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Faux Rice Paper and Gold Lantern... for less than $10

I bought a gold, metal basket at Michael's a week ago.  Because it was on sale (woo!) and because I've been eyeing something to replace the contractor light fixture we have in our kitchen.

Here is the monster.

Icky lights affectionately called "boob" lights.
Can you see it?

In 30 minutes I had the glass part of the fixture off and covered the inside of the metal basket using the method below.  Please please only do this with LED bulbs and be careful about your safety and the safety of your house.  Here's how I achieved the look.

Step 1: Cut waxed paper in half length-wise, then fold each half length-wise.  Like this.

Step 2: Fold to make a V shape.

Step 3: Fold back over the original piece so it looks like an awareness ribbon.

Step 4: Cut a bottom to lay down and glue to your basket.  Lay the folded shapes over each other to make a pattern. 

Step 5: Check periodically to make sure that your folded pattern design looks good from the outside of the basket...this is the side that will be visible!

Step 6: Line the inside of your folded shapes with one last layer of waxed paper to cover any gaps.  Tape.

Step 7: Hang.  I used gold craft wire threaded around the base of the light fixture. Only try this with LED Bulbs so your paper doesn't melt or have any danger of becoming a fire hazard.

Do you have a nasty contractor light lurking in your home?  What have you done to fix it?

How to Hack your Classroom Seating:  Future You Will Thank You.

What do you do when you are a first year teacher of 500 students, 10 grade levels, and more than 23 homerooms?  Get crafty, of course. 

I bought multiple packs of colored circles in the clearance bin at Walmart.  Tip:  You can get great deals after Back to School season is over, or any holiday really.  Take advantage of the sales and squirrel things away for next year...that's how you furnish a classroom for cheap.   

These circles came from a welcome banner set, 24-pack, and are approximately 5-6 inches in diameter.  I think I spent $.25 a pack on clearance.  I had purchased a pack before clearance and they were around $4.99 for 24.

Laminate the circles BEFORE you write on them.  Sharpie comes off with alcohol and my internship teacher always had a spray bottle of it on hand.  Nail polish remover works well, too.

Punch a single hole in the top of the circle and put a colorful reinforcement circle around it.

Choose a color for each homeroom and write each student's name on it in order of your classroom roster.  Not only will your grades be easy to collect and alphabetize, it makes taking attendance much easier.

Each tag should have:

Student's First name (Middle)

Student's classroom number/seat/station (circled on the top)

Homeroom number or code on the bottom (makes it easier to find when flipping through students)

Here's the genius part.

Hang the circles on shower hooks (see photo below) 1 pack of 12 = $.99

Hang the hooks on Command Hooks ($4.99ish a pack?)

Watch how easy it is to teach students to flip to their name upon arrival or get their station ready for the next class.

Why is this beneficial?  This year I was a new teacher in a new school and I challenge myself from the very onset to learn each child's name as early as I can (ideally within the first or second time I see them).  It makes classroom management easier if I can call on students by name and it makes a HUGE difference in the amount of respect they feel from me if I have taken the time to learn their name.  The second piece is that in a world of similarly colored uniform tops (ours are red and white polos, but on PE days they're all in gray t-shirts) and similar hairstyles, most kids look the same from the back.  Now, if I am helping a student across the room, I can glance at a student's seat, notice their hand raised, and call their name correctly and quickly.  I am a visual person and all the little word cues around the room help both me and the kids.  It's genius.

I am a technology teacher and my students sit around the room in a U-shape, then a small island in the middle.  Not only has this been a practical time-saver, the circles have held up well and the students can help me take care of them!  Next year I can move the circle with the child's class or I can erase the circles and start again.  #omgenius

Animal Party for kids

I am a bargain shopper, repurposer, make-do-with-what-you-have-er, lighten up daily activities with life and creativity sort of mom (most of the time).  Here's how I did a summer animal party for my 6 year old on the CHEAP.

Free + Cheap items + creativity + getting your kids involved = little kid party fun

First, we scoured Oriental Trading for slightly less than perfect or clearance items.  Found this Vacation Bible School Arch FOR 9 DOLLARS.  Came in a week or less and took less than 1 hour to assemble. What am I crazy?  A sane person could not say no to this deal.  Repurposing it in my 1st grade classroom in the fall.  How will I make it fit in?  I'll keep you posted :)  

Ami (Grandma) bought this for Anastasia (which, by the way, is a great way to make out of town relatives and friends feel a part of your celebration...each year grandma sends something for the party even if she doesn't come).

We shed some of the obvious VBS parts of the arch, but for 9 bucks I was not going to pass this puppy up.  Soooo many uses for this and can always be disassembled and donated to a school, church or civic group.  Was so easy to put together my 6 year old got in on the action.

The kids set up their own table (coffee table with dollar store table cloth, hats, napkins).  Not glamorous, but it made them feel like they had ownership of the party and got them excited and brainstorming about things they would do with their friends.  I highly recommend this.

Dollar store stuff + Fast food drink holder = all the table supplies you can handle (napkins, utensils, etc)

Ok, I am a crafty person, you got me.  I know this one's not as simple as it looks, but it's going in my classroom in the Fall (two-fer) so I spent mucho extra time on it.  The concept?  Take apart a box (yep), tape the floppy parts together (see my black duck tape?...they also have fun designs) cut some face holes, and paint.  I used cheap acrylics I bought for another project that were saturated with color and a deal so delicious I couldn't pass it up...$1 a tube from Tuesday Morning.  Great decorations to add color and something fun to do and share.  Snap a pic and it can go in a Thank you card (I didn't make it this far, but I'm going to make kid name plates for my students this year)

Side 1

Side 2

Every year I make my daughter's pinata.  Usually it's a sticky mess of liquid starch, newspaper and balloons which must dry before you can paint it.  Cheap, but time-consuming.  This, friends, is a USPS box.

Step one...make generous holes in one side (bottom) and attach long strings (monkey is sitting on them) that the kids will pull instead of pummeling pinata blindfoldedly with a bat (eep!)  If you can, take the time to ease the process by cutting a section away, then loosely taping it back together.  A false "door" might have helped us (the box was too strong for my 5-6 year old minions to loosen)...I had to resort to gentle dismembering...

Next, fill box with candy and tape up.

Decorate at will with tissue paper and a hot glue gun.  I got fancy, but it didn't take much time.  Kids are just as happy with an empty box (you know this) and this could easily be covered with a thin layer of tissue in a pretty color as it already has ribbons hanging from the bottom to pull.

This tissue paper came in one pack.  For one dollar.  Bing!

We created a bunch of fun water games to play outside:

Ping pong toss

Water Balloon Hot Potato (poke a hole in a giant water balloon and let them go to town)

Squirt guns+tiny ducks=duck derby race...each kid uses their gun to squirt their duck to victory

Cup on the head fill up with water cannon double dare type game

So many options.  So many uses for dollar store items.

A little bit of decoration can go a long way.

Close-up of the arch pieces.  They came in one nice Fed Ex box, flat and scored for easy folding. 

Repurposed Pocket Purse, upcycled from Army dress shirt

Always wish, "I wish I had an extra pocket!"? Now you do. 

Custom children's jewelry

Add on child's jewelry to complement your t-shirt scarf order

I just made a deployment scarf for a client who
brought her 5 year old daughter when we met to pick 
up her t-shirt. "This won't do," I thought to myself, "this little girl needs something, too!" So was born this cute 
little necklace. Have a cutie of your own? Want one for yourself? I'd be happy to make you your own personalized handmade creation.

We would love to preserve your memories in a way that is meaningful for you. Want to swap ideas? 
We're always available for a quick video chat or 
phone call and we're always just a text or email away. We are two sentimental girls hoping to help others cherish the memories they hold closest to their hearts. 

We will work with any material, fiber, paper, jewelry, 
etc that you have to make something as unique as 
you are. <3



Like this idea and want to see more?  Visit us at our shop Stella Sofia to see more custom designs.