Throwback! Classroom Seating Edition

Once upon a time, this was my classroom:

Do you see those low white seats? They are the popular IKEA bookcases, turned on their sides. Very sturdy! They lasted for 10+ years!

I made those cushions. Horrible. Did not last 10+ years. They are simply foam covered with fabric. They slid all over and kids pulled at the fabric, which I hot glued together. It did not work.

Fast forward...well, 10 years!

These are the same bookshelves. The EXACT same bookshelves. You can see there is wear at the bottom, where kid feet rested, but overall, still in amazing shape! Sturdy and functional and cute!

The biggest difference is the cushion. I got plywood, foam filler, batting, and covered all of that with the cute indoor/outdoor fabric. Then, I did not use a hot glue gun, my old best friend. Instead, I used a nail gun. Seriously, these things have held together!!!

Currently, they are in my basement at home, being used regularly by two toddlers, a dog, and a cat. But they were in multiple fourth grade classrooms, a third grade room, and a second grade room. They lasted through more classroom moves than I can count. They were the perfect meeting area for every mini lesson and classroom meeting I ever held. When I had to move classrooms, first I would place my benches for our meeting area, then I would figure out where my classroom library would go, and then everything else just fit in where it could because those two elements were top priority in my mind. 

Whether you are homeschooling, teaching in a classroom, or a mom looking for functional seating in the playroom, I highly recommend using the IKEA hack!

Class Shirts - Perfect for Field Trips, School Activities, and More!

Check out Whitney Daniels Designs NOW!

I have used that company for my class shirt designing needs for...forever! (Ten years +)

We start by having every child use a fine tip Sharpie tow rite their name and draw a picture of themselves, neck up. (Great for talking about details that make you unique, like glasses, curly hair, dimples, etc.) We also vote on a color shirt as a class. One year I made it a surprise.

Typically, I send the order form from the website to the families, and most families spend the $7-8 on a shirt for their child. Some buy for themselves, too! If anyone does not send the money back in for whatever reason, I pay for that child. I also buy 1-2 extra shirts every year in case a new student moves into our class or someone loses their shirt. (We order these mid-way through the year because it takes time for the order to come in. Also, most of our field trips and special days are near the end of the school year and we want to wear them for those days - it's fun and it helps me to easily spot all of my students because we are dressed alike!

This is definitely a keepsake that I love. A tradition that I would hope that my children's teachers do as well because it's so special!