Schedule/Homework/Backpack Center

Fix It Friday!!!!

This week I am revealing my Schedule/Homework/Backpack center. I had seen it on Pinterest and started it over a year ago, but as with most of my best laid plans, it sat dormant for quite some time before I worked on it again, then again after I got the next step done, and again after that step until finally all that was left was to print, cut and glue.... that whole printing part was the worse! We have had some technology issues this past year and a half and no finances to support fixing them :(

 

Back to it.....

What you need for this project is:

• as many 16x20 cheap frames as there are kids
• I got some $5 and some $8 ones at WalMart, one or two at a time until I had enough. Luckily they were all uniform. It would have been better to buy them all at once, but I had to sneak them in the budget.
• 4x6 Picture of each child
• package of clips (mine was 6 for $1 at Dollar Tree, <3 that store)
• Command Strips or picture hangers
• scrapbook paper or colored paper of choice in alternating patterns or colors
• I used 3 different styles that color coordinated to each other for each board
• Within these paper choices, you will need 2 letter sized 8.5x11 to remain full sized, 1 letter sized 8.5x11 to cut in half and line the bottom portion for the "notes" section.
• another section of the same to line the top as a background to the picture and name sections. For this I used half one pattern, half another to contrast each other.
• printer paper, ink and an office program
• glue stick & scissors
• hot glue gun & glue

(Each backpack is hung on a Command Hook centered under each frame.)

Instructions:

• First find a spot where you have room in a location that is convenient and accessible and NOTICEABLE

For me I have a large family and an open floor plan with no entry way or foyer. (That is one of a few things I would change if I built again.) So that severely limited my choices for where to set up. I went with the 'long' strip of hallway between our garage door and laundry room entrance. It is in the hallway that leads from the kitchen and living room areas to the garage, laundry and master bedroom area, so it is a place I frequent. Best of all it is the first thing I see each time I walk out of my room to tackle the day. I really enjoy seeing those four smiling faces (they aren't always smiling this time of day in person, but hey, neither am I- I rather dislike having to be on society's agenda and rush everyone around by a predetermined agenda not set by us. In another life I would have chosen to live in BFE outside the reach of modern civilization & homeschool, something similar to Mountain Family Robinson).

• Next measure, eyeball it or trace the frames onto paper (or wrapping paper, way more fun) and pin them onto the wall in an arrangement you like and to make sure they do actually fit.

• Once you have your placement just right, place your picture hangers or command strips

• Now that you know you have the space, the location and the accessibility, you are ready to go on with the project.

• If you are using digital backgrounds for the paper as I did, you will next need to print those. If you are using scrapbook paper, you will now need to trim them to size.

• For the name in the text box you will need an office program. Microsoft Office 2010 is my favorite. Insert a text box, "draw your own" choice instead of a predetermined choice and choose a thick black border. Use the text box tools section to make the text box exactly 3.5x7" then type the name of your family member in your font of choice in a size that allows it to be centered in the box. The longer the name the more you will have to tweek this. My children go by 4 letter nicknames which allowed mine to be nice and uniform. I used "Blackadder ITC" size 100. You should be able to fit 2 to a page. Print it!

• Another thing you will need to print are the calendars. I used a template for the blank monthly calendar. I simply Googled "Free Printable Month Calendar Templates" then I switched over to google images and picked one I liked, saved it as a jpeg image and inserted it into Microsoft Word where I sized it (I would go waaaay bigger than what I did, the date pretty much fills the square on mine. A 5x7 might be ideal. You can fit 2 of those per page or 3 4x6 per page.

• For the weekly calendar you can go about it the exact same way or make your own in Word. I did this by going to "Insert" and "table" then draw your own in the drop down menu to be 2x7 squares. then adjust the width of the right column to be two or three times as wide as the left. Add the days of the week text to the squares on the left, centering them. Change tint to desired color. I fit four of these per page.

• Once you have all of these things designed and printed, use the cheesy print that comes in the frame as a background by turning it over face down on your work surface. Lay out all of your paper pieces how you like them trimming as needed. Use a glue stick on all the edges and a little in the middle. Line up paper edges and corners then spread and press toward the middle of the page working all creases out.

• After all your background pieces are in place, glue your name piece and calendars centering them where you choose. Then ball tape your picture in place. Avoid glue for this as the acidity can ruin a picture, glue can gloop up a picture and YOU CAN CHANGE THE PICTURE OUT if you do not glue (or mod podge) it.  

• Now put your frame back together with your masterpiece inside.

• BUT WAIT, What about that clip? Now you will use your hot glue gun to glue your clip at the top of one of your 8.5x11 pieces that is otherwise clear. You will glue this on the outside of your frame.

• You are done. Go hang that beauty.

You can use dry or wet erase markers to fill in your calendars or make notes. Hang important homework, fliers or papers on the clip and enjoy the picture and name you have chosen. I can't get enough of looking at these, however if you so choose to change yours up, you could annually update your picture, reprint and glue over color schemes or even start over entirely. I know there is a lady who sells the templates on Etsy, I believe it was once posted on Pinterest, however the pin I had didn't have the link so I made my own.



They already have came in handy as my preschooler and baby have their own important documents and their own schedules of coarse!

Each boy in our family has a color specific to them. Something I started when I had to buy in 3's. We now know the iPod with the BLUE case is Andy's, no one else can steal it. The GREEN one found in between the couch cushions is Zach's and the ORANGE one left on the floor to be stepped on that now needs put in the "earn it back" bin is Luke's. This has come in handy for backpack's, coats, shoes, cups, chairs, chopsticks, anything you can buy in a color!!! From a mile away I can tell which kid or kid's item I am dealing with. I only wish I would have picked different colors than Wayne and I's favorite colors so that all 6 of us could have our own color. The way it is Wayne likes orange and I like green which are also Luke and Zach's colors. For Jake, his color is actually RED, but the printer was in a pinkish mood. It makes the clip look orangey, oh well, I will reprint later.


My hallway is full. My gallery wall in the boys' hallway also has frames from edge to edge in sets of 4s. I cannot have anymore babies because I am out of wall space!!! (Though I really did want a girl and pinks and purples.) To be discussed later ;)

PROJECT COMPLETE....taa daa!!!