If you've never heard of Christmas Crackers before, you are missing out on a amazing tradition. It originated in England, which I lived for a few years. In our family, we take out these bad boys on Christmas Eve and rip them open with a sibling. In store bought ones, there are poppers inside the cracker so that when they rip apart, they make a fun pop sound (I did not opt to do that for mine).
Inside the cracker you get goodies, a paper crown, a toy (the type depends on which cracker you buy), and a super cheesy joke. Ever since we moved to England in 2015, we've done the tradition every Christmas Eve. There was even one year when we were on a cruise during the Christmas and New Year holidays and we're sitting in this fancy restaurant, all dressed up, opening up our Christmas Crackers. All around us are older folks who kept staring at us as we were laughing at the cheesy jokes we shared with one another and wearing our colorful paper crowns. Good times.
So, onto making these amazing crowns. I cannot take credit for this project. This is something I've found and wanted to share with you. I was inspired to do this project by Today We Craft. Click on the name and it'll take you directly to the site where you can read another tutorial for this craft AND download the printable template. As you see below.
You'll need:
The downloaded template (see link above) 8x11 scrapbook paper (1 for each cracker you make) Scissors (or cutting machine) Tape or Glue Goodies Ribbon I bought several sheets of 8x11 scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby (no affiliate links here, just sharing). Then printed out the template onto the blank side of the paper, for obvious reasons. On the template, it tells you to print on A4 paper, but 8x11 is also fine, you just end up with a shorter cracker than what is standard. It won't affect the width. You can easily cut this by hand, or you can cut with your Cricuit or Sillouette machine (I just got one for Christmas, I'm so excited to use it!!). On the template it tells you where to cut and where to fold. If you are doing this by hand, fold first and then cut. It'll save you the headache.
Once you've finished cutting, you are ready to tape this sucker together! If you are using tape, use double-sided tape. Put the glue/tape on first. Then roll it up, and line up the paper. I usually stuck the middle piece together first, but if you're having a hard time lining it up, start with an edge. But either way you do it is fine, as long as it's lined up and sticking together.
You're cracker is almost done! Now is the fun part! Tie up one end with ribbon first, then place whatever goodies you can fit into your cracker (I just stuck with candy, maybe I'll put in a cheesy joke next year). Then tie up the other end.
Your cracker is done! Yay! A simple, fun gift you can make for your friends and family. Keep in mind that the ends won't completely shut because of the nature of the paper, so don't put anything tiny inside. Standard "fun" sized candy is OK.
On the other site, they say that you can add additional decorations to your crackers, but I like to keep things simple and let the design on the paper do the talking. Thanks for reading! Subscribe, like my Facebook Page, or follow me on Pinterest if you want more Crafts for Gifting ideas. See you next time!
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Hey, VIPKID teachers! It's been a while, huh? Sorry about that, it's been one of those months. I never knew I would hate Daylight Savings. Our family is still trying to adjust. Especially me. I did create a new background. I'm thinking it might need a little tweeking, but here it is: Dino's Bakery.
Pretty simple, the fun part is when you add the food rewards. I have several that I use regularly.
SnacksDonutsHello Kitty Food
My favorite part is Hangry Dino.
I collected the parts from different sites and sources. The chef Dino and angry Dino is from a Facebook Group that I am a part of, VIPKID-Videos and Props. If you havent, you should join, they have SO MANY printouts. I’ve made some of mine, but now I can find whatever I need on that site. Its especially great for holiday themed Dinos (post coming on that soon...). So thank you all for your contributions, even if you're not named. I printed out the knife and fork from the internet. I just found a photo that I liked. Same with the oven. I’m not at liberty to post these photos on my site for copyright reasons, but you can easily find them online. Last, but not least, the banner. Its so cute, huh? I found it on this site: The Cottage Market It’s free to download, yay!! On the PDF it has one letter on a page, what I did to save paper on printing was take a screenshot of the letters I wanted and then resize them on Microsoft Word. That way, I easily got the size I wanted. After that, you just cut it out, punch holes in the upper corners, and string it on your choice of string or twine. Have fun with your classroom decorating! See you next time! Subscribe if you’d like to read more.
P.S. If you think this will be a fun job to join, I’d love to help you through the interview process. You can email me with the mail icon below for any questions. My referral code (for when you apply) is: 04A7J3
This was one of my favorite projects to make. It was also my first SUCCESSFUL modge podge project and lead me to discovering Canva, which is one of my favorite sites I use for my crafting.
As you can see, one side is for Christmas and the other Thanksgiving. But I’ve recently found that the Thanksgiving side is also suitable to use for any other time of the year because it matches the colors in my living room.
If you want to be super technical, the project two me two months to make because I completed the Thanksgiving side first and waited until I had more time to work on the Christmas side. So, how was this wonderful idea conceived? It was that time of year when you start thinking about Christmas and gifting; October. I wanted to be frugal in my gift giving this year and craft my gifts to my family and friends. I was looking around Hobby Lobby for ideas and stumbled upon the wood frame. I have always loved the following quote: “Gratitude turns what we have in enough.” It always spoke to me because sometimes the difference between someone who is happy in their life is gratitude. It’s such an important trait to have. Anyways, I saw the wood frame, thought of my beloved quote and the idea was born.
Here's what you need:
-Wooden frame (I got mine at Hobby Lobby) -2 Designed scrapbook papers for the background -2 Plain sheets for the text -Printer -Paintbrushes (just 2) -Acryllic paint of your choice -Scissors -Mod Podge I purchased the scrapbook paper for the background and another one for the text. I love how craft stores allow you to purchase a single sheet. As much as I loved this design, I knew I’d only use it for this project. At the time, I couldn’t find a Christmas scrapbook paper I liked. And seeing that you only see one side at time, I figured I could come back later. Now, the design itself. I must admit that I used Microsoft Word to create this. My brother is a film editor and is well-versed in Adobe Photoshop. For me, it’s hard to get past the interface. I spend 5-10 minutes looking around and then my brain has had enough and I have to leave. Two years earlier, I was getting married and wanted to find a cheap option for wedding invitations. So what did I do? I designed it on Microsoft Word. I'll just spare you from having to look at it. It wasn't bad, but it's not on the same level of what I can create now. My brother was a little embarrassed for me. Oh well, everyone who has gotten married knows how busy you can get and I was planning my wedding AND was going through the busiest time of year at work. You just make it work. Ok, back to my craft. I simply googled the quote for design inspiration, took what I liked and played around with it. Overall, I’m happy with the design but I knew there was a better way to make more designs like this. More on that later. Overall, the project is simple, with lots of room for flexibility to make it the way you want, and then come out with a pretty result you can’t stop looking at. That’s what I love about crafting.
Yes, I had to paint the frame. I actually started off with a lighter brown. Once the first coat started drying, I realized it was not the color I wanted. For the second layer, I added a little bit of black to the brown I was using and it was perfect! After the coats were done, I stenciled out the frame onto the back of the scrapbook paper. I creased the paper in order to get it to shape around the base. You can stencil and cut the paper before you paint the frame, it doesn’t matter.
Overall, with lots of attention, it worked out really well. If you are nervous about cutting too much off, get the initial stencil and then cut it out larger than what you marked it as. Then when you double check to make sure it fits, you have more to cut off. You can always cut off more, but you can’t put it back on. Another tip, if you paint onto the front of the frame, it will hide the fact you accidentally cut off too much. Now, the modge podge. Like I said, this was my first successful modge podge project. A few of the other ones I had made previously look fine, but there are air bubbles :( At this point, I had only been seriously crafting for a couple of months and this was more ambitious project of mine.
As you can see, it’s turned out beautifully. Now, here’s my trick: don’t put the podge on the paper, but on wood frame itself. I found that when you place podge on the paper, it starts to curl, making it difficult to spread on the whole paper evenly. Also, you want a decent coat of podge and you can’t get that when you spread it on the paper. However, if you can put on the paper and make it work for you, more power to you, but I prefer putting it on a hard surface.
First, I placed on the scrapbook paper and then the design. I chose to not to spread podge on top of the paper because I didn’t want the glossy finish. A benefit of putting podge on top is that it gives it a protective seal which will prevent the paper from peeling off in the future. I decided to take my chances. Give it 5 to 10 minutes to dry before you put this top layer on or else you WILL get bubbles. Oh, I did spread the podge on the paper when I put the paper with the text on the scrapbook paper, I guess the success I had with the scrapbook paper gave me confidence to try spreading the podge on the paper instead of the hard surface. It is a smaller paper and that's easier to handle.
Now, the knob on top. It’s removable so it wasn’t on when I stenciled and podged the paper on the frame. When I placed it back on, I knew something was missing. So I pulled out my handy-dandy twine! I bought this months ago for a project and is now one of my favorite products for my crafts. I use it for all of my banners. Best purchase I have ever made.
The bow was inspired by a photo block I saw at my aunt’s, which also had a bow tied on top. Most of the time when you see bows tied on top of projects like this, there’s multiple strands of ribbon with many colors. Not what I wanted though, simplicity usually works best for me. Plus it’s easier to match with the other side of the reversible when you chose something simpler. I was so excited with how this turned out! I could finally podge on a piece of paper onto a project and make it look beautiful, it was a big step in my crafting. There was a victory dance involved in celebration. Now the Christmas side. Selecting the scrapbook paper and the quote I wanted was easy. But the design for the quote was the tricky part. I really didn’t want to use Microsoft word again. So I did some research on software programs you can use to create these. I ran into an app called, “Typorama.” I used this program for the design, however, it’s the only one I plan on using it for. It didn’t have the flexibility I wanted and if you want to print it out or share it, you have to have to make a purchase to get rid of the watercolor. Lame. I used a photoshop program I have called, “Photoscape X” to rid of this problem, just don’t tell them.
After some tinkering, I was satisfied and stuck with it, but knowing I’d use something else in the future. You know, that’s the thing about building a skill such as crafting; you make mistakes, make it work, learn from it, and do better next time. And I wouldn’t have discovered Canva. I am absolutely in love with their software and I haven’t even bothered trying other programs. But I think that’s a story for another time. I will say this: after I started using Canva, my printables have become a big part of my crafting. I’ve found it’s something I LOVE to make. It’s my little niche in my crafting.
Stay tuned for more projects and tips on how to decorate your home on a budget.
One holiday done, two more to go! You can find some pretty cute stuff to use for Thanksgiving, you just have to look. I make things easy for myself and use some of my Fall decorations again during this month. I mean, why not, I really like them and you can use them for more than a month.
In this post, I’ll share another set of links to FREE printables I like and use for my own personal decorations. "Thanks" Banner
I had a hard time finding a Thanksgiving banner I liked. I wanted to have a message that went along with the holiday, but my apartment is small, so I have to be careful not to have a banner that is so large it overpowers my wall space. Most of the banners said, “Give Thanks” or “Thanksgiving” etc. There were also designs I just didn’t like. I’m not a huge fan of the vintage look, it’s alright, but it’s not who I am. This particular banner was a great find! I found this on Mimi's Dollhouse, be sure to check it out!
Once you go to the link, you’ll see I didn’t print out all the pages of the banner, I only used part of it. It’s simply because: 1. The letters are HUGE; 2. I didn’t have the wall space. So for me, a simple, “Thanks” felt sufficient. I used a hole punch to cut out the holes I needed to hang it up on the twine. Thanksgiving Subway Art
I found this free printable on: How to Nest for Less. You guys, the internet is a wonderful place full of so many great things.
Again, a simple subway art modge podged onto a canvas. If you need an explanation of how to modge podge, refer to my DIY Decor: Halloween (Part 1). There were many subway arts available, but this is the one I liked the best. Refer to my Pinterest page for more references. Fall Leaf Banner
This took a long time to do, but it’s so worth it! I found this printable on A Beautiful Mess.
What I love about this is it gives you the flexibility to choose which colors you want! I used yellow, orange, and red colored paper. I printed one copy of each color. Cutting it out took a long time, so make sure you have something on Netflix to help pass the time. Then, cut out a whole with a hole puncher, string it one your twine, and done! If you'd like a more complete tutorial, I also wrote about this craft on another site as a guest writer on DIY Craftz. You'll read a more detailed tutorial for putting a printable onto a canvas. Thanks for reading, guys. I have some pretty fun posts coming up, see you soon!
Earlier this month, we had General Conference. For those who don't know what this is, it is a general meeting where all the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meet up to hear from the leaders of the church (of course, nonmembers are invited to). There were many wonderful talks given during this session.
For my Visiting Teaching Printable this month, I have the opportunity to select a quote from a talk that inspired me. I have chosen Pres. Uchtdorf's talk, "The Three Sisters." It touched me so deeply that it's hard for me to describe it because the thoughts I'm processing are so abstract. Maybe one day I'll completely understand why this talk touches me so much. But one thing I do know is that I know this quote is true. If you are interested in downloading this quote, please click on the title below.
Your Choices - November 2017
I'm back! Fellow crafters, my apologies for not creating more posts on crafts, it's the holidays you know.
Anyways, onto the post, VIPKID teachers! This was the second theme I created for my classroom, the Cloud Background was the first (feel free to check it out). Out of all the ones I've created, this one is probably the one that gets used the most. I guess it's my favorite... I don't know. I love the Halloween background I created and the one for the Chinese Mid Autumn Festival. Feel free to check those out too.
Making the background itself is very simple. It's just a bunch of stars and a moon I cut free hand from black and white paper. I added the rocket Dino later on when I found him on Facebook (thanks again for sharing, fellow teachers!). They all stick up with tape.
Obviously, I couldn't use yellow stars in a yellow fabric, so I though black stars would be a fun contrast, and I was totally right! The white stars you see came to be on accident. I was printing out the stars on black paper and accidentally ordered two copies instead of just one. Oh well, might as well use them. Turns out they're a fun addition to the background as well. So I've kept them. (Want your own starry sky? Get the printable below!)
I place the stars in a different spot every time. I use the loop Velcro stuck onto my fabric as a marker for where the stars should go. That way, all the stars are shown on the camera and they fill the background nicely. And these I stick up with tape. I don't move them during my classes, so I haven't had any issues with them falling off. If it ever happens, then I just replace the tape when I finish classes.
The photo you see above is one of the rewards I only use with this theme: rockets. This is how I add variety to my classroom and make sure I don't use the same rewards over and over again. Sometimes I cheat and use the rockets if I feel like the kid will really enjoy it for another theme. But usually, they only appear when I put up this theme. Here are some other rewards I've made:
AliensRobots
I also have one for Shooting Stars as well for the girls. Right now I'm kicking myself for not taking a screen shot of this reward. I'll share a photo of it on my Facebook Page so you can see what it's like later on.
Here's the link for the stars printable. Click on the title to download it: (Note: here's what I originally made this template for) Stars Template
Thanks for reading. If you are interested in getting a copy of the rewards you saw today, Contact Me. See you next time!
P.S. If you think this will be a fun job to join, I’d love to help you through the interview process. You can email me with the mail icon below for any questions. My referral code (for when you apply) is: 04A7J3
This week's VIPKID post is about how I use Velcro in my classroom. I'm fairly new, so I've been partially making up my own way of creating a classroom, and then borrowing things from other people, especially with rewards. One trend I've been noticing is that people use baking sheets to hold up rewards they give in their classroom. If you've read my previous posts, you've seen that there is NO WAY I can use a baking sheet. There's my husband's desk, which has my props, and then the PVC Pipe Stand behind my chair. The only thing my students can see is me and my PVC pipe stand-made background behind me. There's no where to prop one of those up.
Those are great rewards for brand new students or little 5 to 7 year olds, but what about the older kids? Those rewards are BORING. I have loved how we share with each other, it's so great. I hope this is making a great contribution. It's my way of giving back.
I've read how teachers give their students emojis and stick it onto a phone. Or how they play the game, "Find the Star." I have a few students who LOVE that game. Dress Dino has also been a hit with my kids too. However, most people I know use a cookie sheet to help display this reward. Well, here's how I've overcome that problem for my classroom. Emoji/Phone Reward
Let's start with this one. It'll lay the foundation for the rest of rewards I use. What I've done to display the reward is that I've placed a piece of adhesive hook velcro onto the back of my phone. Like this:
I also made my own handle out of tape on the back to make it so I can hold onto the phone without having my fingers in the way when I bring the reward up close to the screen (I hardly use it though). At the beginning of class and when I'm not using the reward, I'll fasten it on a piece of loop velcro on the fabric behind me. When I'm using the reward, I'll unfasten it from the fabric and bring it up close to the camera so the students can see the details better.
So that's all fine and dandy, but how do you stick the reward onto the phone over and over again? Tape? That's what I used to do. However, I found that over time, the tape would lose it's stick. Or even worse, it would rip off some of the paper from another reward. I have several rewards that just look awful because the tape has ripped some of the image off. But I guess you have to live and learn.
So my friends, I've decided to use Sticky Tack! I've had this stuff since I first went to college almost ten years ago and it's still going! It's pretty easy to take on and off, it doesn't lose it's stick as easily, and it won't ruin your other rewards.
Pretty easy, and very effective.
I use this same concept when I put my "Find the Star" reward together. I cover my "Find the Star" sheet with a sheet protector. Then I cover each image with a numbered square, stuck on with sticky tack, and hang it in the back just like this phone. Easy!
Dress Dino
I love when I get the kids who pick all the crazy items, like the clown hat and the pirate's cap. So fun! As you can see, same principle, Dino has a piece of adhesive hook velcro on the back and it's fastened to a loop piece on my fabric.
All of the costume items have a piece of sticky tack and I simply place it on Dino during the lesson. Because I haven't laminated Dino, he now has some nice blue spots where I usually put the sticky tack (oops, didn't see that one coming).
Here's something to keep in mind. Most of the time, one piece of tack will work. But if the item is pretty big, like the clown wig, you'll need an additional piece. I've had the wig fall off on me a few times during a lesson... I normally play it off, but it wastes time having to pick it back up and put it back on.
We dress Dino after I've award a star, it gives them a little break. So with 5 stars, we put on 5 pieces. We start with the smaller pieces (sunglasses, tie, etc.) and save the big ones for last. They don't have as much time to fall off that way. Now, here's a teaching technique I'm going to share. Right now, I mostly teach Level 2 and a few Level 3 students. With their limited English, they don't know the word "dress" yet. So this image you see below is what the kid would see at the beginning of class (except I'm waving hi):
Then when I tell them what they get to do today, I unfasten Dino from my fabric and bring him up to the screen saying, "You get to dress Dino!" And they see Dino in his costume and think, "Oh, that's cool. Dino looks funny." But then, I take off the pieces and that's when they understand, "Oh! We're putting stuff on him! That's cool." I've seen several light bulb moments happen when I've done it this way. Then they're excited for the reward.
Recently, my technique is that we "build" the background with the rewards. The background starts with just the base decor and is built from there. In this case, you see the end from the beginning. I also use this technique with my Emoji/Phone reward as well, but I usually just have one on there from the beginning and keep it up there for the entire class. Well, that's it, folks! That's my classroom set-up. As I've stated before, I don't know if this has affected my ratings. I haven't had a parent comment on my background in the feedback. I have had parents say that the class has a fun atmosphere, and I feel how I've made my classroom background look and function has something to do with it. But like I've heard from someone on Facebook about bookings, "personality and talent win through in the end." I think that's very true. We're all our own individuals. If this is something that interests you and would like to read more posts, subscribe to my email list below. Or like my Facebook or Pinterest page (the links are also below). I generally post a new VIPKID-related craft once a week. Next week, I'll be sharing my Starry Sky theme and rewards I've created for this theme. See you then!
P.S. If you think this will be a fun job to join, I’d love to help you through the interview process. You can email me with the mail icon below for any questions. My referral code (for when you apply) is: 04A7J3
Want more tricks? Check out my new post: My VIPKID Classroom Upgrade. You'll love it!
Happy Halloween everyone! What a fun time of year. All the decorating, treats, parties. It's so great! I've heard about VIPKID teachers dressing up for their students on Halloween, which sound so fun! I decided to add my own fun to my classroom by creating a special background for the holiday.
Ta-da!! I actually tried it out today for my classes, and I LOVED it. If you look at the moon, it's the same one I used for my Mid Autumn Festival background. The bats were from another project I've done recently. If you go to DIY Decor: Halloween (Part 2), you'll find the link to the site where I got these specific bats from. You can also google bat template as well if that's easier for you.
In addition to this fun background, I also found a couple of masks from a Holiday Incentives PDF file someone shared with a ton of holiday rewards on them. So what I plan on doing with my regulars is surprise them by wearing these masks right when I open the screen.
Yea, I know, I probably should cut out the holes for the eyes. I'll get to it later. But it's a fun little thing I've added. I like good surprises, and I like giving good surprises.
In the photo on the left, you see my Dress Dino reward. What I do at the beginning of class is I put a few things on Dino, then I bring Dino up to the screen and take off the items. That way if a student doesn't know what "to dress" means, I've demonstrated it at the beginning of the lesson. So far, its been successful with my older students (thank again for sharing friends!). This Dino is sticking onto the fabric using velcro. Next week, I'm going to show you all my tricks with velcro. If you're like me and don't have somewhere to place your cookie sheet for the student to see, or if you're finding that magnets are expensive, this is a great post! Below is another reward I used today in my classroom, all hung up with velcro. The Haunted House
This project took a couple of hours to put together, but it's totally worth it. Very first thing I did was google cute Haunted House clipart. I was looking at different types of houses to see what kind of look I like and what fitted with what I needed. I realized that I needed something tall and skinny for my background, or else my chair will cover up most of the house for most of the lesson. So after finding a house I like and suited what I needed, I set up the papers I needed for the house and drew the template by hand.
Trust me, I am not an artist. What I love about making Haunted Houses is that it's meant to look funky and wobbly. So any artistic level can make a haunted house. I kept the photo of the house next to me for reference as I drew it out.
As you can see, I took 2 black papers and taped them together vertically, creating a tall and skinny house. I did not tape or glue the papers on the front together. Later on, you'll be using plenty of tape that it won't need it. After this is all done, I cut out the house.
I used a craft knife to cut out the windows, door, and bar under the roofs. Craft knifes take some practice to cut perfectly straight lines. Luckily for us, this is a Haunted House. It doesn't matter how straight the windows and door are!
While you have the option of leaving the windows be and color them in yourself. I decided to add a little color to my house and make the windows and door different Halloween colors. I saw this from another haunted house as I was doing my research and LOVED it. You grab the colors you want and cut the paper to the size of your windows. To get the size I needed, I took the paper and lightly traced the edge of the window onto the paper. Then when I cut out the paper, I made it bigger than the trace I drew from the house. Then I taped it onto the back of the house.
So far, very simple. The longest part of this project is coming up with your design and then adding the decorations. I used a silver sharpie to draw the tiles. I drew a line because I wanted to make a distinction between the house the roofs on the side of the house. From there, I just decided to draw an outline for the entire house, including the windows and door. I drew on the spider webs and bars to make the window pane. You can do this before you tape the windows onto the house, but I did it afterwards. Either works.
I added the pumpkins and ghosts to add to the overall cuteness of the house. I already had them from previous projects. You can find the link to download a printable for the ghosts on this page. So there you have it, my adorable Halloween background. I have several rewards created just for this background, Dress Dino, Dino costume, Halloween Hello Kitty, and I'm going to create a candy reward for my 5 year old beginners. All of these you can find on Prop and Reward Facebook groups. Because they're not my creation, I do not feel I can share them on my site. I'm sure you can find them. Thanks for reading! Like my Facebook or Pinterest page. Subscribe below if that's your thing. Again, next week, I'm going to be talking about my tips and tricks for using velcro for those classrooms where you don't have another surface to prop up your rewards. Stay tuned!
P.S. If you think this will be a fun job to join, I’d love to help you through the interview process. You can email me with the mail icon below for any questions. My referral code (for when you apply) is: 04A7J3
As promised, here are more Halloween Decoration ideas for your home. This is a series post, if you are interested, read Part 1. Again, I'll be sharing projects that I have found and made. I'll provide links and any additional tips you'll need to make this project successful! Thanks for reading!
Spooky Haunted House
This project is a little more elaborate and time consuming, but has super cute results!
This is a paper house with a battery-powered candle inside. I got it from Catherine Holden's Inspired Barn. However, since I have visited her site, she has deleted the post. You can still find this template on my Pinterest page. Just make sure it's only for personal use. Making the house is pretty self explanatory. Even on the template it tells you where to cut and fold. I used a baking sheet to cover the back of the windows instead of buying a sheer paper. It also creates a sheer effect on your windows, and its something I already had in my home. I simply taped it onto the inside of the house before I folded it all together. Instead of using just black card stock, I purchased a textured scrapbook paper to add more to the look. I love it. I printed out the template of the house on a separate piece of white paper and then traced it onto my black scrapbook paper with a silver sharpie that way I could see where to cut. If I was using a different color, I probably would’ve just printed it out on the scrapbook paper itself. To cut out the windows, you'll need a craft knife. Once you've cut it out and folded it, just glue it together on the extra flaps. I couldn’t figure out how the roof fit onto the rest of the house from the template and directions provided (which are now gone). So I improvised. I cut off the roof from the rest of the template. Then, I glued the top of the roof together, then cut out the points you see on the edges. Afterwards, glued it back onto the rest of the house. The house itself ends up being about 2 to 3 inches tall, but it’s still so cute! This is one of the templates you can use to create a little village. I was going to make another house, but I never made the time after I finished this one. I’m sure you have the freedom to cut out the roof in any style you want or even make the roof a different color than the house itself. I also liked how easy it is to take the house off the base for easy access to the candle. You probably don’t even have to cut out a base, honestly. I'm a little sad to find that this project has been removed from the blog universe. It's super cute and easy to make. I even bought a craft knife specifically for this project and have rarely used it since. Bat Lamp
Give yourself a reason to turn on your lamp this Halloween!
This is a super easy project to get done. I saw the idea on Pinterest. I actually looked online for bat printables and found a free printable through Our Hopeful Home. You can also find this on my Halloween Pinterest page. I cut out the bats and then taped this onto the part of the lamp shade you see. I didn't have enough bats to cover the entire circumference of the lamp shade, but then, why would put bats on the part of the lamp shade you can't see? So far, I've probably only spent $15-$25 on decorations, probably even less! Most of the crafts I made were with things I already had; colored paper, twine, and acrylic paint. Then many of the other things I needed cost less than a dollar. Talk about awesome. Thanks for reading, be sure to stay tuned for more Fall decor ideas. Soon, I'll be sharing my Thanksgiving crafts. You're going to love them! Subscribe if you wish, or join my Facebook or Pinterest page. See you next time!
Welcome back, VIPKID teachers! I hope last night's frenzy treated you just as well as it treated me. I FINALLY have a completely booked schedule for the next two weeks! Whoot whoot! Took me 6 weeks to get there, and here's hoping it stays that way!
Anyways, I'm assuming that if you're reading this post, you've probably already read my other two background posts: Backgrounds for your VIPKID Classroom and Mid Autumn Festival Background. If you haven't read those posts, be sure to check those out for some inspiration. Today's post is a little more about the nitty-gritty details of it's development. Plus, I'll be revealing some of my newest background projects (!!). Before we continue, I wanted to make this disclaimer: I am not advertising in any way. I have no idea if this set-up has affected my booking rates in any fashion. This is something that I have come up with and I wanted to share it with you. For me, it keeps the classes interesting. I love decorating and making decorations; it's a creative outlet for me. All I know is that in my 40 days, I've had consistent bookings. But it just might be my adorable personality...no idea! This is also with Level 2 students in my mind, I have no idea what older kids would think...
This is my classroom. I work on my husband's desk, which sits in a corner of our living room.
As you can see, my classroom background is held up by a PVC frame, you can read about how I constructed this frame here: PVC Pipe Stand. So far, it's pretty great. It takes 3 minutes to set up and put away the frame and the fabric and another minute to set up the background I want. It's also easy to store as well. The down-side is since the pieces are 5' long, I can't take this frame with me on a plane. Unless you cut the pieces into smaller chunks and connect them... I might do that and let you know how it goes...stay tuned.... I've printed out several images of Dino and tape one them up everyday, again, it's the variety that keeps things interesting for me. I've also printed out the VIPKID logo, and then I've created a banner that has my name on it. This is my "typical" set-up. It's for days I don't feel like being creative and just want something up.
Pretty simple, but cute. This isn't a specific theme, so in terms of rewards, I can use any of the ones I've created, like Legos. As you see in the photo on the right, I have some rewards placed up after the student has earned them. These rewards are put on with tape. It worked for a while and if I only put those rewards in that corner of my background. Eventually, the tape gets old and doesn't guarantee sticking for an entire lesson. I've had several drop on me during lessons. It's a little embarrassing.
So here is my solution:
VELCRO!!
I've placed about 15-20 (I lost count...) pieces of loop velcro onto my fabric. I used the velcro that has an adhesive back on it. And unless you buy a industrial strength version, you'll need to sew the loop velcro onto your fabric as well for reinforcement. Just be aware that it'll ruin your sewing needle with a awful stickiness...so maybe don't use an adhesive back for your loop velcro and just sew it on in the first place. :D Or just don't care about it because you don't want to buy two versions of velcro. I LOVE this because now my set-up is even FASTER. I use the velcro as markers for where I place my pictures and banners and I'll know that they'll fit on the screen the way I want them to. Plus now my rewards can be scattered throughout the screen instead of just stuck in one corner, like this:
This is from my Mid Autumn Festival Background. Read more about it here.
As I've been taping hook velcro pieces onto my rewards. I came across another problem: I need WAY more hook pieces than I need loop pieces. I don't want to keep buying loop pieces whenever I run out of hook pieces! Well luckily Amazon is amazing and they sell just hook pieces. You can find it here. Note: I am not a part of an affiliate program with Amazon, I'm just sharing the wealth. I'm going to make life EASIER for me buy purchasing the count coins instead of the roll of tape. It saves time on cutting out the pieces. So there you have it, a typical day in the set-up of my classroom. Next, I'll be sharing my Starry Sky background. Further on this month, I'll be revealing my Halloween background. I'm so excited! I've been collecting reward clipart, including this fun one where Dino is dressed in different costumes. Thanks for reading, subscribe if you can't wait to see my Halloween background. Or join my Facebook page. Links are at the top of the page. See you next time!
P.S. If you think this will be a fun job to join, I’d love to help you through the interview process. You can email me with the mail icon below for any questions. My referral code (for when you apply) is: 04A7J3
Want more tricks? Check out my new post: My VIPKID Classroom Upgrade. You'll love it! |
About MeHello! My name is Char. Thank you for visiting my blog, CallCrafts. I am a wife and mother who LOVES to make things. Read tutorials on crafts I've created to decorate my home, for parties, and more! Read more about me in My Story.
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