Back to School-Student Gift

The last couple of years, we've held our back to school night before school starts. I have to say, I really love that. It's the first time I get to meet my students, and they can bring in all their school supplies and drop them off. It's always fun to have a little something for those who come. In my effort to move away from candy, I searched for something fun and different to give this year.

I found these cute mini flashlights on Amazon. Kids love flashlights, and it even has a keychain so they can attach it to their backpack.

Bright Year Printable Tag
Delightful Year Printable Tag


Check out my treat from last year's back to school night.
Let's Stick Together for a Great Year

Instagram Album

Last year, after I started using Instagram. I wanted a tangible way to document the pictures I was taking, so I started an album--and did nothing with it after that..haha! 

I found some sheet protectors that were 4x4 and used book rings to hold the pages together. I just didn't love it, so I didn't keep up on it.

A year later, I've taken quite a few pictures through Instagram and love that it is a way to document every day pictures. Honestly, I just don't carry my camera around with me and take pictures any more. But, I always have my phone with me and for me right now--it's perfect. 

I started looking around the Internet to see what was out there and what people have done with their Instagram photos. There are a few companies that you can create digital books and I played with them a little, but it wasn't really what I wanted. I came across this album from We R Memory Keepers and loved it. It is soooo cute. It's only 4"x4". It's little. It's cute! It's perfect!

 

 It come with a few sheet protectors. There are two different sizes for this album. One is a 4"x4" protector and the other had 4 2"x 2" slots.

 

After I uploaded all my Instagram photos to my computer, I started to print them. Using Photoshop, I placed four pictures on a 4x6 file. This game me four 2-inch square prints on a sheet.

 

Then I cut them apart. Look how cute they are in their tiny-ness. There are companies that will print your photos this square size. Once I had all the photos printed and cut, I started placing them in the sheet protectors. It probably took me 2-3 hours to complete the whole year's worth of photos.

Photo Booth Props...that last

I've done several photo booths over the past year. They are so much fun to do and who doesn't love a little prop that makes it okay to look and act cheesy in a picture. The one problem I have with photo booths are that the props don't last. That's a great thing if you are never going to do one again, but if you have a booth frequently, you have to cut the props out again and again. I've been afraid to laminate the props for feat they would give a glare in the picture.

 

Well, as I'm cutting out props the night before our 5th grade party, I have a brilliant idea!!! Cut them out of wood. BrIlLiAnT!!! I actually had a moustache and pair of glasses from the Wood Connection and those props seemed to get used most, so I thought why not cut them all out of wood?  Okay--it was like 9:00 at night when I had this epiphany, so I cut some shapes with my Silhouette and sent my mother to cut them out.

 

 I grabbed the spray paint I had on hand and started spraying in the little light that was left. But, I managed to get everything sprayed (barely), and used pieces of dowel left over from other projects for the handles.  The best part--I'm ready for a photo booth anytime.