top part. And to make sure siblings don’t go home empty-handed on their sister’s or brother’s big day, there are small sibling bags that you can fill with two or three little surprises.

For first-day-of-school decorations, we recommend paper garlands, balloons, pom-poms, and decorative tape in cheerful colors that match the theme. You can also incorporate the theme of learning into your decorations—for example, by prominently displaying numbers and letters on the walls or on a chalkboard. If you’re buying a new children’s table, it can also be easily decorated and used as a decorative element.

Whether it’s chalkboards, posters, or whiteboards: you can use colorful markers to create personalized welcome messages in the entryway, for example. You can add wonderful pops of color with colored paper, cardboard, or textured paper—which can be stored in the craft closet after the party for future creative projects. This way, you’ll celebrate the start of school not only beautifully but also in a slightly sustainable way.

For lasting memories, such as homemade school gift bags, invitation cards, or decorations, we recommend sturdy, solid-colored cardstock (e.g., photo cardstock starting at 300 g/m² or durable chromo cardstock). For embellishments and accents, textured papers, specialty cardstock or papers, and stickers or washi tape are the top choice, as they’re easy to work with and won’t fade even after weeks on a bulletin board.