Back-to-School Crafts

Back to School Crafts: Backpack Tags

Even the littlest kids have backpacks or bags they carry to school every day. Help them remember which one is theirs by letting them decorate a personalized tag for their bag.

You can buy shrinkable plastic at your local craft store (Shrinky Dinks is probably the most well-known brand). Prepare according to package directions (some brands require sanding before decorating) and cut out a shape you like: a tag, an apple, a star, a circle. Remember that the piece is going to get about one-third smaller in the oven, so keep your piece bigger than you’d want it to turn out.

Have the child write his or her name on the tag (or write it for them if you have very small children) and then allow them to decorate the tag with markers, colored pencils or rubber stamps.

Use a hole punch to make a hole in one end of the tag. The hole will shrink, too, so make it bigger than the hole punch allows. Then bake the tag according to package directions and use a key ring or lanyard hook to attach the tag to a zipper pull or the fabric hook on the backpack.

Back to School Crafts: Locker Magnets

Older kids who have lockers at school might like to decorate magnets to help hold things up in their lockers. You can make almost anything into a magnet with a purchased small round magnet or magnet strip and a hot glue gun. Or you can buy magnets that have sticky material on one side, so you can just peel and stick.

Some ideas for magnets include: buttons, marbles, decorated cardstock (or glue a favorite picture to heavy cardstock), decorated compact disks (only use scratched up ones), little trinkets, etc.

These magnets are totally personal and a quick, easy craft your young adult can make herself and share with all her friends.

Back to School Crafts: Locker Caddy

Speaking of locker organizers, take a small cardboard box (like a Pot-Tart box) and wrap it with Con-Tact paper of any color, or, if you can’t find a color you like, glue or tape colored paper (think wrapping paper, or the pages of magazines) to the box and then wrap with clear shelf paper.

Using a heavy piece of cardboard to make dividers within the box. Wrap these pieces to match the rest of the box. You can easily make dividers by cutting two pieces of cardboard the same width as the box, then cutting a slit down the middle of one, leaving an inch or two uncut. Then slide the two pieces together and slide them into the box.

Add an adhesive-backed magnet or two if you want to hang the box, or just leave it to sit on the floor or shelf of the locker. Fill with pencils, hairbrushes and other important supplies.

Back to School Crafts: Notebook Covers

Kids of all ages need notebooks to write notes in during class, but they’re all pretty boring looking. To remedy this, use double-stick tape to attach a piece of construction paper, any color, to the front (and/or the back) of the notebook. Draw designs on the paper with crayons, markers, gel ink pens or colored pencils. You can also use stickers, rubber stamps, glitter, cut out pictures, whatever you want.

When you’ve got everything looking just the way you want, cover the construction paper with clear Con-Tact paper. You could also use this idea to jazz up purchased or homemade book covers.

Collage Back to School Crafts

Young kids might like a collage of pictures of them at home with their parents, while older kids would like to use pictures of themselves hanging out with their friends. Whichever way you want to do it, collect photos and make a collage using a large piece of paper for backing.

Take the collage to a color printer and get several copies made (if you want to use it several places).

These collages can be used in magnetic picture frames, as a wrap for a pencil can or box, in the box or notebook crafts above, or simply slid into the front of a three-ring binder that has an insert in the cover.

This is a fun way to keep summer memories close as the school year begins.

Back to School Crafts: Terra Cotta Apple

Sure, most teachers are probably sick of getting things shaped like apples, but this one is actually useful. Get a terra cotta pot, any size, with a drain plate that is a size smaller than the pot, and paint these pieces red (or yellow, or green). The idea is that the plate is the top of the apple, so it needs to just fit on the top of the pot.

When the paint has dried, attach a raffia bow and a couple of leaves to the top of the apple (that’s the bottom of the plate) with tacky glue or a glue gun. You can decorate the apple by painting on a “chalkboard” with black paint and then, after it dries, write a message to the teacher on the board with white paint. Or use chalkboard paint and write a message in chalk, which the teacher will then be able to change later.

Fill the “apple” with goodies, like candy, erasers, paperclips, spare change, etc. Give to the teacher or use as a decoration where your kids do their homework.

Back to School Crafts: Bookmarks Galore

Everyone needs more bookmarks, since they always seem to be getting lost. Make a bunch at the beginning of the year. If the kids decorate them themselves, maybe they’ll keep better track of them, too.

Cut the basic bookmark shape out of construction paper, poster board or cardboard. Each bookmark should be about two inches wide and six inches long. Decorate with pictures, stickers, drawings, rubber stamps, glitter or whatever you like. Cover with clear Con-Tact paper to make them more durable. Add wavy edges with the help of pinking shears, and punch a hole in the top and tie a ribbon or string tassel on to make it even easier to find.

Back-to-school time doesn’t have to be dreadful—it can be lots of fun when you’re getting to make new stuff for yourself!

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