Reusable DIY First Day of School Sign

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You want to do something to commemorate that special day every year for your kids because it helps get (or keep) them excited about the first day of school. You also love looking back at these photos through the years and watching your tiny human grow into his or her own person. Of course, you’re also a busy mom with a ton of stuff to do. This reusable DIY first day of school sign lets you collect those precious photos while not adding yet a another project to your to-do list every year.

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Collage of Kids Holding first Day of School Signs with text overlay - Reusable DIY First Day of School Sign

 

[bctt tweet=”This reusable DIY first day of school sign is seriously perfect for capturing that special day! After the first day, simply store it away until next year.” username=”diyadulation”]

With 3 kids in school now, I knew I didn’t have the time to make 3 separate first day of school signs each year. The end of the summer and back to school season is hectic enough without piling on extra work.

That’s why I wanted to create something that was pretty, fun, and reusable year after year. This reusable DIY first day of school sign is perfect. We were able to get all of the photos in about 10 minutes which was amazing, and still had plenty of time to be ready for the first day.

 

Smiling Child Holding First Day of School Sign

Note:

I used the First Day of School printable from this month’s Monthly Subscription Bundle. (Not a part of it? Get your subscription here.) Alternatively, you can use any first day of school printable you like for this project. Remember to change the color of the chalk marker if the background of the printable you use is lighter than mine so that those awesome facts show up in your photos!

 

Materials for First Day of School

Reusable DIY First Day of School Sign Materials

Step 1

First, print out your First Day of School printable and set aside.

 

Stack of Colorful Translucent Rulers

Painted Back of Translucent Rulers

Step 2

Then open your rulers and paint the back of them with white acrylic paint. I bought 2 3-packs from the Dollar Tree so I had extra. I chose to use 2 blue rulers, 1 green, and 1 pink.

Step 3

Set you rulers aside and allow the paint to dry.

 

Glass Removed from Snap Frame

Step 4

While your rulers dry, pop the glass out of your Snap frame.

 

First Day of School Printable in Snap Frame

Glass over First Day of School Printable in Snap Frame

Step 5

Place your First Day of School printable inside and return the glass to the frame.

 

Blue Rulers Glued to Long Edges of Snap Frame

Step 6

Next, glue 2 of your dry, painted rulers to the long edges of your frame with hot glue. I ran a line of glue along the inch edge of the ruler then pressed it firmly to the frame. You don’t want too much overlap over the glass of the frame or it covers your pretty printable.

 

Green and Pink Rulers Glued to Short Edges of Snap Frame

Step 7

Finish the frame by gluing your remaining dry, painted rulers to the short edges of your frame.

Step 8 (Optional)

For a cleaner look, wipe the excess paint that is on the front of the rulers after they are attached to your frame. The paint comes off with a damp cloth or paper towel.

 

Chalk Writing on First Day of School Sign

Step 9

Use your chalk marker to fill out the details on your sign for one child.

 

Smiling Boy Holding First Day of School Sign

Step 10

Take your cutie’s photo then use a damp paper towel followed by a dry paper towel to remove the chalk marker.

 

Smiling Girl Holding First Day of School Sign

Step 11

Repeat for each of your kiddos then store for next year!

 

Close up of Sign with text overlay - Reusable DIY First Day of School Sign

This reusable DIY first day of school sign is seriously perfect for capturing your tiny humans’ growth each school year. After the first day, simply store it away with the extra school supplies you’re hoarding for inevitable refills until next year. Not only is this a totally easy-to-make project, but it already checks one thing off of next year’s back to school to-do list!

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Close up of Sign with text overlay - Reusable DIY First Day of School Sign

DIY Nerds Rule T-shirt Cricut Craft

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Kids gladly wear t-shirts everyday to school. Luckily that saves you money when shopping for school clothes since tees are way cheaper than button-ups. Now you can turn a plain t-shirt into something spectacular with this DIY Nerds Rule t-shirt Cricut craft!

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Collage of Boy Wearing Nerds Rule T-shirt with text overlay - DIY Nerds Rule Teeshirt

 

[bctt tweet=”Even a basic version of a Cricut Cutting machine is capable of a lot more than paper. This DIY nerds rule t-shirt is totally proof of that!” username=”diyadulation”]

A few weeks ago I took all 3 kids to their eye appointments and found out that all 3 of them need glasses this year. What?! I mean, at least they’re doing something together but dang, that’s crazy!

While picking out glasses my oldest picked up this pair of black frames and was crazy excited about how they made him look like a nerd. Basically, if there was ever any doubt that he was mine, it’s definitely gone now.

I thought new “nerdy” glasses needed a super sweet new shirt to go with them. This month’s Bring on the Crafts challenge was the perfect reason to try something totally new like iron-on vinyl.

 

Boy Wearing Nerds Rule T-Shirt

DIY Nerds Rule T-shirt Materials

 

Red Vinyl on Cutting Mat

Step 1

First, put a piece of red vinyl on your cutting mat with the shiny side down. You don’t need a large piece because you are only cutting one word from it.

 

Create a Friend Cricut Cartridge Box

Step 2

Then prep your Cricut with the cartridge and the universal button cover. Set your pressure to medium and adjust the size to 6 inches.

 

Close Up of Screen on Cricut Machine

Step 3

Next, load your cutting mat with the red vinyl on it and press the “FLIP” button on your machine.

 

Nerds Rule Design Page in Book

Step 4

Now cut out the word “Rule”.

Note:

Step 5

Remove the vinyl from the cutting mat. The blade should not have cut through the plastic cover on the vinyl.

 

Cut Out Rule Vinyl Piece

Weeded Backwards Vinyl Word Rule

Step 6

Cut around your design in a rectangle then weed (or remove) all of the negative design parts so that only your backwards word is left.

 

Navy Blue Vinyl on Cutting Mat

Step 7

Set your weeded design to the side and place the navy blue vinyl on your cutting mat. This one needs to be bigger because you are cutting 2 designs in it.

 

Close up of Flipped Preview on Cricut Screen

Step 8

Again, make sure the “FLIP” button is pressed on your machine and cut the word “Nerds” in the navy blue vinyl.

Step 9

Before cutting your second design, change the size to 8 inches. Then cut the glasses and tie design from your navy blue vinyl.

 

Cut Out Nerds and Glasses Navy Vinyl Pieces

Step 10

Next, remove your cut vinyl from the mat and then cut around your designs.

 

Weeded Nerds and Glasses Navy Vinyl Pieces

Step 11

Again, weed the designs so that only the word “Nerds” and the glasses are left.

Step 12

Now pull out your t-shirt and warm up your EasyPress to 340° Fahrenheit.

Step 13

Place your shirt on a heat-safe surface like an ironing board.

 

EasyPress on Grey Shirt

Step 14

Once your EasyPress is heated, press the area of your shirt where the design will go.

 

Nerds Rule Design Laid Out on T-Shirt

Step 15

Then line up your design on your shirt. Make sure none of the design overlaps the plastic from another part otherwise your design will stick to the plastic instead of your shirt.

Step 16

Next, cover the design with a piece of cloth to protect your shirt from the heat. I used a second t-shirt but you can also use a towel or cotton napkin too.

 

EasyPress on Shirts

Step 17

Press your design for 30 seconds.

Step 18

Then flip your shirt over and press the design from the back for another 30 seconds.

Step 19

Allow your design to cool completely.

 

Finished Nerds Rule Design on T-Shirt

Step 20

Lastly, carefully peel off your plastic leaving only your design on the shirt.

 

Close Up of Boy Wearing Nerds Rule T-shirt with text overlay - DIY Nerds Rule Teeshirt

I know I’m late to the game but I hadn’t done anything with vinyl yet. I have only used my Cricut for scrapbooking but I know that even my basic version is capable of a lot more. This DIY nerds rule t-shirt is totally proof of that. Even better, my little man loves it and I think it’s the perfect shirt for my super awesome nerd!

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Boy Wearing Nerds Rule T-shirt with text overlay - DIY Nerds Rule Teeshirt

 

Bring on the Crafts 700 x 550

Bring on the Crafts – A Craft & DIY Blog Hop

On the first Friday through Sunday of each month, a group of DIY and crafty bloggers join forces to create a fun craft or DIY project to share that follows a monthly materials theme. Together, with hosts Marie from Elle Marie Home and Habiba from Craftify My Love, they share the #BringontheCrafts blog hop with you. August’s theme is Cutting Machines! Each blogger chooses their own craft to make as long as they love it and it uses a Cutting Machine for the project.

Our August Co-hosts

Jenny at Cookies, Coffee and Crafts • Kim at Day to Day Adventures
Marie at DIY Adulation • Janet at Try It – Like It • Beverly at Across the Blvd

Join in on the fun! If you’d like to participate next month, you can request to join our Bring on the Crafts Facebook Group. Next month’s theme is Wood!

Not a blogger, but a creative mind none the less!? Don’t worry, Share your awesome creations in our Craft Cult Facebook Group. This is also a great place to ask craft & DIY related questions and find inspiration for your next project.

Now let’s see all of those amazing Craft and DIY Projects!

 

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Save Money with Easy Homemade Lunchables

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Back to school costs start to add up quickly between gear, new clothes, and more. Cut some of the costs and save money with easy homemade lunchables. They’re super cheap to make and easily customizable. I like to add in fresh fruit or vegetables to help round out the meal but kids love them on their own too.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Collage of Crackers, Meat, and Cheese in Divided Container with text overlay - Save Money with Easy Homemade Lunchables

 

[bctt tweet=”It’s time to save money in your budget during the school year easily. You can’t beat these easy homemade lunchables when it comes to budget school lunches!” username=”diyadulation”]

Admittedly, I love Lunchables just as much as the kids do. I’ve always preferred the off-brand but let’s be fair, is meat and cheese topped crackers ever a bad idea? Not in my book. With 3 kids in school this year, however, it’s simply not in the budget to buy Lunchables for the kids to pack each day. These homemade lunchables are the perfect solution!

They’re super easy to make but still totally delicious and best of all they’re budget-friendly. While peanut butter and jelly is also great for your budget, the kiddos get tired of it after a while. These let you mix it up without ruining your grocery budget.

 

Homemade Lunchables

Easy Homemade Lunchables Ingredients

Note: You also need divided lunch containers for these because you want to keep the components separated for freshness. If you mix it all together then the crackers will get soggy.

Step 1

First, lay out your divided lunch containers with the lids off. I like to do this assembly line style because it saves time and energy.

Step 2

Next, add 6 crackers to each container. You can add more if you have older kids and don’t think that 6 will be enough.

Step 3

Add 6 pieces of salami to one of the divided areas of each container.

Step 4

Then cut your cheese slices into 4th’s and add 6 squares of cheese to each container.

 

Close Up of Homemade Lunchable

Step 5

Lastly, add one small piece of individually packaged candy to the section of the divided lunch container with the crackers. I like to use up our old candy in these. With 3 kiddos we end up with tons of candy from all of the holidays.

Step 6

Return your lids to the containers and stack in the fridge for easy packed lunches during the school year.

 

Crackers, Meat, and Cheese in Divided Container with text overlay - Save Money with Easy Homemade Lunchables

These save so much money. 1 box of crackers makes up to 15 homemade lunchables (with salami left over for more). That makes these less than $.50 each which is an absolute bargain. Plus, it makes it easy to customize for your kiddos with their favorite crackers and cheese. For example, my oldest loves pepperjack cheese whereas my youngest won’t touch anything but the processed American singles. No matter what you kiddos love, you can’t beat these easy homemade lunchables when it comes to budget school lunches.

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Crackers, Meat, and Cheese in Divided Container with text overlay - Save Money with Easy Homemade Lunchables