DIY Teacher Summer Projects!

Do you walk around stores such as Target, Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Lakeshore Learning and just wish you could buy it all? I know I do, but also know there is now way that I can buy or afford EVERYTHING that I want! However, you sometimes can have it all! When there are things that I know I can make on my own I try my best to do some DIY teacher projects to save some money and still get what I want!

Here are 4 of my DIY teacher projects that I wanted to share with everyone that I have been working on this summer. 

1. Decorated Plastic Drawers
What you need:
Plastic Sterilite 3 drawers (I bought at Walmart)
Scrapbook Paper 12×12
Zots (these are clear dot stickers)

How to Make:
Cut out 2 1/2″ strips of the scrapbook paper. I used 12 strips for 3 drawers. On one of the strips (for the front) I used cut out letters to make the words. I then laminated these strips and then placed a Zot on the front of each corner and the middle of each strip of laminated paper. I then pressed these strips against the inside of the drawers.

How I am using these in my classroom:
These are 3 drawers that I plan on placing at the end of each table. I have 6 tables in my classroom and identify the tables by colors. I made the inside of the drawers the table colors I use so that the students which drawers are theirs. I will be placing these drawers on a smaller plastic table at the end of each table. (I know this sounds confusing, but I will post pictures of what this looks like in my classroom this weekend!)
I plan on placing my students math journals, science journals, and poetry journals in these drawers.

Want to see what these drawers look like in my classroom? You can see them HERE.


2. These fuzz ball critters (I am calling them my ‘star helpers‘) are another project that I made this summer. 

What you need: 
Fuzz balls
Thick felt
Googly eyes
Scissors
Hot glue gun

How to make: I cut hearts out of thick felt and hot glued the fuzz ball to the felt and hot glued the eyes onto the fuzz ball. 

How I am using them in my classroom: Each day there will be a ‘star helper’ on one of the students name tags at each table. That will let the student know that they are in charge of getting the notebooks and journals for their table and passing them out. HOWEVER, if the student with the ‘star helper’ on their name tag is playing with the ‘star helper’ or is not doing what is expected, they will lose their ‘star helper’ for the day and it will be given to the next person at their table. This will save me lots of time from having all of these notebooks and journals in bins and having to call out the names or passing them all out myself! This will also help with classroom management 🙂

Want to see how I use fuzz ball critters in my classroom? I like to call them Mr. Fuzzy and you can see how I use them HERE.

 3. Whisper Phones

          (Duct Tape on top of the PVC Pipe…all done!)

What you need (change # to how many in your class):
25 pieces of PVC Pipes 1/2″ (cut into 6″ length)
5 bags of 1/2″ elbows (comes 10 in a bag and you will use 2 elbows per phone)
Colored Duct Tape
***All purchased at Home Depot. I made 25 whisper phones for less than $10***

How to Make:
I went to Home Depot and had someone working there help me cut the PVC pipe and find the elbows that fit the pipe because I honestly had NO IDEA where to even begin! The PVC pipe comes as one very very long pipe and Home Depot has a special tool that you can use to cut the pipe into 6″ pieces. They were very nice and helpful!
They suggested for me to buy PVC pipe glue to hold the elbows on, but you really do not need it and it will save you some money!
Once you are home, take 2 elbows and place one on each end of the PVC pipe. Make sure to push the elbow on all the way.
I bought bright blue duct tape and wrapped the PVC pipe with the tape to make them WAY more cute!

How I will use them in my classroom:
I plan on using these during guided reading, independent reading of their sight word books, read to self during Monitored Independent Reading, and much more! I can’t wait!

4. Birthday Silly Straws
A cute gift to give your students on their birthday!
-You can buy the silly straws in a pack of 6 at the Dollar Tree.
-I wrote: Happy Birthday to You! Love, Mrs. Miller
on the inside of a balloon on Microsoft Word. Then I copied them onto colored paper, cut them out, laminated them, and taped them onto these silly straws! 
Quick and Easy!

What are some of your favorite DIY teacher projects?

**I will be working in my classroom Friday to start setting it up for the school year! I can’t wait! I will have some pictures up this weekend 🙂 I will also be posting some more summer projects!