Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Decorating with Tape

Hey everyone! I know that I've been AWOL for quite a while. There's a good reason for that and if you follow my personal blog, Hodge Podge Moments, then you'll know the reasons why I've been away! If not, you can hop on over there and see what I've been up to or you can check back here in about a week for a life update! I will say that moving boxes and a wedding veil were involved in my absence. There was also a job hunt and a new classroom. I'm now in a fifth grade classroom, which is a big change for me. I just started last week and let me tell you that starting mid-year has it's own special set of challenges - including making the classroom mine! As I embark on the adventure of making this classroom into my own, I'll be sharing my DIY projects with you. Up first, we have a simple update that can be done with just one dollar!
I have several white board spaces in my room that I use throughout the day for different subjects. They were plain and I would draw lines to divide them into subjects on a daily basis to make the most out of them. They started out looking something like this:


The boards were less than appealing and my daily lines were messy. I happened to take a shot of the board after I erased it, but imagine crooked, squiggly lines with scattered work and you'll know how it looked. I am not very good at drawing straight lines, let's just say that. I also didn't like having to redraw my lines everyday so I set out to find a solution. Enter Dollar Tree and their great line of washi-like tape!


The first step for this organizing project (after buying the tape of course) was to draw out a plan. I knew that if I didn't draw out my plan in advance, I would miss a section that needed to be included. You can see my rough plan drawn on an index card below.



The next step was to put the plan in action. I used the tape to divide the board into sections. Getting the lines straight was the hardest part. (They still aren't perfect, but I'll keep fixing them until they are.) I love that this tape can be removed easily. After you pull the tape off the board, it isn't damaged and you can use it on the board again.



The last step was to add my headings. I wrote them up in marker today but I have other plans for the near future once I find the supplies needed!



After doing the front board, I simply had to repeat the process for the back board. I am extremely happy that all of my boards are now divided with colorful tape and every subject has its own section! This will really help my classroom stay more organized!  The best part? This project only cost me ONE DOLLAR!  I bought two rolls of tape at Dollar Tree and one roll was able to do three large white boards with tape left over! Now the question is - what can I do with all that leftover tape?



Washi tape is a quick and easy way to spruce up the different spaces in your house. It's a temporary upgrade as well, which makes it nice. When you're tired of the design you chose, you can easily remove it and change the look of your stuff!

How do you use tape in your home or office? Any suggestions for my leftover tape?