Classroom Makeover: Construction

Classroom make-overing is still going strong. Our goal is to be finished by Sept. 6th . Can we do it? Guess we'll see...

To be continued...

Classroom Makeover: Window Treatments

Are you curious as to what our project was that required so many tools?

Portable 17 has quite shoddy blinds. They never work. It get any sunlight in, I have to take down the whole blind, roll up, and then place it back on the hooks. This year, I opted for curtains and a valence.

After telling J what I wanted, he came up to school and built me valences and curtain rods.

Of course, I needed the wood to be covered in something cute! We checked out Old Time Pottery because a friend had such luck find nicely priced designer fabric there. I did not have the same luck, but another shopper told me that Jo-Ann's was having a 60% off fabric sale. That fit well in my slowly diminishing $80 budget.To my luck, I found the perfect material.

Bright colors, but not over powering. The light grayish blue also works so well with my newly painted walls. I felt even better about my purchase, when I saw that Meg from DesignStar also used the same material! ( I would so be an interior designer in my next lifetime!)

Here is the almost final product...

I am still working on the curtain part, but had a little speed bump in my progress.

It is looking nicer and nicer!

Classroom Makeover: Painting with a Friend

What is better than sitting and being creative with a friend after a long Monday at work? In my opinion, nothing. It is even greater when that relaxing time produces something cute for your classroom.

A couple of summers ago, my friend Renee and I (along with some other girlfriends) got together to share a bottle of wine and splash some color on canvases. We sat on a porch and enjoyed the company almost as much as we enjoyed the creative expression. I decided I wanted to do that again so I called R. There was no wine and no porch, but there was The Civil Wars pandora station and Pinterest. :) From Pinterest inspiration, we created these for Portable 17.

I cannot wait to hang these puppies today! I wouldn't mind if this became a once a month tradition.

Thanks, Renee for being so super!

Classroom Makeover: The Mousepad

Because I am still one of those teachers that has a desktop computer, I still have the pleasure of using a mousepad. (Do kids today even know what mousepads are?!?! ;) ) My good old companion is a blue worn out Dell branded pad. It looked as old as me. In 5 minutes, it became a piece of cuteness.

The materials: mousepad, fabric, Heat n Bond, iron, scissors.

The directions:
1. Using the mousepad as a stencil, trace and cut out fabric with all sides being 1 in. out from mousepad.
2. Trace and cut out Heat n Bond with all sides being 1/2 in. out from mousepad.
3. Place bumpy side of Heat n Bond down on backside of fabric.
4. Iron on a low heat. (Needs to be hot enough to adhere, but not so hot the paper crinkles.)
5. After cooling, remove paper backing of Heat n Bond.
6. Place sticky side of fused fabric on top of the mousepad. (Goodbye Dell!)
7. Iron fabric on same setting.
8. After cooling, trim excess fabric.

Viola!

Cost? Free! (Mousepad was already mine. Fabric and Heat n Bond were left over from past projects.)

A little 5 minute makeover for the classroom!

Classroom Makeover: The Before

Maybe it is because of all the HGTV Design Star I have been watching...
Maybe it is because of the Martha Stewart Living magazines that arrived in my mailbox...
Maybe it is because school is about to be back in session...
Maybe it is because I was sick of the storeroom that my portable at school became...
Maybe it is because of my need to make all things pretty...
Whatever it was, I signed myself up for a challenge.

$80 to make over my portable.

Portable 17, also known as the Family Resource Center is my little home away from home during the months of August through June. It is an office for Mr. Seay and me. It is a classroom for parent trainings. It is a lab for interventions and homework clubs. It is a conference room. Last year it looked like a dump.

With only one row of windows, shades that do not work, institutional beige walls, and mismatched everything, I knew that I did not want to be there much less parents that came to the school. Nothing about it was comfortable. Over time, I added little things to "make it work" as Tim Gunn says. I made bulletin boards out of paper and blank walls. I found a free couch. A desk was given to me. Still at the end of the year, I hated the long days there (especially the ones that consisted of regular school hours, followed by homework club, followed by a parent training... that is a 12 hour work day!)

This summer I was given $80. (Don't worry teachers, it was not Title I fund or school money!) $80 that will transform my place of work. $80 that can create a space in which parents and visitors can be comfortable. $80 that will encourage learning. Stay tuned to see what this becomes...

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