Crafting, crafting, and more crafting (#Create2Educate)

Thanks Tara for hosting the Linky!

I have told you before that I am just not a crafty person.  It isn't that I *can't* do crafts...I can.  I just don't particularly enjoy them.  Most of the time, things just seem far too complicated for me to even fathom beginning, so I don't.

HOWEVER, I do venture into the world of crafting every once in a while...when the project is easy enough for me to complete.  And a few weeks ago, I opened my email inbox to discover a little note from our friends at Michaels.  You know, the craft store.  They wanted to give me $100 to buy things to make for my classroom!  $100!!  Can you believe it?  So I quickly hightailed it out to my nearest Michaels to buy all the things I would need to make some simple crafts for my upcoming school year.  Today, I am going to share with you 3 projects that I created with the materials I got that were super easy....even the most uncrafty of us all can do them.  ;)

5th Grade Math Clock

Now, some of you may remember this post that I did about this fabulous clock I saw at Target a few months back.  I had the kids do a great math project with it and all was well.  But I couldn't get the clock out of my head.  It was, however too over the heads of my students.  So what I did was make my own!  It was super easy.  All of the pieces are there at Michaels for you.  Basically, I painted the wood, created my own math sentences on the computer that would equal the numbers 1 - 12, cut them out, decoupaged them onto the wood, attached the clock pieces, and, viola, I have a neat little clock for my classroom!  Now just to figure out where to put it ;)  Here are the math sentences in case you want to use them.

Here are the directions.  Click to enlarge.

Reading Genre Canvases

These were inspired by my friend Susie, the Panicked Teacher.  She has these great reading genre posters that you can print out (for free ;) ) and I wanted something similar (to go along with my genre study for The Book Whisperer).   So when I saw that Michaels had these 8 x 10 art canvases on sale, I knew I had to convert the canvases into my own genre posters!  I searched the internet for pictures of book covers, quotes, and other related things for each reading genre.  I then cut them out, decoupaged the pictures to the canvases, and they were done!  These will look great in my library.

Here are the directions....in pictures.  Click to enlarge.

Close up views of the genre posters.

Class Picture Frame

I already shared how I made this with you here, so I am not going to do it again.  However, it is part of the projects I made from my Michaels spree...so I thought I would include it :)  Feel free to hop over to the original post to read all about it.








OK...so those are the three projects I created.  I am now officially crafted out!  :)

However, you probably are not.  And my friends at Michaels are going to try and help you to make your crafting a bit easier, by giving away one $50 giftcard to a lucky classroom crafter each and every day from now until August 3!

Michaels is having a #Create2Educate sweepstakes on Instagram!!!  All you have to do is create your own Back-to-School project—anything from classroom décor and organization, to a learning activity for your students. Then, enter the Michaels sweepstakes by uploading a photo of your creation to Instagram using #Create2Educate AND #sweepstakes.

Each day they’ll feature their favorite Instagram photos on the Michaels “Classroom Ideas” Pinterest board, and randomly pick one lucky teacher daily to win a $50 Michaels Gift Card.  Create as many Back-to-School projects as you’d like and upload photos of them to Instagram for more chances to win.

#Create2Educate opens for entries on July 21st and closes on August 3rd. Head to Michael’s and get inspired today.

And if you aren't following them already, they are @MichaelsStores.  (I am @TeachinginRoom6 if you want to follow me too ;) )

Phew!  That was a long one!  Now I am off to relax.  All of this crafting made me tired ;)