Once again, summer is
coming to an end and school bells are beginning to ring. A way to “beat the back to school
blues” is to make crafty projects that will be “cool” for the new school year,
as well as, a few activities that will preserve the memories of the
summer. The requirements are
simple: some creative materials, a little imagination and access to a computer. No matter what your child’s age, going
back to school is a milestone parents and children can enjoy together while
making fun projects. Here are two of my favorites I made with my children years ago and will repeat this project with my grandkids.
My Summer Vacation Shirt
Preserve your kids’ summertime memories on a tee shirt—a
great way to “show and tell” everyone at school how you spent your vacation. First you need some pictures that you
took on a digital camera. Download these on a
computer; crop and adjust the size you want. There is a special paper that can be bought at office and
craft stores that is fabric on one side and an iron-on material on the
back. This paper can go through
your ink-jet printer capturing photos that can be placed onto your shirt. You and your child can also download
clip art on the computer; just type in school, vacation, or summer clip art on
any search engine to find the sites.
Download and print these on special paper too. Now that you have all your materials printed, just cut,
place and press them on with an iron (parent supervision needed). Voila, a special shirt that will let
the memories of summer live on!
Buy your fabric transfer paper HERE.
Recycled Jeans Lunch Sack
Cut a 12-16 inch section from the leg of the jeans above.
Turn the bag inside out and sew the bottom pieces together with a seam. Fold over a half-inch strip around the
top and sew it down to make a casing. Through an opening left in the casing, thread a 3-foot length of cording
or ribbon and knot the two ends together.
Now, turn the bag to the right side. You can download some clip-art on the computer to the special
iron-on paper and place these designs on the bag. Have your child write his/her
name and make other enhancements using fabric paints. These lunch bags are definitely handy—if they get dirty,
just toss them into the washing machine!
Fabric paints can be bought HERE.
Get creative during these last few days of summer. Going back to school doesn't have to be dull -- make it bright and happy with these cute projects.
Happy Parenting,
Tania
Photos courtesy of Tania Cowling, all rights reserved
My projects have been posted on other sites and magazines in the past.
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