2021 printable back to school sign

Can you believe that it’s almost time for the kids to go back to school?

We’re putting the finishing touches on our summer break and getting our lists together so we can go back to school shopping.

The thing that always sneaks up on me is that cute sign that so many kids hold up. You know the one. the “First Day of ______” signs.

Last year, little miss held up a handwritten sign. And that worked. But I wanted something cuter.

I also wanted the sign to show off her skills and style. So we created a printable sign that is also a coloring page.

Printable First Day of School Sign

Do you have a favorite place for your child to stand when holding their back-to-school sign?

Our place is by the big tree in front of our house.

This year, my kids will both be holding a first day of school sign.

All you have to do is print it, add their grade, and then let them color in the images.

Then try not to tear up while taking about 3,000 pictures of each of your kids. (This may be the hardest part of the whole printable!)

So how do you get this free printable? Just click the button below to tell us where to send it!

Looking for an even easier option for the first day back to school?

We have upped up the easy with a completely done-for-you pack! This pack has the grades already written out and includes Preschool and Pre-K through Senior year!

Purchase this printable pack!

Share this photo prop with your friends!

If you loved this free printable, please share it with your friends!

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Apple Themed Construction Paper Craft

We love this sun catcher style craft. It is so great for building fine motor skills and something you can hang in your window and enjoy! You can make butterflies in the spring or even turkeys in the fall! This craft has endless possibilities.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we will receive an affiliate commission.  Thank you for supporting Twitchetts!

Supplies for your Fine Motor Apples:

• Construction Paper. Red and Green.
• Hole punches. I used 2 different sizes.
• Contact Paper.
• Colored Markers.
• Tape.
• Scissors.
• Glue Stick.

How to create Fall Suncatchers

Check out the whole process in this quick video or see step by step directions below.

 Start by punching holes out of your red and green paper.  You can use different sizes, but a standard hole punch will also work.Take a piece of contact paper and draw a red circle and a green circle on the clear side. The red one will be about the size of your apple, the green should be smaller. You will cut the apple out of the red circle and the stem out of the green circle. This gives your child somewhere to aim with their dots.

Peel back the paper and tape, sticky side up, on your workspace. Now fill the circles with dots. Have them match the dots with the correct colored circle. Going over the edges is fine.When they are finished take the second piece of contact paper, peel off the back, and place it sticky side down on your circles.
If they are old enough they can cut out the red circles. Add a small indent in the top of the circle to create an apple.

Next, create a leaf and stem out of the green. Use your glue stick to assemble and you’re done!These turn out so neat. The light comes right through them!Hang them in a window or place in a card to your favorite teacher!

Pin this to your crafts or activities Pinterest board:

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Back To School Printables

Get your child ready for the new school year with these fun printables.  Little Miss is about to start kindergarten.  I don’t know who’s more anxious.  Me or her…I’ve been doing lots of research on the subject and kept finding these fun printables that make the first day of school just a little more exciting and little less stressful.  I wanted to share them with you.  Even if it’s not your child’s FIRST, first day of school, there is something for you. Hopefully one will be just what you need to get back into the swing of things.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission.

First Day Of School Printables

Back To School Printable // Twitchetts

First Day Of School Interview // What Mommy Does

Color By Numbers // Kids Activities Blog

AM & PM Routine // Thrifty Jinxy

Daily Routine // Sarah Halstead

Back to School Checklist // Sarah Halstead

Write The New Teacher A Letter // Mama Smiles

Activity Book // Growing Hands On Kids

Back To School Kids Gift Tag // I Heart Crafty Things

Alphabet Tracing Printable // The Letters Of Literacy

Grab your printer and a laminator and get ready for the back to school printable fun!

The post Back To School Printables appeared first on Twitchetts.

Recycled Pencil Holder

Every once in a while, like almost every day, it rains here in Florida. That being said I’m often finding myself looking for something to do to keep the kids busy inside.

Buying a lot of crafting kits in the store can end up being very expensive. So I started looking through some really old crafting books, from like 1971 old. There were some unique ideas, but most of them were pretty dated.

This DIY pencil holder craft caught my attention. After a few tweaks, I was able to create one with J.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we may receive an affiliate commission.

No time to make this plastic bottle pencil holder now? Pin it for later!

If you can’t make this plastic bottle pencil holder now, pin it to your kids’ crafts ideas board on Pinterest and it’ll be here for when you’re ready.

Tips for making a DIY pencil holder using a plastic bottle.

• Make sure you choose a plastic bottle that is thin. A heavy-duty bottle will make this project pretty difficult. 
• Toss a basket of old t-shirts to your child and let them choose the colors.
• It might be fun to incorporate some of your child’s favorite shirts, giving the pencil holder some additional value.

How to make a pencil holder with a bottle

Below is our step-by-step tutorial for creating this recycled pencil holder. Feel free to print it for easy reference.

Yield: 1 Bottle

How to make a recycled pencil holder

Print

This recycled pencil holder makes a great kid-made gift or back to school craft.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Materials

• Empty water bottle
• T-Shirt Yarn

Tools

• Scissors

Instructions

1. Start by carefully cutting down the side of your bottle. Leave about an inch at the bottom uncut. You want to end up with an odd number of strips.
2. Tie off the end of your yarn and tuck it near the bottom of one of your cuts.
3. Begin to weave in and out in and out around and around.
4. Every few layers pushed down to tighten together.
5. Keep going around the bottle. Switch colors as often as you want.
6. Once you get about a half-inch from the top of the bottle, stop and tuck the end of the string down inside the bottle and through a couple of loops.
7. Tuck the tabs into the t-shirt yarn to create an even top.

Notes

Tucking the top of the bottle may be a bit tricky for younger kids. Adult help may be needed.

More kids craft projects you will love!

• Number Rocks – A fun rock painting idea.
• Press Painted Apples – Let your kids create these unique apples and then string them in your classroom or playroom.
• Twisted Friendship Bracelets – In only 2 minutes, your kids can make a fun friendship bracelet.

If you loved this recycled pencil holder craft, share it by pinning or sharing it on Facebook.

We are thankful for every share! Each time someone shares our posts, our site grows and we are so thankful that we can continue to create unique and simple projects for kids.

Know a friend who’d like this DIY pencil holder for the new school year? Please share it on Facebook or save it to your favorite kid’s craft board on Pinterest.

Ways to adjust these cute pencil holders

Sometimes DIY projects need a little tweaking based on the supplies you have or the need. Swapping a little thing here or there is a great way to create your own DIY pencil holders. Mix and match these ideas to create a collection of colorful crafts that you can use to create a handmade desk organizer.

• Instead of t-shirt yarn, use mod podge to wrap the bottle in unique scrapbook paper.
• Replace the plastic bottles with mason jars or empty tin cans.
• Use this easy craft as a DIY flower pot!

Our Favorite Craft Supplies.

The fastest way to make simple craft ideas difficult is to not have the right supplies. These craft supplies are perfect for crafting with kids.

While not each of them is used in the craft above, they are all staples in our craft bin. If you don’t have any on hand, that might be ok. Take a look at the project first to see whether or not you need them.

• Construction Paper – One of our favorite craft supplies. These crafts are a great way to use up that stash of black paper.
• Pipe Cleaners – This versatile craft supply holds its shape so it’s fun to play with afterward.
• Craft Sticks or popsicle sticks – A classic staple, use them in your craft or to mix paint.
• Kid-Friendly paint – Kids love to get messy! Check out our favorite tips for painting with young children.
• Googly Eyes – You can literally add them to any project and it instantly becomes cuter.
• Tissue Paper – We always have this on hand. Buy it new or use or save it from birthday parties and holidays.
• Toilet Paper Rolls/Paper Towel Rolls – A great way to recycle your paper tubes is to use them in crafts!
• Paper Plate – Grab this party supply to create fun crafts.
• Contact Paper – We use this a lot to create suncatcher crafts
• Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun – Great for projects that need that extra hold. Make sure you have plenty of glue sticks!

We really hope you add this simple project to your list of school supplies or make one for your craft room. They are so much fun and the best part is that it uses those materials that would have ended up in the trash.

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