It's hard to believe, but school is just around the corner! In preparation for this special time of year, we have a couple of fun school-inspired weeks ahead detailing loads of Back-to-School ideas for you try. First in line is everyday basics; Pencils & Clips from CP Gal, Jill Sprott.
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As a child, I loved summer break, but the prospect of stocking up on new school supplies always made the transition back to school much easier. Now, as a teacher, the same holds true. This year, I’m putting my crafty inclinations to work for me as I gather supplies and get ready to return to the classroom.
At the top of my list are freshly sharpened pencils, with a bit of Crate Paper flair.
I’ve modified the pencils in two ways, first using gold striped tape from the Styleboard collection. Because the stripes are diagonal, the key to creating continuity in the pattern is to wrap the tape at an angle.
The second approach involves a decoupage technique.
It’s simple: trim a strip of patterned paper to the same length as the pencil (omitting the metal part and the eraser), brush a coat of decoupage medium on both sides of the paper as well as on the sides of the pencil itself, and then tightly roll the pencil up in the paper and brush more of the medium over the exposed edge of the paper.
The same technique works well with vellum paper, like that from the Boys Rule collection used here.
To ensure a smooth, easy application of the tape and the paper, select circular pencils rather than ones with angled sides. Within an hour, the pencils will be dry and ready to sharpen. The tape-wrapped and vellum-covered pencils fit into a standard sharpener, while the paper-wrapped ones fit into a slightly larger one.
Among the items on my back-to-school list that always seem to need constant replenishing during the school year are clips. Teachers use clips constantly, so if you’re thinking about possible teacher gifts, consider these homespun versions, which are repurposed from surplus clothespins.
Arrange a bunch of wooden clothespins on cardboard and spray-paint both sides. Acrylic paint will work, too, but spray paint is efficient.
As the paint dries, trim scraps of patterned paper to fit on the face of each clip. The clips that I have used here call for two strips each: a shorter one (⅜” x 1”) and a longer one (⅜” x 2.5”).
Brush decoupage medium over one side of the clip as well as over both sides of the patterned strips. Immediately place the strips on the surface of the clip, and brush another layer of decoupage medium over them.
With these lovely additions to my growing arsenal of supplies, I’m ready to head back to school!
Love that easy idea of wrapping pencils in washi tape!
Posted by: Lynda | July 30, 2014 at 06:05 PM