A Little Classroom Fun!

Friday afternoon was a crafting day that one of my friends put together...

Well, I had finished everything I was working on just before Christmas

(because they were all Christmas Gifts!)

So what to do??? 

Hmmm, I could sew something,

or I could do some stitching,

or I could come up with a fun creative project to do with my kiddos...

decisions, decisions!!!

Nothing was really hitting what I wanted to do...

I wanted something Fun and New, something different.

BUT WHAT???

Well, I came up with the answer while doing school with my three younger kids last week.  They each needed a pencil, and let me tell 'ya there have to be close to a million and a half pencils floating around this house.  We have a great little bucket but the problem with it is that it is filled with pencils and colored pencils and markers and crayons and scissors and a lego here and there, maybe a hair tie or two along with an assortment of whatever may have been tossed in. 

You would think that it would be an easy task to locate a simple pencil to write with...

Well, think again!!!...

this has proven to be far from easy and has also proven to be quite frustrating, mostly for me as I impatiently (oops did I say that out loud?) 

I really meant to say as I patiently wait for them!

So I decided to alleviate this frustrating problem once and for all

and to make it happy and cute at the same time...so check it out!!! 

Buckets for my schoolroom

to keep everything in it's very own little place...what a novel idea!

So this is the simplest project EVER!

All you need is an empty #10 Can or an oatmeal container...

really just depends on the size you wish to have. 

I wanted larger ones, so I chose to use our empty cans.

Next, find yourself some twine or jute.

A hot glue gun along with a bundle of hot glue sticks.

Make yourself a fun tag to label each bucket (I made mine and then used clear contact paper to seal them...this is a little less expensive than laminating, but does the trick just great!)

Use a hole punch to put a couple holes in your label ~ string some jute through and wrap it around your bucket to attach the label.

I also did a little handle out of red ribbon, just hot glued it on (you can either do it on the outside before wrapping the jute/twine around or if you forget like a did a couple of times, just plop a little hot glue to the inside and attach it there....works great either way!)

I LOVE projects like these...use up some of my stuff I have around and make it look cute!

It is simple and fun.

BUT

I do have one warning for you...Watch out ~

My guess is that most of you are already aware that hot glue guns get a little hot, and I was pretty sure that I was aware of that simple little fact, but WOW can it get ya if you're too busy flapping your jaws and not paying close enough attention to that little blob of glue.

Thought the end of my little finger might never recover...had no idea a blister could stick off the end of your finger the way that one did.

But to stand back and look at those cute little buckets with the great thought that I will never again have to wait around while they search for a pencil is a quite satisfying feeling!