Back to School Crafts

My oldest daughter started high school today. I refuse to believe I have a child that old. At our house, getting ready for school is a huge undertaking. With six children, attending four different schools, there are lots of schedules to arrange, clothes to buy, teachers to meet--you get the picture!

Some of my children are more excited for the new school year than others. There are lots of ways to help your kids get excited for school. Making their own back-to-school crafts is one of them. I've been researching kids crafts online and I found a bunch of fun things you can make with your kids to get them excited about school and get their creative juices flowing.

These ideas came from Family Fun magazine online.

THE COLORFUL COVERUP NOTEBOOK

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Spiral-bound notebook
Tacky glue
Pipe cleaner
Colored paper

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Spruce up a plain spiralbound notebook with bold stripes by using tacky glue to stick pipe cleaners (the extrawide, fuzzy type work especially well) onto the cover.

2. Fold the pipe cleaner ends against the top and bottom edges of the inner cover, then conceal them with a glued-on sheet of colored paper.

DENIM LOCKER POCKETS

In just a few easy steps, your child can turn an old pair of jeans into a couple of magnetic pen and pencil holders that mount easily in a school locker.

CRAFT MATERIALS:
Scissors
Old pair of jeans
Puffy paint
Iron-on patches
Cloth tape or colored duct tape
8 adhesive-backed magnets (4 for each pocket), each at least 1/8 inch thick

Time needed: Under 1 Hour

1. Start by having your child cut each back pocket from the jeans. (Make sure you get the material it's attached to as well and not just the pocket.) Cut closely around the three sewn edges of the pocket, but leave an extra inch of material on the back piece, above the pocket opening.

2. Now start decorating, first attaching any iron-on patches according to the package directions. Once the ironing is done, apply puffy paint designs.

3. Let the paint dry. Then, with the pocket facedown, fold the 1-inch flap of material along the pocket's top edge and secure it against the back of the pocket with the tape.

4. Finally, affix a magnet to each corner of the pocket (add a dab of tacky glue for an even stronger hold, if needed), and it's ready for hanging in a school locker.

There are tons of fun things you can make and do with your children to make the new school year exciting. You can check out more fun and easy back-to-school crafts here. I hope you have a great first week of school!

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