Embroidery Hoop Mini Bulletin Boards

I saw these lovely yellow embroidery hoops at the store the other day, and decided to use some leftover fabric from my classroom curtains and bulletin board, to make some mini-cork board bulletin boards. 
I traced a larger circle and cut fabric, cork board, and a cardboard backing for each before assembling.  Then I stretched and stretched, and stretched the fabric, until each hoop was tight. 
Next, I made sure each cork circle fit, and added hot glue, evenly, then pressed it in against the fabric. 
After that, I hot glued in the cardboard backing.  Finally, I took the excess fabric on the back, and hot glued it to the backing, to ensure it wouldn't come off.  I hung each up by a nail in a random configuration.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Banners for School

Ohh....emmm....Geeee!!!  I am so in L-O-V-E with the NEW Stampin' Up Build a Banner Kit in the new Holiday Mini Catalog!!!!  In just one day, I seriously got my mist and daub on!  (Yes, I'm craft-geeky, and I know it!) I used EVERY SINGLE BANNER in BOTH the Build a Banner Kit, AND the Banner Refill Kit!  That's almost 40 banners, people!
One of the projects I worked on, besides the super secret Halloween and Christmas ones, was to make some banners to decorate my classroom.  I used lovely chevron and polka dot stencils for the Smoky Slate and Daffodil Delight (mixed with a tad of Summer Starfruit) pennants.  For the letters, I attempted the mini-mister for the "learn" banner, but loved the control I had, using the sponge daubers on the "read" and "grow" banners.  For all three, I used Gumball Green.  The "Learn" banner is also outlined in a black Sharpie, because I couldn't stand how undefined the letters were by misting them.
I used the 3/4" Smoky Slate Chevron ribbon to string each pennant on, and tied a loop at each end to be able to hang them up.  Hope you like them!

Here's a quick look at the Simply Created Build a Banner Kit.  It includes the Chevron, Striped, and Polka Dot masks, as well as a blank shield, and all 26 letters of the alphabet.  There are 18 pennants, jute twine, and a mini-mister.  The easiest way I found, was to fill a mister with approximately 25-30 drops of reinker (to achieve desired color), and fill the rest with 70% Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.  I also covered all of my surface with newspaper, and had several sheets of paper towel handy to wipe masks as I finished with them.  When I was completely finished, I washed all masks in the sink, and then let dry. 

~Hoppy Crafting!

Bulletin Board Revamp

Look carefully.  What do you see?  I see a super fun, gorgeous, and chevron-inspired bulletin board!  I recently moved my entire classroom layout around, and where my teacher desk now is, I had nowhere to hang important memos (besides in the newly built/painted wall).  I was going to relocate the board that was by my old desk space, but it was way too big to fit this smaller wall.  Sooo, I asked my mother if she still had any of our old cork-style bulletin boards from when my brother and I were in high school.  She came through like a champ, and saved me the $$$ and time of searching for a new one.  Thanks mom, for hoarding crap from our childhood storing important things away!
After measuring, I set out for the nearest local fabric store, and found EXACTLY what I was looking for!  (How often does that happen?)  I loved the neutral slate and basic grays!  In fact, they match great with the two bookshelves I repainted for my classroom!  And, with the curtains I'm in the process of finishing!  I love when a plan comes together!  (Now all I need is perfect incoming kiddos.....)
After finding fabric, I bought some silver tacks (in office supplies), and set to work.  I ironed the fabric, then laid it out to make the strips even.  Then, I started adding tacks and stretching the fabric as I went.  After I had every other tack in, I made a second round of tacks between the first, just for good measure.  When I was sure I was done adding tacks, I turned the board over, and used my trusty staple gun to secure the fabric to the back of the frame, as I pulled the fabric tighter (not too tight, or you could pop out your tacks).  Finally, I added eye hooks to the back, and hung by a wire in the back.  I also thought it needed a pop of color, so I used my hot glue gun to glue the giant green daisy to a tack, then stuck it in the corner.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Ugly Chair Renovation

 Look at this gloriously ugly chair.  LOOK  at IT!  (You are jealous, aren't you?)  I know you may cringe....Goodness knows that I have!  This valuable piece of crap furniture resides in my classroom, where I have to look at it everyday use it daily, or graciously bestow it upon my parent volunteers as one of the few adult-friendly sized chairs available.
Well, I decided got brave and totally went for reupholstering it!  First, I patched all the holes and refilled them.  Sure, I used cotton balls and duct tape...what else was there to use, since I hadn't prepared for that step, and I was AT THE SCHOOL?...but, it worked.
After all holes were sufficiently repaired, I removed the bottom seat and set to work.  I had found this gorgeous black and white damask table cloth-type fabric (with felt on the back), for under $3 a yard, at a big low-price chain.  Perfect for a cheap classroom makeover!   I simply laid the seat on it, face down, and cut around it to leave enough to staple gun to the bottom. 
It may have taken me around an hour to both repair, remove all the screws, and staple gun the entire bottom part, but goodness, what a difference!  I LOVED it, and couldn't wait to finish the top!

The top did prove to be a bit more tricky!  Since there are upholstery tacks hammered in, I had to pry everything out first, and then I could recover the top.  I also had to figure out a way to recover the flimsy chipboard-like backing....I finally settled on hot glue, which worked well.   Once both pieces were covered, I set to work, hammering all the upholstery tacks back in, and meticulously lining screws, etc., back up to put the chair back together.  I think for under two hours of work, that the results are amazing!  I am so happy that this is now what my chair looks like, instead of the baby-poo ugly yellow/green it was!  I am also glad that my first experience reupholstering a chair was on something of such low value.  Even though I didn't have any difficulties, pulling your material taut is a big deal, and corners can be tedious to stretch so they don't gap or overlap and look messy.  Hope this inspires you to try one on your own!  (BTW-I don't know how long the cheap covering will hold up, but it's WAYYYY better than the before picture, wouldn't you agree?
~Hoppy Crafting!


P.S.--Yes, I am aware that I "messed up" and made the top and bottom patterns go completely opposite directions!  OOPS!  I didn't realize that I had turned the top fabric until I was done with the top.  By that point, I wasn't freakin' redoing it figured the chair was looking a billion times better, so it was just going to have to be.  :) 

Butterfly Picture Transfer

I've been seeing people do some picture transfers lately, and decided to try one of my own.  First, I printed off a picture with a whole bunch of butterflies on it.  I decided to go with a picture without people, just for my trial run.  I printed it on regular paper. 
Next, I applied gel medium to the wood I had chosen for this project.  After the wood was completely covered, I placed the printed photo, face down, onto the wood, and set it aside to dry overnight (or close to 24 hours).  (I did the first part at about 9pm, and then, after returning from work the next day, at approximately 5pm, I commenced the second stage.)
After everything was dry, I took a sponge and wet the paper on the wood, then rubbed with my fingers to remove all the paper (SUGGESTION: You may want to use rubber gloves!  My fingers were so ink-stained, that I went to work the next day with purple hands!).  When all the paper is off, let dry again. 
My final steps were to add two coats of ModPodge (allow to dry between each), to seal in the ink and make it glossy or matte (whichever you choose).  I really like how they turned out.  I also ended up using some acrylic paint to spice up the edges with some color, before hanging, but you can do whatever suits your tastes!  I've even seen this done on canvas, but I have as of yet to try it!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Framed!

I know this isn't a card, but this is still fun and crafty!  I've been seeing picture frames with chicken wire in them lately, and thought that this would be a fun craft to brighten up a space!  I found some old frames at Goodwill and painted them with my preferred colors.  Then, I stretched chicken wire across the back, and used a staple gun to keep it in place.  Next, I used wire cutters to cut off the excess wire, and to bend any dangerous pieces inward.  You may want to wear gloves when making this project, as the chick wire can be quite evil on your hands with one wrong move (read:I was stubborn and thought I didn't need gloves, so I ended up with multiple puncture wounds.).  The next CRITICAL STEP, is to take a hot glue gun, and patiently COVER all those little exposed ends of chicken wire on the back of the frame.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!  Also, don't be stingy on the hot glue.  Those little pieces can be pretty pokey, so make sure you really cover the entire spot before going to the next.  This will protect you, and your walls!  Lastly, add a hanger or piece of wire on the back, so you can easily mount it on a wall, and get some mini clothespins.  The mini clothespins will hold on your pictures, cards, or whatever you want to hang up.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Valentine, You Color My World!

I made these fun Valentine's for each of my almost 50 kinders.  After melting crayons (more info at the end of this post), I packaged each in a 3"x4" bag from G.T. Bag Company, and created toppers for each.  For the toppers, I used pink cardstock, and stamped "Valentine" from a ProvoCraft dial-a-word stamp (since I couldn't find just the word WITHOUT an "s" at the end!), in Early Espresso. 
I used the SU Definitely Decorative set "Crayon Kids" to stamp the crayons, using Tempting Turquoise and Melon Mambo ink.  In SU Early Espresso, I stamped the phrase "You color my world", from Pink by Design's "Simply Everything" set. 
I love how each of these turned out, and they were a huge hit with my kinders!
How did I make the crayons, you may ask?  I found some silicone heart baking pans, and, after peeling millions of crayons (maybe not MILLIONS, but MANY---and THANK YOU to Terri and her family for also peeling a TON!!!), I set my oven to 250 degrees and broke up crayons to fill each mold.  Just for safety sake (didn't want to ruin my oven with melted crayons), I lined a cookie sheet with foil and baked the molds on it for approximately 15 minutes.  You have to check the crayons to make sure they are fully melted.  Depending on the oven and the brand of crayon, they may take longer to melt. 
After baking, I sped up the cooling process by placing the molds in the fridge.  When set, I popped the crayons out and began a new batch.  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Christmas in July

A few weeks ago, at the Scrapbook Expo, I visited The Scrap Yard Chicks (www.scrapyardchicks.com), and found a Christmas Advent Calendar Kit.  I'm normally not much of a kit person, but over the past couple of years, I have bought several kits from these gals.  They are awesome!  They usually come with all of the pieces needed to create your project (minus glue, ink, other basic tools, etc.), and very detailed instructions with color photos.  During the previous years' expo, they were selling an advent calendar, and I kicked myself for not getting to their booth sooner (because I was sold out!), so the Chicks were one of the first booths I visited to get the best selection. 

Well, I finally got some time (and motivation) to start working on the calendar.  The calendar was actually very easy, just time consuming with all of the little pieces (which I enjoy).  I started by sorting all the pieces into each quadrant of the cookie sheet for each day, just to make sure I had everything, then started with the ones I thought looked the easiest. :o)  Yes, there are fabulous instructions, but I totally winged it with most of them and just glanced at what they should look like. 
Now, I'm done with all 25 days of Christmas.  All the glittering is finished.  The dimensional glaze for the snow globe is dry.  All magnets are on.  I just need to finish adhering the title, and I'm home free.  Pretty cool, eh?   ~Hoppy Crafting! 

Vinyl, Pails, and Flowers, Oh, My!

Being a Kindergarten teacher, I am very fortunate to have some great parent volunteers that come to help with the kids, as well as prep for projects, facilitate reading groups, and pretty much any other job that helps keep our classroom running smoothly.  Without all of this extra help, I assure you that my job would be 10 times more challenging, AND, the kids who really need a ton of extra help would not be getting it as much....that's what happens when you put 24 kindergartner's (5, 6, and 7 year olds) in one room for only 2 1/2 hours a day.  These volunteers are vital! 
To show my appreciation for my consistent parent helpers this year, I found these adorable painted metal pots at a local craft store, planted them with subtle purple/white petunias, and covered the pots with vinyl sayings (bloom, inspire, smile). I used Gypsy Wanderings for "bloom, smile, and inspire," and cut them from black vinyl.   I also cut a small scalloped card from Wild Card, and stamped "Thanks so much..." on the front, then finished the inside with "...for helping us grow this year!".  I've been surprising each parent helper during this last week and a half of school, and each one has seemed to appreciate this gift.  I hope they truly know how much they have helped these kids grow!  ~Hoppy Crafting! 

2 AM (a.k.a.- Sewing Velcro on Pocket Charts Project)

What were YOU doing at 2 AM?  Were you sleeping like every non-night owl?  I was cutting things for my classroom and working on my pocket charts.  I must be feeling the crunch of the impending school year...I broke out the sewing machine. 

Every year, there's something that changes in my classroom.  Be it the layout, distribution of classroom supplies, etc., something inevitably changes.  Last year, it was curtains.  This year, I've decided to use some of my pocket charts in different places, which requires me to get creative.  I have a giant file drawer system that I salvaged from "surplus" a few years ago.  The back of it this year is facing my reading group table, so I wanted to hang pocket charts on it for each of my leveled reading groups. 

I bought some industrial 2" wide Velcro, and adhered it to the top of each chart.  Then, for extra durability, I found coordinating threads, and zig-zag stitched each on.  Now, I really DON'T recommend this, UNLESS you get the Velcro that isn't AS SUPER STICKY as the stuff I got (but there really wasn't a good selection...beggars can't be choosy, right?).  I FINALLY made it through all three pocket charts, but that was after numerous stops and de-gunking sessions.  The adhesive in the Velcro I used really gummed up the needles.  Ugh. Live and learn. 

Well, I'm headed off to school to test out the sturdiness of these newly improved pocket charts!  ~Hoppy Crafting!

Desk Organizers

Hi, fellow bloggers!  Tonight's project is...NOT...PINK!!! (LOL!)  I bought these two sets of wooden desk organizers at a local craft store, with the intention of finishing them while visiting my mom.  We each picked our colors and paper to cover each container with.  My "dot" paper is from My Mind's Eye, and the leafy print my mother used, is from a stack (not certain which one). 
The first thing we did, was paint each piece with at least two coats of acryllic paint.  We used brown, lime green, and a bright ocean blue.  While the paint dried, I made templates, from scratch paper, to see how big each paper should be cut, that I was leaving enough border, etc.  When I was certain the measurements would work, I took one piece of 12x12 paper, and methodically cut each piece, so as not to waste paper. 
Each finished project has paper on all four sides of each of the four holders, and only took ONE piece of 12x12 paper (w/some left over).  We used clear Martha Stewart permanent glue to adhere the paper.  Once that was dry, we applied two coats of Mod Podge to all piece of the project, allowing drying time between each coat.  The finished products are two cute/trendy desk organizers, that suit our personal tastes.  The mother-daughter time was a total bonus, too!  :o)  We could totally bling them out more....maybe that's to come, but for now, we both love how they look, just the way they are.   ~Hoppy Crafting!