Upcycling old book illustrations

June 14, 2016July 31, 2017 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

Cutting up old books seems almost a crime, but if they’ve been really well worn out and you can escape the guilt, they make some lovely decorations. We have quite a few things planned for some vintage books I’ve collected lately, but I chose some of the boys’ favorites for the blocks we had painted in fun colors already. I decoupaged some of the most colorful characters or favorite bits of two different books so far…now we are looking for the right book for the next few blocks. These came from a 1980’s edition of Dumbo and Danny and the Dinosaur. I used a mix of school glue and water to affix the pictures, then used a matte clear sealant spray for longer wear.

happy valentine & crayon melting!

February 12, 2016July 31, 2017 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

flower_hearts_melted_crayon_valentine_gifts

This year’s melted crayon art turned out pretty well. Students turned in old crayons and I took them home to bake in cupcake pans. Last year we made Valentine heart versions, but this year I explained that teachers would love some flowers, too. I think ours are pretty enough to give Martha Stewart’s crayons a run for their money.

Getting the paper off the crayons can be annoying. They come off of Crayola brand crayons the easiest, and soaking them in a bit of water helps too. Some of the hearts have defined layers, to achieve that effect allow the first layer to melt then add more crayons on top and bake longer. Happy melting!

snowflakes in the library

January 7, 2016July 5, 2020 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

We had an extended snowflake unit this winter that included a biography of Wilson Bentley, the snowflake man, and studying the science and structure of snowflakes. Each student and faculty member was invited to create their own flake and help us decorate the library with them! Every flake had the name of the person who made it and the title of a good book they recommended.