LITTLETON, Colo. (AP) -- Students crowded into Columbine High's lunchroom Monday to design playful tiles for walls and hallways, a step toward reclaiming their school in wake of a deadly shooting attack three months ago.

The 4-inch by 4-inch white tiles were meticulously painted with images from the blue-and-silver intertwined ribbons that have become a symbol of Columbine's victims to flowers, musical instruments, and mostly, colorful symmetrical designs.

"My friend Rachel (Scott), who died, she was into this sort of thing," said Sarah Bay, 17, as she sat a long rectangular table, touching up a tile painting of two thespian masks. "We were in theater together. She was artistic, so in a way I'm sort of doing it for both of us."

About 50 students turned out Monday and hundreds of others are expected to join in before the 1999-2000 school year begins on Aug. 16. Columbine alumni will help hang more than 2,000 tiles in the next few weeks.

The quiet, easygoing suburban high school was shattered April 20, when seniors Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed Miss Scott, 11 other students and a teacher before they committing suicide. Twenty-three others were hurt.

The students, armed with guns and pipe bombs, opened fire just outside one of the school's main doors and then entered the cafeteria, spraying gunfire and bombs before they killed most of the victims in the second-floor library.

Tables and bookcases were overturned, backpacks were scattered throughout the building, hallways were flooded and windows were shattered.

In the past few weeks, construction crews have been plastering over bullet and shrapnel holes, replacing the broken glass, and stripping the bloodstained carpet from the hallways.

For psychological reasons, school officials also have made cosmetic changes, installing new, modern furniture, green and blue floor tiles, funky-patterned carpet, and a fresh coat of paint.

"With all the changes, this is a good way to make us feel that it's still our school," said Cassie Sadusky, 16, who will be a junior this fall. "It makes us feel like we are part of the rebuilding."

Miss Sadusky and her brother, Garrett, 14, joined their tiles to create a pattern of 13 hearts, one for each victims.

The student-tile project was kicked off four years ago. At that time it was an attempt by art teacher Erin Yust-Brown to liven up the otherwise dreary walls.

Since the shootings, incoming freshman and upperclassman are welcoming the chance to paint tiles.

"Now it's taking off way faster than I ever imagined," said Mrs. Yust-Brown. "And it's great to see kids back here, smiling, having a good time."

"I think it's a nice memorial to the school and to everyone who died," said Stephanie Salmon, 16, who was in the library at the time of the shootings and witnessed many of the killings.

Ms. Salmon, wearing a "no guns" pin and carrying a book with pictures of each victim, painted a blue ribbon on her own tile and the date of the shootings.

"People don't have to look at my tile if they don't want," said Ms. Salmon, who realizes that her artwork might serve as a painful reminder to the shootings to some.

"Maybe they won't even hang it up," she said. "But for me, I think it's important to remember what happened."