While going back to school this year seems different and unsure, it shouldn't stop you from getting your kids set up for success and being creative along with it! I want to thank my friends at Cricut for sponsoring this video and article, and helping me share these fun projects with you. I’m using my handy Cricut Maker, find my machine review here.
These DIYs are great if your kids are in school, distance learning or doing a hybrid model. You can also customize to whatever colors and theme of your choice. In times like these it’s fun to be creative and embrace this time to try something new!
My daughter is starting with 100% distance learning and I wanted to create something special for her, and projects that will also help me stay on track.
I’m using Vinyl by Cricut, and a great product is the Vinyl Starter Kit which comes with 8 sheets, a weeding tool and a scraper. You can use regular Vinyl, glitter, permanent or removable, printed or premium vinyl. Cricut has so many options!
Project #1: Paper Organizer
I’ve has this paper organizer for my daughter’s last school year and wanted to customize it for this year! It’s perfect for organizing and sorting worksheets, art work and other school-related paperwork. I started off by measuring how large I want the graphic on the front and what colors to use.
In Cricut Design Space, I chose two mermaid graphics (because my daughter currently is into mermaids) and added cute fonts for her name and school year. This will hold her worksheets, artwork, and other school-related paperwork for the year. It also has tabs to help you label and separate it however you want.
Creating vinyl stickers is easily my favorite, quick project to do on my Cricut Maker. I can design and create a new project in minutes with just a few materials.
To create a transferrable sticker for all 3 projects you will need:
Cricut Vinyl of your choice
(I used) Cricut Premium Vinyl
Vinyl Starter Kit (Recommended)
Weeding Tool Set (Recommended)
I demonstrate the steps in my YouTube video you can watch here. Or you can scroll to the bottom to watch on this page.You could also customize a plastic file holder bin, binders, folders, or even pencil cases with these vinyl stickers! Overall I loved how this one came out, it’s colorful and fun and will help me stay organized for the upcoming school year.
Project #2: Custom Wall Clock
Onto our next DIY, taking a plain $4 wall clock and some vinyl we are creating a fun clock to help you stay on schedule. With Cricut Design Access, you’ll have access to over 100,000 Cricut images, hundreds of fonts and exclusive savings on accessories, materials, and premium fonts and images. Check the descriptions for more information if you want to sign up! It’s as low as 7.99 a month if you sign up annually!Check out the different plans here.
I found this adorable mermaid image which I thought would look great in the center of the clock. Adding your own custom text is so easy to do and there’s so many fonts to play with. You can also adjust letter and line spacing to get it just how you want it to look. The ruler guide also helps you measure the exact height and width of the image.
Repeat the same process with weeding and applying transfer tape and before you know it you have a sticker! I centered the mermaid image and layered the text over it. I love how the colors came out on this one and my daughter had some extra stickers she wanted to add which included some bubbles and fishes. You can transform something plain that you may already have into something personalized and decorative!
Materials:
Project #3: Rolling Dry Erase Board
This next one has to be my favorite! I got this idea from a friend of mine and got some inspiration from Pinterest. Taking a plain whiteboard, I mapped out the sections I needed and used thin solid wash tape to outline the different sections. Washi tape is super forgiving when you need to make adjustments and comes in lots of colors and patterns. Use a ruler to help guide you in making a straight line.
Kamille helped me add her fun mermaid stickers to the board and helps fill up some space. Now onto designing the titles. I used an easy-to-read font and cut them on my Cricut machine.
You can easily customize this to whatever sections you need, or even create a large calendar. There are so many possibilities! Adding an inspiration quote helps encourage both of us when it gets hard.
Here’s the hack that turns your whiteboard into a rolling one! All you need is a rolling clothing rack and some zip ties! This white board already had holes in the corners to screw it into the wall. You could also drill your own holes for this to work. Simply secure the zip ties onto each end! You can also adjust the height of the board and secure it into place. If you need to, a felt pad to cushion the back where it hits the pole. My whiteboard came with a tray for the pens and it really completes this project.
She was honestly so happy with it! I love that we can both use it for teaching and learning and is like bringing the classroom home. I can easily wheel it to and from different rooms and it fits perfectly next to her desk.
Materials:
If you’re interested in a full tour of her school desk space, leave a comment letting me know!
I talk more about my daughter's set up and what materials I use and recommend on instagram, @MadeSimplyHome
Watch for the tutorial on my Youtube Channel, Life Made Simply with Nikki.
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FTC: This article is sponsored by Cricut. The Cricut Maker machine and materials were provided by Cricut for demonstration and review purposes. As always, the opinions expressed are truthful and my own. Links are affiliate links in which I receive a small commission for purchases made or clicks, which help support this blog. Thank you! #cricutcreated #ad
