The DIY Frame
Have you seen these frames floating around Pinterest?
I was inspired by these two frames to create my own for the 1st day of school.
I went to Hobby Lobby and bought an open frame, the pre-painted glitter letters, the pre-painted wood cut outs, and an unfinished wooden star.
I used chalkboard paint to paint the star so I could change it out for the 100th or last day of school.
I chose a gator cut out because we will be the Gators at my new school.
These letters were awesome, and took me quite a while to decide on, but pre-painted glitter letters beat me painting them on my own!
And here is my sweet hubby who clearly loves me very much since he humored me and posed with the frame. Not sure he knows just how many people will see this photo!
I can’t wait to let my new students pose with this on the first day!
Frame Tips and Tricks
If you decide to make one, I do want to give you a few tips:
- Make sure the letters on the bottom don’t stick out over the bottom. You will have to store it on one of the sides, so it’s best if the cutouts and letters don’t stick out on the bottom!
- Do multiple coats of chalkboard paint on the star. I did three.
- Use hot glue instead of wood glue. Wood glue took way to long to dry and make a big globby mess. It’s possibly user error, but after using wood glue on the word “day,” I gave up and plugged in my glue gun right away.
- To make a border on the star, I used a paint pen. My favorite ones are in the product links below.
Cute Classroom Ideas for the Beginning of the Year
You may also enjoy these ideas at the beginning of the year.
Photo Booth Props
At our meet the teacher event, I like to have a little photo booth with props. Parents want pictures at this event anyway, and it is fun and simple to make!
Student Gift
Student gifts at the beginning of the year are a fun way to welcome students. With the craze of fidget poppers, I like to give my students a keychain with a little gift tag attached.
Birthday Bags
I like to have student birthday gifts taken care of (and on the wall!) from the start of the year. Read more about that here:
High Level Thinking Back to School Activities
If you’d like more activities for the first days of school that encourage lots of critical thinking, be sure to check out my back to school unit. It has several activities that require critical and creative thinking. It’s a great way to start the year turning your students into thinkers!
Let Me Help You Turn Your Students into Thinkers!
If you have a passion for getting your kids to think, sign up for my email list and stay connected. I’ll send you my current freebie, and will also send you regular emails that give you helpful information (and FREEBIES) geared toward turning your students into thinkers!
Keep those kids thinking!
Colleen Patton
Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. I may get a small commission if you purchase these, but hey that helps me to keep offering some awesome freebies for you!
