back to school crafts Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

This diy easy duct tape pencil pouch back to school craft is a great way to start your year. Before you jump into learning how to homeschool or a full schedule, have some fun first.

As homeschoolers sometimes we don’t really get the full traditional back to school shopping experience, so I like to work in some fun activities to freshen things up and get them excited.

Even though we school year-round we take breaks and this is the perfect activity to jump back into a new unit.

DIY Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch Back to School Kids Craft

It would also make a great craft to do with your co-op or just a couple friends.

Offer a few duct tapes and bag sizes. And put them on a table with an example to invite them to create.

Fill it with pencils yes but it is sturdy enough to hold scissors, pencil sharpeners, protractors, calculators and more.

Just because you are not heading off to school outside the house doesn’t mean you don’t need somewhere to gather and hold all your small supplies.

How to Use the Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

We are going to make a full sized pouch to carry our watercolor palette and brushes in our backpack for nature hikes.

Upper elementary to high school will be able to complete this project on their own. However, younger kids might need a little help with the steps.

It is very user friendly for all ages.

Let your child pick up their favorite pattern on Amazon.

I have linked several of our favorites below or you can find some at Hobby Lobby near the art supplies like canvasses and artist paints.

I have even found a good variety of solid tapes at Dollar Tree, making it a very economical craft.

You can use duct tape for a great number of projects.

For example, you can make pouches in different sizes for different uses.

Besides pencils turn it into a makeup bag or for collecting specimens on a nature walk.

Cover a jar or can for a desk pencil holder, make a custom composition notebook, wrap around pens and pencils to coordinate with your pouch, or cover a plain phone case with it to jazz it up some.

Your pouch should last you the school year with normal wear and tear but should it not last it is very economical to make a new one.

Duct Tape Options and Patterns

Here are a few of our favorites duct tape patterns. I love this wave blue.

And I also love this checkered one.

And it’s so easy to make with only 3 components.

duct tape
gallon bag slider top
scissors

You probably have all three things in your home now.

How to Make an Easy Duct Tape Pencil Pouch

You can make your pouch the full size of the bag or adjust it to any size you like by cutting off the bottom at the measurement you prefer.

We made ours just slightly larger than half the bag.

If you want one that is not so wide you could use a quart, sandwich, or snack size bag too. Just make sure you grab the slider top.

Once you have cut your bag down to size lay a piece of your patterned duct tape on the bottom so that half adheres to the very bottom.

Fold it over and press into place to seal the bottom well.

You can repeat the process if you think you need the extra strength, but it is pretty strong with just one.

Next, rather than work your way up the bag you are going to want to put the next piece right up under then zipper portion of the bag.

This makes for less cutting. And depending on your pattern makes it easier to match them up.

Leave just a bit on each end to trim at the end.

Work your way down the bag by adding another two rows of duct tape.

The final row will cover up the folded tape of the bottom of the bag and cover half of the center row.

Flip and repeat on the other side.

Then, trim the excess to even with the plastic bag. Try not to cut into it, just right at the edge.

To finish off and reinforce the sides, overlap the tape so that half covers each side.

Trim off excess.

You can go a step further by adding names or other words with stickers, mix up patterns and solids.

Hole punch the bottom and it can be added to a 3 ring binder to keep everything together.

Other Back to School Craft Fun

What do you think? Are you ready for not back to homeschool?

These cute clay pencil earrings for back to school crafts are plain fun. Also, look at my page The Dynamics of How to Homeschool Easily and Smarter for more fun ideas and tips.

So, don’t miss out on all the fun back to school craft ideas just because your child won’t be headed off to traditional school.

Have some hands on craft time with your kids and make a pair or several school themed earrings to wear to kick off your new year.

Cute Clay Pencil Earrings for Back to School Crafts For Kids

We school year-round but take a lot of breaks so these were great to welcome in our new unit!

Clay is great for creativity.

So, invest a little in these supplies and give your kids another creative outlet.

Also, making crafts is therapeutic and works those fine motor skill and appeals to the senses.

Additionally this is a great way to encourage your budding entrepreneurs.

A great little business idea is creating earrings for friends, family, co-op mates, and even to setup on facebook.

Clay – A Versatile Craft Material

Your child can sell handmade creations for a bit of money and learn about supply vs. demand, how to set prices for profit, the cost of supplies, and so much more.

Get creative and don’t just stop at making pencil earrings.

Use your clay to create paper, crayons, globes, beakers and more.

But they don’t have to just be for back to school craft ideas.

Add this idea to any of your unit studies.

For example, look at some of these ideas.

If you’re looking for an idea for a hands-on project for the Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages, then create a replica of a plant.
When studying China, create a map to wear on your child’s ears. How fun.
Are you studying about botany next? Then make some cute mushrooms or succulents.

Look at this Polymer Clay Starter kit, Oven Bake Clay, DIY Molding Clay kit.

Let’s dive into making these adorable clay back to school earrings.

This list is easy but too some of it you may not have around the house.

Easy DIY Fun Earrings Supplies

Earring Kit
Variety Clay Pack
Clay Roller Machine or a hand roller
Small craft stick
Skewer

Once you get all your supplies gathered remember you can make several pairs.

First, preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

How to Make Back to School Pencil Earrings

Then, pinch off a piece of yellow clay and roll it through your clay roller a few times on the second to last thickness setting.

We really just eyeballed the amount.

There wasn’t enough the first time,vso we just pinched off a bit more and added it before we went through again.

You can also use a simple roller. But we love our clay machine and use it every time we create with clay to get uniform thickness.

I set most of my earrings at the thicker of the two settings on our clay roller.

Use a small wooden craft stick as a template to get straight sides and an even width for your two pencils,

Cut on either side with a thin sharp knife and repeat for the next one.

Remember though that they don’t have to be perfect, they are kid and handmade after all.

Cut the top and bottom at the same time to get your desired length.

Repeat with a small amount of pink after rolling it flat. Use the craft stick vertically and horizontally to cut two squares for the erasers.

Again, use some tan to make the wood of your pencil and repeat with the sides. Cut the length off at the same time so they are uniform.

Then, cut a point on your pencil tips.

Get a bit of texture by using the sharp end of the skewer to draw up the top of the tan and create the shaved section of the pencil.

Add a tiny piece of black clay to the bottom as a pencil led, shape a point with your fingers.

Connect your 3 pieces, pressing them gently together.

Wet your finger and smooth the joints together.

More Back to School Craft Ideas

We ran each of our entire put together pieces through the roller one more time to help the colors cling to each other.

Draw a few lines in the yellow to create some pencil detail.

Take the flat end of your skewer and pierce a whole through the eraser close to the top.

But leave enough room that it doesn’t break because its too thin.

Carefully pick up the clay pieces and transfer to a baking sheet.

A think scraper or even a knife make it easy to slide up and transfer.

We use our little toaster oven for crafts like this rather than heat up the big oven.

Bake at 200℉ for 20 minutes. Check and make sure that they are hard and no more moisture remains in the clay.

Bake for 5 more minutes if needed to bake completely through. Allow to cool fully before removing.

Use a needle nose plier to open a jump ring and thread it through the hole you made on the eraser.

Place a French hook earring loop through the jump ring as well and close completely the jump ring with needle nose pliers.

Be sure that the hook faces away from the front of the pencil earrings

If you prefer you can skip creating a hole in the earrings and use e6000 glue to affix a standard post earring to the back instead.

If you’re like us you want dangly earrings so we went with fish hooks.

What do you think, are you ready for back to school and look cool?

back to school crafts