Five for Friday

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I've decided to link up with Doodle Bugs Teaching Five for Friday Linky.  I've been reading those posts for a while from others and love them.  So, it was time to do my own! As school starts in just a few days for me (slight moment of panic typing that!) I've been spending a lot of time in my classroom setting up.  I've decided to pick 5 handmade classroom elements as I feel those are the elements that really make me feel at home in my classroom.

Love the balloon!

1) Hallway bulletin board:  I may have sparked some yearly competition with a few colleagues on my first board of the year.  There are a few ladies who have upped their game because of my boards.  I LOVE that!  This year, it's toned down a lot from last year.  I'm not sure I can ever top last year - it was a bit insane.  I am still unsure about the title.  It feels a little bit plain.... we'll have to see.

Crystal helped me out on this one.  (I will post her board also - I haven't taken a photo of it yet.) This was made with plastic table cloths from the dollar store.  We started by making the hot air balloon.  I suggested tracing the shape on a piece of cardboard and wrapping the table cloth.  This was learned from last year's flowers.  Wrapping when already on the board is tricky!  So, using hot glue and two sided tape she wrapped the colours.  We learned right away if the top and bottom were left open air could get in and it would stay puffier.  It's simply stuffed with the excess table cloth of the same colour.  I have to admit, I had difficulty sleeping last night as I have fears of the stuffing falling down due to gravity, or the whole darn thing coming off the wall (held up with a combo of pushpins and hot glue).  I'm not going to school today, so it is still a nervous thought in the back of my mind.

2) Paper tree: This wall in my room was just too blank.  I tacked up the quote and owl, and it was just "floaty".  It needed the paper tree.  Here is a sampling of texting between Crystal and I while debating this element:

Crystal: We should make a 3D paper tree and combine owl, banner and tree.

Me: A paper tree would really anchor it.

Me: Do we have time?

Me: We are insane.

Crystal: There's always time for paper trees!

And that's how the paper tree came to be.  Insanity, people.

Bye bye plain wall!

3: Pencil wreath: These have been floating around Pinterest.  We had to make them.  I love mine.  I'm not sure what else to say.

4: Literacy board: Okay, this is in Crystal's room.  Not mine.  But I helped. And it's handmade.  So it counts.  Still working on this puppy.  The title is layered paper plates.  LOVE IT!  I can't really do that in my room, because I don't have space on top of my boards - just more boards.  Which is a good thing.  So I'm not complaining.  The 4 colours are for her CAFE strategies. 

Work in progress.

5: My math stations folders: I'm planning a future post on math stations.  This picture doesn't really make it appear handmade - but in those folders are lots of TpT math stations (my own and others).  They really were a labour of love.  Printing, cutting, laminating, cutting again, organizing..... Now that they are all in folders and labeled, I am thrilled.  More on this in the future.

So proud of this!

Are you interested in even more bulletin board ideas? Do you want to save time by finding them all in one place? Follow the image or button below to grab your copy of my free bulletin board inspiration guide.