Photo Booth Backdrop

Instead of doing our normal 5th grade graduation (which I think is pretty pointless), we decided to have a 5th grade celebration. The kids came back to school for about 3 hours and we ate, played games, and watched a movie. I thought it would be fun to have a photobooth for the kids to get pictures with their friends. It was a great idea---but I was really nervous about how it would turn out--I didn't want it to look cheap. I searched for about a day looking for ideas--my problem was I didn't want to spend too much money and I didn't have too much time to do this in. I saw several places where they had used plastic table cloths for the backdrop. They looked really good, but I wasn't too sure because they are pretty flimsy. I didn't have any other options, so I just went for it---and it turned out GREAT. It really made the pictures fun. About an hour before the party I was cutting out glasses and moustaches on my Silhouette--while I was spraying an old window black to use as a frame.  It all came together an the kids LOVED it. They just grabbed frames, and props and kept coming back for more pictures. The pictures turned out cute--I want to do a class picture this way as well.

I wish I could post how fun the pictures they turned out:( All you get instead is a retarded picture of me--just image lots of cute kids with props in there:) 

Mother's Day Gift

I am so excited about the Mother's Day gift I did for my students this year. I think this is my favorite thing I've ever done. It came as a result of several different ideas I've seen.
First---I have the best mom ever and she cut out these very cute boards--then my dad routered the edges. Cost: Free

Then, I've seen everyone making their own chalkboard paint with paint and grout. So, Merlynn tried it out for me. It actually works out pretty good. I used some leftover gray paint from her house.
Cost: Grout

The kids painted them--we did about 4-5 coats. They were so cute about this and never complained that it was kind of boring. They loved the idea that they would be able to write whatever they wanted.

Then Merlynn came and took pictures of the kids. I bought some ribbon--we tied it around the board. Cost: SAD DAY--ribbon wasn't on sale at Michael's--of course $20

Then the kids wrote a message to their mother. And--we ended up with a stinkin' cute Mother's Day gift. Very cute, but still kid made, and useful.

Teacher Appreciation Doors

It is teacher appreciation week--at our school the PTO decorates each staff member's door. I helped my sister-in-law do the door for her kindergartner. He stays for the afternoon through a program called KinderKamp. There are 12 students who stay for the afternoon, and they LOVE their teacher (and she absolutely loves them). She is only an aide, doing a teacher's job--but she puts so much into making sure those kids succeed.

Of course--we had to have a cowboy theme---Joel informed me I was missing spurs and a horse. The teacher told me the cowboy needed dimples and the boots on the wrong feet and then it would be perfect.

Then there is my door. I LOVE it and think it is the coolest one in the school (well, except for the cowboy). The students each got to write something about me on it--which is always fun to see what they have to say--bright, technology, sporty, funny, nuts.  It really is amusing to see what they write. It is a very awesome door and I appreciate all the work that went into it.