Easy Crafts You Can Make for Your Classroom {Classroom Decor Crafts}
With it being summer, and given the fact that I'll be moving to a new school very soon, I've spent some time working on some things to make my classroom a homey and welcoming space including a fabric garland, some decorative letters, and a magnetic sign out board.
Fabric Garland
I love fabric garlands. A lot. I have made one for my last three classroom themes/color schemes. I really, really, really loved my most recent color scheme, but (in my opinion) it won't really work in my new classroom. Here is my previous color scheme. It makes me so happy!!
Anyhoo, realizing that this scheme won't work in my new room, I made a new garland in a color scheme that will work with the colors of the walls in my new classroom. Actually, I made two. Haha!
Fabric garlands are so easy to make. There's a little bit of cutting, some tearing, and finally, some tying. That's it! When I made my first garland (it was b/w polka dot mixed with zebra stripes...kinda crazy, right?), I used THIS tutorial from Little Miss Momma. Please visit her post for all the details. But, basically, you'll need:
- a variety of fabrics (you can buy fat quarters, or purchase one half yard each of a variety of fabrics)
- some ribbon (3/8")
- scissors
- Lay each piece of fabric flat.
- Snip the fabric every 1-2 inches. I placed two fingers down and snipped. I repeated this step until I got to the end of the fabric.
- Tear the fabric into strips using the snips you made. The fabric will fray a bit.
- Trim off the edge of the fabric that shows the brand name, etc.
- Tie the fabric to your length of ribbon.
- Fold a strip in half, place the loop behind the ribbon, and then feed the two tails through the loop.
- Secure in place.
- Be sure to leave a decent amount of ribbon at each end of the garland. I don't cut the ribbon to size until I feel that my garland is the length I want.
- Tie a knot in the ribbon next to the first and last piece of fabric. This just helps make sure they stay in place. At least, that's what I tell myself.
Annnnnnd, you're done! Hang your garland on the wall. I usually just use push pins or staples to do this. This is where that length of ribbon at each end of your garland comes in handy, you can use it to hang/attach the garland to the wall.
Wooden Letters
I used to have a set of black ABC letters that I hung on a narrow space of wall in my room. Buuuut, black will not longer be my base color. Navy blue will be. So, I grabbed some unfinished letters from Michaels and made myself a new set of letters.
What you'll need:
- unfinished wooden letters
- acrylic paint
- mod podge
- fabric or ribbon
- buttons
- hot glue gun
What to do:
- Paint the letters. I painted three coats-use white paint as a primer if desired.
- Let the letters dry.
- Coat the letters with Mod Podge. Honestly, you could probably skip this step, but I like that it seals the paint and adds a bit of shine.
- Let dry.
- Hot glue buttons to the corner of the letter B.
- Tie strips of fabric (or ribbon) to the letters A and C, as shown.
- Hot glue a loop of ribbon to the back of each letter for hanging. I hang the letters with push pins.
That's it!
Magnetic Sign Out Board
Last year I switched to a sign out board using magnetic numbers. I loved it. A lot. But, I made my numbers out of card stock, and the board was a tiny cookie sheet. By the end of the year, I knew I needed to come up with a better quality board. Here's what I made.
This board was inspired by my long time teacher BFF. She made a board for her Kinders to keep track of lunch choices and it is adorable! After seeing her use this exact magnetic board, I decided it would be perfect for my sign out board upgrade.
What you'll need:
- magnetic board (This one is from Hobby Lobby. It can be found in the aisle with the bulletin boards in the home decor section.)
- acrylic paint
- wooden circles (I used 1 1/2" circles)
- round magnets (not pictured)
- hot glue
- number stickers (scrapbooking section of your local craft store)
- Mod Podge
- colored masking tape (not pictured)
What to do:
- Paint the wooden frame of the magnetic board. I didn't sand mine, but I did put some painter's tape on the metal board.
- Hot glue a magnet to the back of each wooden circle.
- Paint each wooden circle. You could do this first, but I like to hold the magnet while I paint the top of the circle.
- Once dry, add your number stickers to each wooden circle.
- Seal each numbered circle with Mod Podge.
- Use colored masking tape to divide the board in half.
- Label each side of the board as desired. I cut my labels out of vinyl using my Cameo Silhouette.
I haven't crafted anything for my classroom in a long time. I forgot just how relaxing it can be to craft and create fun things. I should probably add it to my list of ways to relax and recharge this summer!
What kinds of things do you like to make for your classroom? Tell us in the comments below. :)
Door Sign
If you're school let's you display your own unique door sign, it is possible to make one, even if you aren't crafty.
What you'll need:
What to do:
*If you do not have a cutting machine, no worries, you could use alphabet letter stickers from the scrapbooking section of the craft store. If you do this, I would suggest putting a few layers of Mod Podge over the stickers to help seal them in place.
What kinds of things do you like to make for your classroom? Tell us in the comments below. :)
Door Sign
If you're school let's you display your own unique door sign, it is possible to make one, even if you aren't crafty.
What you'll need:
- a pre-made sign (mine is from Hobby Lobby and came with the burlap hanging ribbon)
- ribbon
- hot glue gun
- self-adhesive vinyl
- Silhouette/Cricut*
What to do:
- Cut out the letters using a Silhouette or Cricut.*
- Remove letters from backing.
- Place letters on sign.
- Tie a bow and hot glue it in place.
*If you do not have a cutting machine, no worries, you could use alphabet letter stickers from the scrapbooking section of the craft store. If you do this, I would suggest putting a few layers of Mod Podge over the stickers to help seal them in place.
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