photo twitter_zpsktcr9tuf.png  photo pinterest_zpscq0ushrx.png  photo facebook_zps9mnntr8s.png  photo etsy_zps5tpibpqs.png

Pages

Friday, August 17, 2012

Easy Projects for Class Decorating!!!

Happy Friday, Folks!
I made it-
the first full week of school.

I am still alive (and so are the Littles)
Which the latter part is amazing because I have not cooked a meal in two weeks-
(I need more easy peasy recipeasies!)

Don't get me wrong- It isn't one of those
"Whew! I made it!"
things because of the sweeties-

it just gets way hectic here (as it does with us all).

I have a few easy peasy tasks for you tonight-

the first one being the curtains that I made for the back door.

Now if you have read previous posts, you know that I am
extremely close with the makers of fabric glue-
Now I don't know them personally, but I do send them letters
It upsets me that they don't write back!
I really am their #1 Fan!!!!

Almost my entire back door is window-
which can totally mess up my projector-
so I have to keep it covered.

These are the old curtains from my
"gumball phase"




It totally does not match - so had to be changed a week before school started.
I knew I wanted to use the design fabric from the little window on the door-
but I wanted  the valance to be either black or pink.

The long curtain part was your basic fold over, crease with iron and sew glue the hem with fabric glue.
The valance, I was not wanting to do anymore work than I had already put on my list- so here is what I did:

SInce I covered that piece of insulation for my word wall with the black twin sheet, I had some of that left over.
I took the part that is at the head of the bed (does that have a name)?
We'll just call it the "header"

First I had to crease and "sew" the hem.
Then I did some magic-
see the top  of the sheet?
There is already a perfectly good seam and stitch there- why mess it up?
So I got my magic sewing tool  (scissors)
and cut a little slit on the back side. You just have to pull the front and back away from each other a  little to make sure you don't cut through both sides.
Really, that's all I did after I glued that little hem.
Then I put the curtain rod through-
The ends of the rods are magnetic and stay on the door really well.
But the rod slid right through there!!! And since it is on the back- no one sees it!
After I added the long curtain with the little tension rods to the window part, I put the
magnetic rod with the new valance on:
And looky there-
NO ONE KNOWS how easy that was to change-
except you
and the other people who read this
AND the other people they told
AND the people you are going to tell...

OK- so now A LOT of people know about it- but who could keep something this easy a secret????

I have another easy project- and then it is off to bed-

When I made up my mind to change everything, I knew I would have to change my calendar.
It is a large focus in our room!!
I had the cloth one that everything under the sun velcroed to-
but there was NO WAY I could share daily info with them from a red and blue calendar that lived
on  pink and black board....

Ok I could have, but it  wouldn't have been as cute- and after standards "cute" is the thing that matters most.
(kidding....maybe)

Anyway, I found this calendar on Teacher Created Resources
and immediately knew that I had to order it.
It is a regular posterboard type calendar.

I also knew that I didn't want to deal with pins or velcro or staples to add the date-
but what was I going to do?
Hmmm....
Ta da- Crafty Squirrel to the rescue!!!!

I took sheet protectors- cut them into strips of 2.5".
Placed them so that the closed edge was on the outline of calendar and I "nested" the insides together.
The doublesided taped held them in place while I was getting the positioned.
I used clear packing tape to use one long strip right across the middle of each row.
And now my $5.00 posterboard calendar has become a year long calendar "pocket Chart"!!
The date cards slide right in and I dont have to pin or add velcro.

See how nice and neat?!?!?
I made the "Today is:", "Yesterday was:" ."Tomorrow Will Never Get Here:" section last night-
That was also an easy one- The whole week is done three times, once in each color
and I punched holes after laminating, used binder rings and pins, and VIOLA! I just have to pull it down and flip it each day as we talk about it.
(Yes I know the 'Yesterday was' portion is crooked in the pic- a number of firsties also pointed it out to me today,
it was just a matter of leveling the pins)

Our calendar is quite extensive- I will add the other pieces in the next two weeks- other wise our morning calendar will turn into our whole Math time and part of Lit BLock!!

So i hope you found a few things that were on your list to do on here- and maybe these versions of them will lighten your load as you begin to get your room ready for the year!!!











22 comments:

  1. Squirrels, you are just too clever! Where can I get me some o' that glue? Congrats on week 1 done!

    Heather
    http://peacocksandpenguins.blogspot.com/2012/08/byoo-2-bring-your-own-organization.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. THANK YOU for the idea about sheet protectors and the calendar!! I've been racking my brain thinking what can I do when I didn't want to do tape/velcro/cut slits or ruin date cards. GENIUS! I also just finished my first full week...we all made it alive and well :p


    ~ Mizz J
    Apple Blossoms

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cute curtain! I love fabric glue too! If I'm desperate for something to be sewn I pass it off to my mom and her 1970's sewing machine! Have a great year!!

    :)Nancy
    Joy of Kindergarten

    ReplyDelete
  4. well, aren't you just so crafty with those sleeves?! haha!
    and I'm so jealous you can have curtains...we totally get caught with them as soon as we put them up and have to take them down :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Look at those sleeves! I'm in love. I have the same exact calendar. Want to come and make mine a pocket chart?
    Elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that cute little dress has really made Miss Squirrels extra crafty!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love these ideas and tips! Thank you for making my life easier!
    Cheryl
    Crayons and Curls

    ReplyDelete
  8. You've been super busy! I'm really liking those curtains!

    Barbara
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your curtains turned out really nicely! I'm impressed. I am steps below you because I am incredibly lazy. I stapled mine. hahahahahahaha. You can't tell. My teaching buddy who helped me move schools this year had never noticed. When she took them down, she was horrified.

    And super nice calendar! I really like that.

    Buzzing with Ms. B

    ReplyDelete
  10. What an AMAZING idea for the calendar. I triple hate staples and push pins and holes. This will be a PERFECT solution :)

    Heidi
    My (Not So) Elementary Life
    mynotsoelementarylife@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazingly clever for both projects! I also hate the holes that staples and push pins leave.

    Jana
    Thinking Out Loud

    ReplyDelete
  12. Blah...am I the only one who is confused about how to make the calendar?! I love the idea though, lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the calendar idea, but I'm confused too. I really want to make it though!!!

      Delete
    2. OK:) My friend wants me to help her convert her calendar.I will take pictures and post with a more detailed explanation.:)

      Delete
    3. OK:) My friend wants me to help her convert her calendar.I will take pictures and post with a more detailed explanation.:)

      Delete
    4. LOL I TOO AM CONFUSED ON HOW TO MAKE THE CALENDAR,,IVE BEEN DYING FOR THIS SOLUTION,,WHERE DO YOU PUT THE STRIP OF CLEAR TAPE? ON THE BACK PART OF THE PROTECTER SHEET ? HOW DO YOU GET THE SHEET PROTECTOR TO STAY ON AND ARE THE ENDS OPEN ? SORRY, IM A VISUAL LEARNER :)
      THANKS

      Delete
  13. oh thank goodness! I thought I was the only one who couldn't get it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OK:) My friend wants me to help her convert her calendar.I will take pictures and post with a more detailed explanation.:)

      Delete
  14. Hi! I know it's been like 5 years (just found this link though!) Are toys till using this as your calendar, or did you find another system? Also, I couldn't find another blog post with more details. Idk if I missed it or not. Lol. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for leaving some "Nutty Chatter!"

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
Pin It button on image hover