Painted Coasters

I'm always looking for simple yet sophisticated DIY projects to work on to liven up my living space. These coasters are the perfect project for anyone. Don't tell me you're not artistic, this DIY project is so easy you don't need to be. You can make them as personalized as you would like, and the design as intricate as you want it to be.

My dad has instilled in me an obsession of keeping drinks on coasters, and these are the perfect solution. I love the bright colors of these ones that I made, but I think using muted tones, or even spray paint would be a great way to get the perfect color and accent for any house or apartment decor. These are also an easy and inexpensive gift idea, especially as a housewarming gift. Just stack and tie with a ribbon - and gift them with a bottle of wine, because of course they will need a beverage to put on the coaster.

Materials:

cork coasters

painters tape or masking tape 

acrylic paint

paint brushes

Steps:

1. Create lines on the coaster with masking tape or painters tape. 

2. With a brush apply acrylic paint to the coaster. Make sure to be careful and paint in strokes away from the tape so that the paint doesn't get underneath.

3. Let the paint dry, and carefully remove the tape by pealing at an angle away from the paint. 

Share with us your favorite DIY project! We would love suggestions for future DIY posts.

End of the Year

Today was the first Monday of my summer vacation. While I am grateful for a break filled with sleeping in, vacations, bonfires and other adventures, I can't help but reflect on the school year past. I sit here staring at this amazing, hand painted Dr. Seuss chair my head is flooded with memories. This chair at the beginning year was filled with potential moments. Moments of sharing personal stories during morning meeting, reading authentic read alouds to spark memorable conversations and children developing their love for reading. Now the chair is scratched, has discolored paint and one wobbly, unstable leg . To me, this shows that this chair holds unforgettable moments. Moments where three tiny first graders fell in love with the book, The Day the Crayons Quit, moments of first graders sharing small moment stories with their peers, moments where stories came to life and moments where struggles were overcome.

As years come and go, memories quickly seem to fade. We remember those students that made us learn to appreciate the world a little more, those students that allowed us to be a little more innovative, or those students that simply put a smile on your face when they walk in the classroom door. However, we don't always remember those defining moments in a child's education. To help myself cherish these moments as a teacher, we created these original collages to allow these memories be preserved.

 We created one for each student in my classroom and printed on card stock. We have uploaded an editable version to my TpT store that can be used as a first day gift, a holiday gift or an end of the year gift. Click HERE to access it! We would love to hear how you celebrated the end to a successful school year.