BIG Custom Sports Photo Poster Collage (super easy and Inexpensive)

Yesterday I shared the HUGE Custom Photo Poster I made for my girls' room.  My son was impressed when he saw it and wanted something similar, so I used the same concept with an engineering print, but made it a sports collage instead.

Check it out...

 

I knew I wanted something sports related to match his room and his interests, so I made a collage of him playing four different sports and added text labels.

 

 Again, I used PicMonkey.com to add the effects, make the collage and add the sports words.  This isn't a sponsored post or anything, but if you haven't tried PicMonkey for photo editing fun, you really should.  It's really easy and there's so much you can do.

I simply went to the collage page and chose the layout that I wanted, then added my pictures.  I changed all the photos to black and white, adjusted the sharpness and exposure, and cropped them to best show the action.  When I had everything looking the way I wanted, I hit "Edit" at the top of the collage page, and I was able to add the sports' names.  I rotated them to fit where I wanted them and everything was ready.

NOTE:  Because you'll be printing this out at 24"x36" , you'll want a 2:3 ratio when you're making the final pixel size of your collage so it fills the whole poster without being cut off.  It sounds really "math-y" but it's just simple multiplication tables.  You'll want the short side to be a number multiplied by 2 and the long side to be that same number multiplied by 3.  For example, mine was 1400 (700x2) by 2100 (700x3).

Once I got the collage the way I wanted it, I uploaded it to Staples again.  I chose the engineering print option in 24x36 and chose to fill the page with the image.  I picked up a black 24x36 frame.  (Black seems to be a lot easier to find than white and it was cheaper than the girls' white one ~ only $9 for the frame!)

My cat gets very curious when I'm doing projects!

I just popped the poster in the frame and I was good to go.  My son loved it!  I think it would be awesome to do this with any sports or hobbies ~ you could even make a big collage of a whole season's worth of photos or really with anything.  And at $4 a print (mine was actually $3.29) you could switch it out whenever you want.

 

 Pretty cool, isn't it?  And for about $13 total for the picture and frame, it's way better than any generic sports print you could buy for your wall!

HUGE, Custom Photo Poster (and it's REALLY inexpensive!)

Last year, I saw this awesome Giant Picture on Sugar Bee Crafts and knew I wanted to make something similar.  All I had to do was wait till I got the perfect photo that I would want to make giant-sized.  Well, last week I finally got that perfect shot of my girls and set out to make my own huge print.

Here it is...

Isn't it pretty?  It's 2 feet by 3 feet, so it's quite big, but fills the space above their big dresser just perfectly.  (For a tutorial on their pretty, fabric-covered dresser, go HERE).  Oh, and did I mention that this gorgeous big custom print cost under $4?  That's right, four bucks!  It was so inexpensive that I splurged and got an $18 white frame to display it in.  Just over $20 and such a wow factor when you walk in their room.

When even an 8x10 photo enlargement can easily cost $4 or more, how did I get an 24x36 print for the same price?  The secret is getting an engineering print at an office supply store or copy center.  (I used Staples).  Usually engineering prints are used for blue prints and such, but they also work fine for a black and white photo.

Here's what I did...

First, I used a photo I got of my girls at a flower garden near our home.

They're both smiling, hair is brushed, outfits match, pretty background ~ that's something to take a picture of for sure!

Next, I went on PicMonkey.com  (it's FREE and really user friendly) and changed the photo to black and white.  I also adjusted the brightness, contrast, and sharpness just a little bit so it looked nice and crisp in black and white.  Finally, I added the frost edges around the outer edge and put the year in the bottom right corner.

Finally, I went online to Staples and uploaded my picture.  (I imagine other copy centers have similar online ordering options, or you can just save your image to a flash drive and take it in) I chose the 24x36" size (the medium option) and selected to fill the frame with my image.  Within a few hours, I got the email that it was ready and went to pick it up.

The paper is thin, like regular copy paper, but the photo is surprisingly clear.

Here is where I differed from the original tutorial.  Mandy had opted for the largest 3x4 foot size, so she mounted hers on a large piece of foam.  I actually tried mounting mine on foam board, but it got a few wrinkles in it that I didn't really like.  Then I realized that 24x36 is a standard frame size.  I got another engineering print, then used a coupon so I was able to get a nice white frame for just $18.  The print is protected behind glass and I can spend just $4 again anytime I want to just switch out for a new picture.  

Oh, and the bottom of the picture looks a little blurry and hazy with a line running across their arms, but it's actually just the reflection of the bed in the background.  (It was like trying to photograph a mirror ~ tricky, tricky)

The girls love it, I love it, and I'm just thrilled that it was so inexpensive.

Next, I'll be sharing how I made a similar poster-sized piece of artwork for my son's room. You can check it out HERE.

Kid in a Liquid Soap Bottle (funny photo idea)

I love when I can find fun ways to use photos of the kids in little projects or crafts.  Last year, we made these Fun Photo Bookmarks and they were a big hit.  After the kids did a super fun Mud Run obstacle course with their cousins this summer, I knew I wanted to do something clever with some of the photos I took of all the muddy fun.  Then I remembered this pin I'd spotted several months ago.  I was super bummed that it was just an image and I can't find the source anywhere (if you know the source, please let me know so I can credit this great idea).  However, I figured out how to recreate it and the kids love being trapped in a bottle.

Check it out!  Isn't this cool?

It was really easy to do, the hardest part was choosing a picture then making a quick run to the office supply store to get the transparency.

First, a quick peek at the fun they had getting filthy at the Mud Run (it was a 1 1/2 mile course through tons of muddy obstacles and all the proceeds went to charity).

Can you believe how totally mud-covered they were by the end?  They loved it though.

Okay, now on to the project.  Here's what to do...

First I picked a few bottles of clear liquid hand soap or hand sanitizer and printed out some pictures of each mud-covered kid.

Next, I carefully cut out as close as I could around each kid, then took the photos to Office Depot and had them make a color transparency. (cost was about $2)

Finally, remove the label from the front of the bottle.  (I left the back label in place so the picture was a little easier to see).  However, if your photos are brighter than a muddy brown, you could remove the back label too.

Then I cut out each kid's picture, leaving some of the clear transparency film around it.  (It's a little tough to see in the picture, but I have the image of my daughter with about an inch of clear all the way around it)  Having a piece of transparency about the same size as the soap bottle makes it easier to fit it into the bottle.  If you cut too close to the image, it tends to shift around too much inside the bottle.  

Next, just remove the pump, roll the transparency so it fits in the opening and push it in.  I then used a wooden skewer to help unroll the transparency and position it in place.

Put the pump back in and that's it!


The kids love their fun little "souvenirs" of their muddy day and it's a practical use for the photos.

I definitely plan on doing this same project again with "prettier" pictures, but we thought it was fun to tie together our super muddy images with the cleaning soap!

Sharing this idea at:

Monday Funday party 
 Craft-O-Maniac

Pencil Dispenser (from an acrylic straw dispenser)

A few weeks ago, my sister told me she saw a cute idea to use a straw dispenser to hold sharpened pencils.  I thought it was such a cute and clever way to always have sharpened pencils on hand and ready for use, but I was bummed that I'm no longer a full-time teacher with a classroom of my own.  Then I realized we still go through a ton of pencils here during homework time and I'm always scrambling to find sharpened pencils when the kids have to restock their pencil cases before they go off to school in the mornings.  I decided I was going to go ahead and get our own pencil dispenser for our house.

Check it out...

It's funny how exciting it can be to get a new electric pencil sharpener and a cool dispenser.  No matter what time of year it is or how old you are, fresh school supplies can give you a fresh outlook!

There was really nothing to this "project".  I simply ordered an acrylic straw dispenser from Amazon,(Amazon affiliate link)  the kids sharpened a bunch of the pencils we had around the house, and we filled up the dispenser.

To get a sharpened pencil, you just turn the knob on the side and a fresh new pencil rolls right out.

I thought about adding a little label or stickers to the dispenser to jazz it up, but for now we like it just plain.  (The kids love watching to see which pencil falls out) It sits right on top of the little cabinet where the kids put their school papers and we keep extra school supplies.  

I think I may get more for each of the kids' teachers.  I missed out on the chance to give them for back-to-school or Christmas gifts, but I think they'd be appreciated at any time of year.  

Sharing this cute and clever idea at:

Today's Creative Blog 
Tatertots & Jello 

Photo Valentine's Cards

We made similar Valentine's cards last year and they were a big hit with the kids.  This year, when I asked my three what they wanted to do for their classmates, they requested these same lollipop cards.  They're so cute and they're fairly quick and easy to make so I happily obliged.

Check them out...

And they're really quite simple to make.  I simply took a quick photo of each kid in front of a blank wall with their arm outstretched as if they were holding onto something.

Then I used PicMonkey.com  to crop the photo, add text and a frame.  If you've never tried PicMonkey, check it out.  It's really easy to use and all the features I used for these cards are free.  (Other features, additional fonts, etc. require a small membership fee)

Then I just inserted the image into a Word Document, put four on a page, and printed them out on cardstock.  I used an exacto knife to cut a small slit at the top and bottom of the kids' hands on the picture and inserted a lollipop stick.  Finally, I put a little piece of tape on the back of the card to hold the lollipop stick in place so it wouldn't slip out en route to school.

That's it!  Cute and easy enough to do last minute.

Saltine Toffee

I love making recipes that are easy and delicious, but have a cool little twist.  I first found this Saltine Toffee recipe years ago in one of those community cookbooks where everyone submits their favorite recipes.  I love making it because it's so super simple, but tastes absolutely awesome.  (I've heard of it referred to as "Christmas Crack" and I can see why, it's really addicting!)  You wouldn't think saltine crackers would belong in a candy recipe, but the slight saltiness and crunch that they give this toffee is just perfect.

Take a peek...

Here's what you need:  (It's only 5 ingredients!)

• saltine crackers (about 1 sleeve of crackers out of a box, plus a few extras)
• 1 cup of butter (that's 2 sticks)
• 1 cup of brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 cups of chocolate chips, either milk chocolate or semi sweet (that's about 1 bag)
• approx 3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Here's what to do:

1.  Preheat your oven to 400*.

2.  Line a jelly roll pan (which is a cookie sheet with sides), with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

3.  Line up your saltine crackers in a single layer in your pan.  You'll want them close together, but not touching.  You can break some crackers in half if you need to so the whole pan is covered.

4.  Put your butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, then allow the mixture to boil for 3 minutes, stirring only once or twice.

5.  Pour the mixture over the saltine layer.  Try to pour it fairly evenly over the top, reaching all the way to the edges.  However, it will bubble up and spread out in the next step, so every cracker doesn't need to be completely covered.

6.  Next, put the tray in your preheated oven and bake for about 5 minutes.  The toffee mixture will bubble up and soak into the saltines.

7.  Take your tray out of the oven and sprinkle on the chocolate chips.  Pop it back into the oven for just a minute so the chips soften and melt.  Then use a rubber spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly over the saltine/toffee layer.

8.  If desired, sprinkle the optional chopped nuts over the melted chocolate layer.  Set the whole pan aside for it to cool completely.  It'll take a few hours for it to cool and for everything to harden.  If necessary, you could put it in the fridge to speed up the process.

9.  When everything has cooled, break the toffee apart into bite sized pieces and enjoy!

Handprint Snowmen Candles

We've decorated plain candles using the tissue paper technique a few times now and the results have always been cute.  First we made some Artwork Candles ~ we drew our own pictures with markers on tissue paper, then put them on a plain white candle.  Then, for Mother's Day, we used paint to make some cute thumbprint designs which we also put on candles for the grandmothers.  For both of those projects, we used white tissue paper which "disappeared" into the candle as it was fused on.  This time, we used darker blue tissue paper to make some cute, winter snowman candles.

Check them out...

Cute, aren't they?  I like how we were able to make the handprint snowmen I'd seen done on ornaments, but we did them on candles which can be displayed long after the Christmas trees are taken down.  The dark blue tissue paper also fused into the candle, but the brighter blue color really stands out and shows off the kids' white handprints.

Here's what you'll need: 
(sorry, I somehow deleted my "before" picture of the supplies)

• white pillar candles (mine are about 5" high and came in a 2-pack at Target)
• blue tissue paper (like you would use to package a gift)
• paints (white for the handprints, and a few colors to add the details)
• waxed paper
• heat gun or hair dryer (Hair dryers work, but the heat guns have more concentrated heat and work a lot faster.  My heat embossing gun is similar to this one  ~ you can find them at most craft stores in the paper crafting or rubber stamping sections)  

 Here's what to do:

1.  Cut a piece of the blue tissue paper that is as tall as your candle and wide enough to wrap all the way around it.

2.  Using the white paint, have your child dip their palm and fingers in the paint, then press it onto the tissue paper.  (Since the tissue paper is so delicate, practice a few times so you'll get the hang of how much paint to use and how to press down and lift the hand back up without tearing the paper too much.  A little rip is fine, but big ones might be noticeable )  Once you have the handprints down, use the other colors of paint and a fine-tipped brush to add the details to your snowmen ~ little scarves, eyes, noses, buttons, etc.

NOTE:  My kids all have the normal 4 fingers and a thumb, but we opted to not use their pinkies and thumbs on our candles so I could fit all three kids on one candle. 

3.  Once your design is complete and the paint has dried, wrap the tissue paper around the candle.  Then wrap a piece of waxed paper on top of the tissue paper to hold it in place.  Using the excess waxed paper as a handle, direct the heat from the heat gun or hair dryer towards the candle.  As the candle wax warms up with the heat, you'll see the tissue paper "melt" into the candle.

See how the candle on the right has both darker blue and a lighter blue?  The darker blue section is where the heat has melted the wax.

4.  Continue directing the heat all the way around the candle until all the tissue paper has been fused onto the candle.  Then peel off the waxed paper and you're done.

Note:  We mainly use these candles for decorative purposes.  We've burned other candles using this technique and haven't had any problems.  However, it's impossible to guarantee that the tissue paper might not flare up in spots if you burn it all the way down.  Use caution if you do decide to light your candles and let them burn to the edges.

Make sure you check out our other versions of these candles too ~ here are the Artwork Candles and the Mother's Day Fingerprint Candles. 

Easy Puzzle Saver Technique

Last month, when the kids were off school for Election Day, we worked on a 1,000 piece puzzle of the U.S. Presidents.  We enjoyed doing it and with all four of us working together, we actually completed it in just one day.  However, once it was done, it sat on the floor in the corner of my living room for nearly a month.  The kids wanted to save it and hang it up, but I didn't want to deal with the hassle of using the puzzle saver glue.  I'd tried the glue before  ~ it was kind of messy and I didn't think it held the pieces together all that well.  I knew there had to be a better solution, but it took me a month of stepping around the finished puzzle before it finally came to me ...  Use iron-on adhesive!

It turned out awesome and it was super quick and easy to do.  Seriously, like 5 minutes tops!  All you need is some Heat n Bond Iron on Adhesive.  It's meant to be used on fabric (I use it all the time) so you can find it in most fabric stores like JoAnn's or even in the fabric aisle at Walmart.  

Check out how it works on puzzles...

Here's all you have to do...

1.  Put your completed puzzle on a piece of poster board.  This puzzle was a large one, so I had taped two pieces of poster board together as we were doing it to give us a work surface.  

2.  Put another piece of poster board (here I used two to cover our big puzzle) over your completed puzzle to make a puzzle sandwich ~ poster board, puzzle, poster board.
 
3.   With your puzzle sandwiched in the middle, carefully flip over your pieces.  Remove the top piece of posterboard and you'll now have the back of the puzzle facing up.


Now get out your iron and Heat n Bond...

4. Cut a piece of the adhesive paper about 1/2" larger than the size of your puzzle.  

5.  With the paper side up, use the medium heat (no steam) setting on your iron the paper onto the back of your puzzle.  Go over it a few times to make sure it sticks to the back of each puzzle piece.

6.  If your puzzle is large like mine was, repeat with another piece of the adhesive paper so the entire back of the puzzle is covered.  (It's okay if it overlaps in places.)  Go over the whole puzzle, making sure the paper is sticking all the way to the edges and to each piece. 

7.  Once it's adhered, you'll be able to easily lift your whole puzzle up.  Flip it over and trim off the excess adhesive paper.  I found that an exacto knife gave a much better and closer trim than scissors.

I originally thought I'd have to mount the puzzle onto a piece of foam board or something after I ironed on the adhesive, but it worked really well without it and I didn't think it was necessary.  As you can see in the picture above, I'm holding the whole puzzle just by one corner.  It was as stiff as a sturdy piece of cardboard and didn't flop around at all (unlike another puzzle we'd done before using the puzzle glue).  All of the pieces were securely attached, but there was no brush strokes from any kind of glue to distort the image.

I just used two small nails to hang our puzzle on our playroom wall.  ( I drove the nail through a spot in the corner where the puzzle pieces joined )

I think it looks awesome.  It was super quick, not messy at all and it made our puzzle nice and sturdy.  The adhesive comes in a large roll for just $10 or so.  It's enough to do several puzzles (or puzzles and other fabric projects) ~ so it's way cheaper than buying frames to display your hard work.

Sharing our puzzle saving idea at:

The Frugal Girls

Personalized Pillowcases and Matching Sleep Masks

These cute pillowcases and sleep masks were the favors for my daughter's slumber party.  The pillowcases were very easy to make and also provided a little activity for the party.  The sleep masks involved a few more steps, but I made them without having to do any sewing at all.  The total cost for both items was less than $4 per girl and I think they turned out really cute.

Check them out...

I ended up making 13 sets of them all together ~ 9 for the girls at the party, one for a good friend who couldn't make it, and 3 for the "little sisters" ~ my youngest daughter and two nieces who had their own sleepover the night of the party.

First, for the pillowcases...

Here's what you'll need:

    * plain pillowcases ( I got them in a 2-pack at Walmart for $5)
   * Heat n Bond Ultra Hold
   * fabric (I used one yard of fabric total for the 13 sets of pillowcases and sleep masks)
   * letters to trace ( I just found a font on my computer, enlarged it and used that)

Here's what to do...

1.  Trace the letters backwards on the paper side of the Heat n Bond.  (You'll need them in reverse so the letter is right side up once you iron it on.)

2.  Iron the Heat n Bond to the wrong side of the fabric.

3.  Cut out all your letters.  The paper backing on the Heat n Bond makes it very easy to cut the fabric ~ it's just like cutting regular paper.

4.  Peel off the paper backing, then position your letters on the pillowcase and iron in place.

That's it!  The cutting of all those letters is a bit time consuming, so do it while watching your favorite show, but the project itself is quite easy!

 (NOTE:  The Heat n Bond adhesive is permanent and forms a very good bond.   The letters will stand up to washings just fine with just slight fraying around the edges.  I wouldn't necessarily use these pillows every night and wash every week, but they'll be fine as an extra bed pillow and once a month washings.)



Now for the sleep masks...

Here's what you'll need:

   * fabric
   * several sheets of black stiff felt ( I found mine at JoAnn fabrics with the other felt.  It did not have the sticky adhesive back, but was stiffer than regular felt)
   * coordinating satin fabric
   * Heat n Bond Ultra Hold
   * elastic head wraps - NOT the no slip ones, just the regular (similar to these, but I got my black ones in an 8-pack at the Dollar Store)



Here's what to do...

1.  Make a sleep mask shape on a piece of scrap paper to use as a pattern.  I just roughly sketched an oval with a slight indentation at the nose.  Use the pattern to cut the shape out of the stiff black felt.

2.  Iron the Heat n Bond to the wrong sides of both the satin material and the patterned material for the front.

3.  Cut out the sleep mask shape from the satin fabric.

4.  Peel off the paper backing and iron the satin fabric onto the black felt.  (Play around with the heat setting just a bit.  You'll need it slightly lower than recommended so it doesn't "melt" the satin or felt, but still hot enough to adhere the adhesive.)

5.  Wrap your elastic head wrap around your sleep mask.  Use three dabs of hot glue to attach it to the black felt in the middle and near both sides.  Stretch the elastic just slightly as you're gluing it in place.  You don't want it stretched a lot, but just pulled slightly taut.

6.  Keep the elastic unglued on the satin side of the mask.  This will be the part that faces your eyes and the elastic band will go around your head.

7.  Now flip your mask over and remove the paper backing from the patterned fabric.  Iron it in place over the elastic band.  I lined it up and ironed it in place across the bottom of the mask, then over the elastic, then the top part above the elastic.

8.  That's it!  You're done.  Now you will still see the raised part of the elastic head wrap, but it's not too noticeable with a patterned fabric.  By keeping it all in one piece, you didn't have to do any sewing to keep it in place and it holds the mask nicely in position when you put it on without getting tangled in your hair.


Here they are modeled by my lovely nieces before lights out.  Pillowcases were decorated and sleep masks were ready to be slid down into place.

Sharing at:

 Tatertots and Jello
The Frugal Girls  
Brassy Apple

Back-to-School Advice and Supplies (in a Fun Gift Basket)

Yesterday was the first day of school for my kids (woo hoo!)  They'd already made these cute little pencil bouquets for their teachers (which I heard were a big hit) and I'd picked up all the necessary supplies they needed to bring in to school.  However, I wanted to give them a little something special from me to celebrate the new school year. I decided to pick up some extra supplies that they might need for here at home ~ things that weren't necessarily on their supply lists, but that might come in handy for homework assignments or projects. Knowing that extra scissors and markers aren't really a "fun" gift, I decided to put a neat little twist on my practical gift.


 Check it out...

Pretty clever, don't you think? (and, yes, I am patting myself on the back for this one). Incorporated in each bit of advice are key words that correspond to the various school supplies.  As the kids read the words of wisdom, they were directed to open certain numbered gifts.

Here's how I made them...

I simply gathered up a variety of school supplies, came up with a bunch of sayings that used related words, wrapped the supplies in tissue paper, then numbered them to go with each saying.



Here are the little bits of advice I came up with (the corresponding supplies are in blue here, but weren't listed on their actual papers)...

Some Back To School Advice

• Let your colorful personality shine through at school and leave your special mark on everything you do. (Open gifts #1 and #2) colored pencils & markers

• Don't cut corners! If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right the first time. (Open gift #3)  scissors

• Remember, you can do hard things. Just stick with it, stick with it, and stick with it some more until you finally do that hard task. (Open gifts #4, #5 and #6) glue sticks, regular glue, and scotch tape

• Make sure you are always prepared and stay sharp. When you're sharp and focused, you'll be able to do your best. (Open gift #7) package of pencils with pencil sharpener

• Keep in mind, you will make mistakes. It's okay and it's all part of learning. Just look at what you did wrong, figure out how to correct it and move on. (Open gift #8) package of erasers

• Before a test or important assignment, just take a deep breath and put together all that you've learned. (Open gift #9)  stapler

• When you get home from school, I hope you take a minute to tell me the highlights of your day. We're all busy, but you and your schoolwork are important to me. (Open gift #10)  package of highlighters

• Most of all, whether you've had a good day or a not-so-good day, I think you RULE and I'm so glad you're my kid! (Open gift #11)  ruler

Then, I simply put each kid's wrapped gifts in a little container tote I picked up from the Dollar Store.

When they got home from school, they took turns reading each bit of advice and then opening their numbered gifts.  They had fun as the tissue paper went flying and they got all sorts of exciting supplies (because getting your very own stapler is a huge deal! ). 

It was fun seeing them so excited and I'm glad something practical could end up being such a big treat!

Sharing our fun new supplies at:

The Mommy Club 
It's Playtime 
Happy Hour Projects 
The Frugal Girls 

Colorful Pencil Bouquet

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Astrobrights Papers by Neenah Paper for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

School starts here in just a few weeks and we're all excited for the new year to begin.  The kids are looking forward to seeing all their friends, meeting their new teachers and learning new subjects.  When I was recently given the challenge to "Make Something Astrobright", I knew just who I wanted to make it for ~ the kids' teachers!  As a former teacher myself, I know how demanding the job can be.  I want the kids' homeroom teachers to get a little something on the first day of school to say thanks in advance for everything they'll do this year. 

 Check out these cute and very 

colorful pencil bouquets...

 

Won't they look pretty on the teachers' desks?  They're bright and very colorful, but practical too!  Plus, I think it's a thoughtful little gift without seeming like an over-the-top form of bribery.

These pretty pencil flowers 

started with this colorful

 Astrobrights paper.

Astrobrights paper comes in 23 bright and vibrant colors.  You're sure to find the right color for your pencil bouquet (or any school project) and the bright colors will guarantee that your project will get noticed!

First, we did a little prep work...

I cut the Astrobrights paper into three different sizes of flower shapes and my son was in charge of pencil sharpening.  Then I wrapped the top few inches of each pencil in green duck tape so they'd look more like stems (but could still be used and sharpened).

Next, we were ready to make

 the pencil flowers 

for our bouquets...

The girls used a hole punch to make holes in the center of each flower, then layered the three different sized flower shapes onto the pencil top.  We then pinched each petal to make our flowers a little more three-dimensional and put them into a small vase (I actually used small juice glasses I'd picked up at the thrift shop).  I love how the different Astrobrights paper combinations made some really colorful and vibrant flowers!

How about you?  Are you ready for the new school year?  Astrobrights is actually running this great"Give a Brighter Year" sweepstakes where you can win $30,000 in supplies for the school of your choice (and a $500 gift card for you!).  Go check it out! 

 

Oh, and check out Astrobrights on Facebookfor lots of great ways you and your family can "Make Something Astrobright"