Another summer is in the books.
It’s time for alarm clocks, school supplies, bus rides and homework. That means it’s also time to get on the teacher’s good side with a thoughtful, homemade back-to-school gift.
Grab a bouquet of blooms, an inexpensive vase and some basic school supplies — pencils, glue, paint and tape — and I’ll show you three creative ways to dress up your favorite teacher’s desk. (Visit my blog, Atta Girl Says at www.attagirlsays.com for more back-to-school craft projects.)
Each of these projects uses identical clear, cylindrical glass vases from Dollar Tree.
No. 2 Pencil Vase
Fill this painted vase with pink carnations or roses to represent the eraser at the end of the pencil.
Cylinder Vase
Painter’s Tape
Yellow craft paint
Gray craft paint
Silver craft paint
Foam paint brush
Sharpie marker
Instructions
Apply a piece of painter’s tape along the top edge of the vase, pressing edges to seal.
Paint vase with two or three coats of yellow craft paint. Allow to dry and carefully remove the tape.
Paint the rim of the vase with a coat of gray craft paint, being careful not to overlap the yellow paint. Allow to dry, then paint with two coats of silver paint to form the top of the pencil.
When the paint is dry, use a black Sharpie marker to write “No. 2” on the vase.
Fill with water and add flowers.
Dress up a plain glass vase yellow pencils or art pencils, then add a colorful bouquet.
Amy Buchanan/Special to News & RecordPencil Vase
Dress up a plain glass vase with yellow pencils or art pencils, then add a colorful bouquet.
Cylinder vase
40 pencils (you may need more, depending on the diameter of your vase)
Instructions
Carefully run a line of hot glue onto one side of a pencil and attach to the vase. Be sure the vase is sitting upright when you attach the pencil. Also, make sure the first pencil is vertical, not slanted.
Be sure the vase is sitting upright when you attach the pencils.
Amy Buchanan/Special to News & RecordContinue gluing pencils around the vase, making sure each one is flush against the last.
When you’ve covered the vase with pencils, use a hair dryer on high heat to blow away any hot glue threads.
Tie a piece of ribbon around the center of the vase to dress it up a bit, if you like, and then add flowers.
Composition Notebook Vase
Fellow blogger Linda of Mason Jar Crafts Love inspired this school-themed paint treatment. She painted some mason jars to look like old-school composition notebooks, and I borrowed the idea for this vase.
Cylinder Vase
Painter’s Tape
White craft paint
Black craft paint
Foam paint brush
Sea sponge
Sharpie marker
Instructions
Use painter’s tape to mask off a rectangle on the middle of the vase.
Paint with two to three coats of white craft paint, until the glass is completely covered. Remove the tape and allow to dry completely, preferably overnight.
Using painter’s tape to cover the white rectangle. Press down the edges of the tape to ensure a proper seal.
Paint the rest of the vase with two to three coats of black craft paint. Allow to dry completely.
Dip a sea sponge in white paint and dab over the black paint to create the composition notebook pattern. Allow paint to dry.
Carefully remove the painter’s tape from the white rectangle. Peel slowly and carefully to avoid removing the white paint underneath.
Use a black Sharpie marker to write the word “Composition” and draw lines on the white rectangle.
Fill vase with water and add flowers.
