Monday Made It - Several Projects I've Completed This Week

As of today, I've been blogging for exactly 5 weeks and I'm almost at 500 followers....you know what that means??  I feel a giveaway coming up soon...maybe with a 5 theme...as in 5 winners!! Check back soon!

I am linking up with the fabulous Tara at 4th Grade Frolics again this week for "Monday Made It."

Made It #1 - Monster Tissue Box

Most of you have seen this "tattle monster" on Pinterest, and with my monster theme for next year, I just HAD to create one!  I won't use it as a tattle monster though...I think I'll use it to drop answers in for our classroom Estimation Station.  I love him and he was super easy to make - took 15 minutes tops!

How to Make: 
1. Cover an empty tissue box with duct tape.
2. Add polka dots using circle stickers.
3. Cut teeth out of foam and hot glue inside opening.
4. Add large pom-poms and wiggle eyes using hot glue.

How easy is that???????  I may have to make more...and it was so easy, I'm thinking of letting my kiddos make these for Valentine card holders this year to go with our theme!

Made It #2 - Smarty Pants

I also saw some of these on Pinterest and HAD to create my own...with a monster twist, of course!  First, I had to find some small jeans!  I didn't want to spend much on them, so I headed to Goodwill and found this pair for $3.00.  PERFECT!!  Everything else came from one of my previous trips to Hobby Lobby.

How to Make
1.  Apply "Smarty Pants" letters to jeans (My iron-on letters didn't show up well on the jeans, so I cut fabric circles out to go behind the letters.  I attached the circles with fabric glue and ironed the letters on top of those.)
2.  Iron on any other embellishments you want (like my monster patches).
3.  Use fabric glue to close the bottom of each leg and to attach the ruffles to the legs.
4.  Add a ribbon/bow belt.

Voila!  A nice "Smarty Pants" display!  Since the legs are now closed, you can pour "Smarties" candies inside the pants.  When a student comes up with a great idea or shares something brilliant with the class, you can tell them to go grab a smarty from the smarty pants!

I found a hanger with those "little hooks" inside and they hang perfectly on those!  I think between these "smarties" and my "Kiss Your Brain" and "Hug Your Heart" jars that I posted about here, I've got plenty of little treats to hand out and will eliminate the treat jar I used in the past.

Monday Made It #3 - Rolling Seat Crate

I know, I know...EVERYONE has made the crate seats from Pinterest.  My problem...I always see a great project like this and then think, but "what if"?  {Sigh}  Often, those "what ifs" turn out to be disastrous, but every now and then they work out!  I don't have space in my classroom reading center for the seat crates (I already have a bajillion "cozy reading spots"...enough for each child to have a spot to read in each day...floor chairs, beanbags, saucer chairs, floor rockers, director chairs, stools, etc.)!!!  So, when I saw these I knew that I wanted them to be used at my computer station.  The problem - they would be too low.  I immediately thought that I would stack two on top of each other (I planned to store some HEAVY stuff in them, so I though they'd be sturdy enough.)  The problem?  They were too tall. :(

Solution - my husband added a wood base to each and drilled wheels to the bottom.

Now, they are the perfect height for my computer center and will be able to roll under the table (out of the way) when not in use!  I plan to store my whisper phones and headphones in them.  {Mr. Madden thinks they'll really be used for teacher races down the halls after school!} hehehe

And, I'm still working on this little Monday Made It....bunting in my classroom!  I hope to share it later this week.

I'll be back tomorrow with another post in my Writer's Workshop series.  Hope to see you here!