Monday, June 25, 2012

Look what I made!

Happy Monday! I'm linking up with Fourth Grade Frolics today for the Monday Made It. I'm so excited to share my projects in my very first link up! (Hopefully I'm doing this correctly? Hmmm...)

Project #1 for Monday Made It -- I LOVED seeing all of the Teacher Toolboxes over the last couple of weeks. There are so many great tutorials out there--in fact, check out this post at Create.Teach.Share. She started it all! Here's how my little guy (girl?) turned out:


I have a navy, pink, and apple green theme going on next year--love those colors! Here are the labels I used:


I posted them on my TeachersPayTeachers site--grab them here for free if you're interested! There are also blank ones in the file.
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And now for Project Number Two...Back story--I was running late for a meeting and couldn't find my snazzy  teacher clipboard, so I hastily grabbed one out of the pile that my students use. During the meeting, I had to stand up and share some data regarding testing blah blah blah that I had clipped into the clipboard. I noticed several of my friends laughing at me when I was speaking, but I seriously thought they were just giving me a hard time because they know how much I hate talking in front of large groups. And I'm a teacher. I know--it's weird...So when I sit down, I give them the lovely "teacher glare". They cannot stop laughing and motion for me to turn my clipboard over so I can see the back. Y'all. There was a HUGE drawing in bright PURPLE marker of a boy's "special place". I'm not kidding--I was so embarrassed!! Ahhh--the joys of teaching middle school...Needless to say, the very first thing on my summer agenda was to get these clipboards covered! In dark colors! With so much shellac that they can't write on them if they tried!!

I painted the fronts of the clipboards using the little bottles of acrylic paint. I used painter's tape to make the designs, them I just painted different navy, white, pink, & green sections.



No worries if you get the paint on the silver clippy part. Just wait til it dries and then wipe it right off with water and an old washcloth. Easy peasy.


After washing away my mistakes (I'm a messy painter!), I sprayed those bad boys with several coats of acrylic finishing spray. 


Now for the fun part. I painted the backs of the boards with chalkboard paint! I'm going to use these instead of whiteboards next year. I just need to wait til the back to school sales start so that I can buy 15 more without breaking the bank! While I was painting, I remembered my grandmother (who taught second grade) telling me about getting one of those new "fancy" white boards in her classroom. She was so excited to get rid of the chalkboard, and all of her teacher friends were jealous because she was getting the very first one in the whole school! Fast forward 20 years, and now her granddaughter is purposely putting chalkboard paint on things because it's "so cool"! Too funny! Hopefully, the novelty of writing with chalk with excite my students as much as it does me!



And the final step...I added numbered labels to all of the boards so that I can catch future wienie writers  keep track of them. :) I  covered the labels in Mod Podge the labels in hopes that they will last a while. If you're interested, you can get the labels for FREE here. There are blank ones too!







What can I make now?? :)
~Ansley

43 comments:

  1. Hi Ansley! A) Love your name!! B) Love that you were able to link up:))) C) Your projects are awesome!!! D) Your story is too funny....I would have died!!!! Thanks for linking up:) If you get a sec, could you go grab my linky button? I forgot to post it but fixed it. I was in a hurry to get my run in before the storm...I lost! Thanks again:) Hope you come back next week:)))

    4th Grade Frolics

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    1. Oh goodness--I have no idea how to add buttons! I'll try though. Hopefully, I won't blow up your whole Linky Party! Eeek!

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  2. Hahaha...I am cracking up at the clipboard story! Fourth graders sometimes do that same thing! Ugh! This is on my to-do list!

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  3. LOL! You are such a good artist... I have to stick to covering mine with scrapbook paper since I can't paint or draw to save my life. Love your blog, I am your latest follower. Come check me out, I am linked up to Monday made it too!
    Heather
    Kickin' it in Kinder

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    1. Shoooot! Scrapbook paper is MUCH harder than painting! You have to be so meticulous with cutting/matching everything up just right. I'm too scattered for that... Just slap some paint on those things and call it a day! :)

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  4. Your projects are fabulous. I love your toolbox labels. It's next on my list.

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  5. I love this different take on re-fashioning clipboards. I did all my teacher clipboards with duck tape but haven't tackled the students ones . . . hmmmm.

    Julie
    Math is Elementary

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  6. Your toolbox is beautiful! And your clipboards are crazy awesome. Nice job!!

    Marvelous Multiagers!

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  7. Great projects! Love the funky clipboards!

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  8. This was my first linky party too and I also did a toolbox! Love how yours turned out. I can't even imagine your embarrassment with the clipboard! If you are still looking for more clipboards, Dollar Tree usually has them. That's where I got mine. The clips are a little different though. If you are like me, that would be a HUGE problem! Maybe I'll have to find some time to paint mine. LOVE the chalkboard paint idea!

    Kristi
    Learnings a Hoot

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  9. Love how your clipboards turned out. I did 3 for me and am waiting on my school to order me a class set so I can decorate those. Hoping it will get us out of the classroom to work more! Would love for you to stop by my blog!

    Brandi
    Success in Second Grade

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  10. I love your clipboards and blog! I went over to picmonkey to play, it's addictive! I also got your birthday treat labels as I love owls! Thanks for sharing!

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  11. I love the chalkboard paint on the back! Such a good idea.
    Adventures in Room 5

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  12. Oh my gosh, what a story! I think the clipboards look great. I have seen all the ones with scrapbook paper but I wouldn't have thought of painting them.

    I also saw a few of the categories on your organizer that I need to incorporate into my redo (when I ever get around to it) like USB drives.

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    1. Finally a space to store all of the fifteen million jump drives floating around my classroom! :)

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  13. Girl . . . you seriously got your craft on. I am really diggin' those clip boards.

    Kelley Dolling
    Teacher Idea Factory

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    1. Haha! Yeah, and the bad part is that I still have 15 more to do! Whew!

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  14. hahaha! Oh my goodness I would be so embarrassed too! What can ya do?! I LOVE the pink/navy theme of your toolbox labels - where di you find the frames on those? I love them!
    Nicole
    Rowdy in Room 300

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    1. Thanks, girl! And yes, it was awful! The frames are from Goodness & Fun on ETSY. They have TONS!

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  15. Both projects turned out great. I have similar clipboard issues in my classroom. They write and draw all over them, so I'm on board with the painting strategy. I thought about using scrapbooking paper, but they would just write on that and then I would be devastated. Pinning your boards so I can come back for directions. Love it!

    Amanda
    The Teaching Thief
    Fiction Friday: A Celebration of Children’s Literature

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    1. Oh! Pinning my clipboards--you're my first pinner (is that even how you say it??)! I feel so fancy! Thank you! :)

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  16. Ohhhh, I'm so sorry about your little story. Love your blog and writing, though. How do I follow you?
    Ann
    The Caffeinated Classroom

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    1. Thank you for the sweet compliment! Follow me? Hmmm...For some reason, I thought that little gadget was automatic on the blog? I guess I need to figure out how to add that! Help? Anyone? :)

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  17. I love it! I wish I had access to my classroom. I would love to paint mine too. I also was trying to figure out the whole scrapbook paper thing like Amanda mentioned.

    Jessica
    My Different Worlds

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  18. Great ideas, and I love your blog name! I think your Teacher's Toolbox is super duper cute!

    Heather
    Peacocks and Penguins - 4th Grade

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  19. That clipboard story had me chuckling out loud. Thanks for the funny :)

    Your projects look great...you are a rather crafty gal. Welcome to the club!

    Elizabeth

    Fun in Room 4B

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  20. Cute clipboards! I did clipboards too, but used scrapbook paper. I am working on my post now to link up, but somehow got side tracked and started checking out everyone else's projects...Going back to finish my post now!
    :) Dana
    Stop by & visit me @ Fun in 1st Grade

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  21. I love the name of your blog! I have a sign in my classroom that I made my first year teaching that says "Add some wrinkles to your brain...learn something NEW".. I did clipboards too as my Monday made it.

    Haley
    Following Optimism in 2nd Grade

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  22. Super cute idea! Need to recover thos old nasty clipboards.
    ~April Walker
    The Idea Backpack
    Ideabackpack@gmail.com

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  23. Wow!! What a great idea for the clipboards!! They turned out great!!
    Courtney
    Teaching in Paradise

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  24. I have seen clipboards done many ways- but paint it a new one, and you did a wonderful job with it! Thanks for sharing! I am your newest follower too- looking forward to seeing more creations. :)

    -Krista
    The Second Grade Superkids

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  25. Love both of your projects, especially your labels!! Nicely done! :)

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  26. I love your clipboards and toolbox, I love the colors you chose. I have nominated you for two awards the versatile blogger and One Lovely Blog. I am also your tenth follower.

    Jill
    Bubbalulu.blogspot.com

    Come on over and get your awards.

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  27. I love your teacher's toolbox! I think I will try to make this! I am now following you and would love for you to drop by my blog!
    Patti :)
    A Series of 3rd Grade Events

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  28. Your clipboards are cute. I love the idea of the idea of putting chalkboard paint on the backside! :-) I'm your newest follower. Come over when you have a minute.

    imgoingfirst@gmail.com

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  29. OH MY GOD LOVE!

    I just started a blog about the same time you did! Welcome to the BlogWorld!

    lessonswithcoffee.blogspot.com

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  30. I linked to your blog on mine.

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  31. Where did you find your toolbox? I love that it's green!

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