What’s one thing that makes me so happy about classroom set up? Three letters…D.I.Y.
Getting to be creative person is one thing that draws me to teaching. I have the pleasure of leading our younger preschool class this school year. It’s an added bonus to be in the smaller classroom as well. You might be thinking…smaller classroom? Added bonus? Yeah, right!
But it’s true! There is something about working in a smaller space that gets my creative juices flowing. I love the challenge of bringing items into the classroom that are functional, versatile, and nice to look at. Items that are not only nice to look at, but will help warm up our classroom.
This past week I put together a bench to help cozy up our reading center.
The Process…
Now, I didn’t think to take photos while I was making these benches, but luckily they are really simple to throw together. All you need is some wooden crates, a piece of cardboard, a piece of poly foam, and your fabric.
I first took my measurements by laying the side of the crate I wanted to cover on top of my cardboard and tracing it with a sharpie. I repeated this process with the foam as well. Then, you lay your cardboard and foam (stacked together) on top of your fabric. Here is a better look at the fabric I chose. Isn’t it adorable?
Make sure you leave about two and half inches of extra fabric around every edge. Cut it out, then flip the fabric over and layer your foam followed by the cardboard. As neatly as I could, I used a staple gun to fasten the fabric around the foam and cardboard creating a cushion. Then I utilized some good old E6000 glue and secured the cushion to my crates. Voilia! A bench for a cozy reading experience!
I did one more major DIY project for our classroom. Here is a photo…
I made a tassel banner to hang over each window. All you need is some twine and yarn. The thicker yarn works best. Just loop the yarn around the length of your twine until you have the look you are going for.
The window banners are a great way to incorporate color and warmth into your space. This banner would even be great across the top of a bulletin board!
Links to grow on…
Simple ideas for classroom set up
Getting preschoolers involved in classroom set up