Memorable First Day of School Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

July 5, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

What didn’t I think of that?! Create memories they will cherish with these First Day of School Ideas. Back to school printables, first day of school photo ideas, activities for kids and new family traditions you will repeat yearly.

Memorable First Day of School Ideas

Do I address what a crazy year 2020 has been or move on and act like all of us didn’t experience a terrible end of the year? While going back to school is always a milestone, this year is especially special. Celebrate the start of a new school year with these memorable First Day of School Ideas. We bet many of back to school ideas will become annual family traditions!

First Day of School Traditions

Back to School traditions are are first day of school ideas you want to continue and keep consistent every year. Some of our birthday family traditions can be easily transferred into back to school ideas for the first day.

Make their first bite special with a First Day of School bento lunch box. Add a sweet Back to School Lunch Note. | Must Have Mom

This is one of those first day of school and birthday traditions you can use either way. We always keep balloons and streamers in our gift supply area. Whip it together when the kids go to bed and they will wake up to a pleasant first day surprise. | Side Tracked Mom (no longer active)

Have a nervous Nancy? This first day jitter glitter can go to school with your child on a necklace or can be sprinkled on them the night before school. | The DIY Mommy

Adopt a First Day of School German Tradition. Make these adorable DIY Schultüte, or school cones. Fill your homemade Schultute with treats and school supplies to make the start of school sweet for little ones. | Frog Prince Paperie

Have a huge first day of school bus greeting. Host a water balloon or a silly string fight! Have a barrel of silly string and silly string guns. Gather the neighbors at the bus stop. | Source – Bower Power Blog

First Day of School Photo Ideas

There are so many first day of school photo ideas and we share many that have free downloads in our Back to School Printables post. For this list of First Day of School Photo Ideas, we are taking them outside the box. Instead of First Day of School Signs you can download, we are finding items you have to craft and create.

Spell it out on the driveway. This first day of school sidewalk chalk art is easy and adorable. Think you can continue it through 12th grade? | Blue Cricket Design (no longer active)

Create a reoccurring DIY Photo in Photo first day of school idea. Starting kindergarten year your child will hold no photo. Each consecutive year, your child will hold the previous years first day of school photo and you can watch your child grow. This will take planning ahead as you need to order the print. We recommend ordering from CanvasHQ. | She’s Making Cards (no longer active)

This is an extra special idea your child will grow into. This DIY Back-to-School Shirt with Handprints for Every Grade! You can make your own first day of school shirt (with a silhouette cameo and iron) or you can pick up a handprint first day of school shirt on Etsy. | Where the Smiles Have Been

Announce a new school year with a colorful DIY First Day of School Banner. | Make it My Own

Using a white balloon. colorful stickers, and balloon sticks, write the school grade and year on a balloon! | Design Improvised

First Day of School Printables

These First Day of School free printables are helpful in creating memorable family traditions.

Conduct a first day of school interview. Mark the start and end of each school year with these fun first day & last of school interview printables fitting for kids from pre-school through high school. Add them all to a notebook or scrapbook for a printable time capsule! | Mortiz Fine Designs

Celebrate the first day a back to school breakfast with this free printable school table place setting. | The Real Housewife of Fresno (first day of school breakfast) & A Girl and a Glue Gun (table printables)

Get the kids excited and have little fun collecting school supplies with a Back to School Scavenger hunt! | The Dating Divas

Make a printable Back to School Time Capsule. This adorable pencil time capsule is made with a Pringles can. | Aimee Ferre

Host a family game night with a Minute To Win It Back To School Edition Printable. You can also take a look at our list of Minute to Win It Game Night Ideas. | My Digital Creations.

First Day of School Activities

Make going back to school to school exciting with memorable first day activities for kids.

Get everyone together with a Back to School Party. So many beautiful tablescape ideas and goodies to welcome the first day of school. | The Sits Girls

When the school bell rings, bring the kids to get ice cream. This has been a tradition we have continued for years.

Begin a tradition of kindness and start the first day off right by hanging a positive affirmation sticky note each day. Add these messages as the days go on until they fill your child’s mirror. | Source

Have a visit from the backpack fairy. Leave your backpack in a designated spot the night before school and in the morning the back to school fairy will leave a special gift! | Blissful Roots

And before the first bell rings, start a countdown. Perhaps build each day with a special bucket list on the calendar. Make a paper chain with a different activity for each day until the night before school. | Brassy Apple

Take a look at these Back to School Printables – our favorite is “If you give a teacher a cookie” as a sweet treat on the first day of school. Pin to Pinterest.

Save for later these End of the Year Activities and Ideas. Pin to Pinterest on your School Board!

WHAT’S TRENDING? Get inspired these with Back to School Ideas.

Also access our Free Frugal Coupon Living Printables to help you find joy through embracing the chaos of motherhood more easily!

Stay in the know with daily deals, recipes, crafts, life hacks and seasonal content on Frugal Coupon Living. Receive this and more in your inbox.

College Dorm Decor Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

June 28, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Inspiring College Dorm Decor Ideas including storage, organization, decorations, and hacks. Dorm room essentials, where to buy dorm room decor and cheap and affordable college living spaces you will want to copy.

College Dorm Decor Ideas

If this post has desire anything, I have a huge craving to use my wallet size of today and go back to college to decorate my dorm! You jaw will hit the floor with these college dorm room ideas. Find the best places to buy dorm room decor and get inspired by all the budget-friendly options! Happy Decorating.

Best Places to Buy Dorm Room Decor

You cannot decorate a dorm room without knowing the best places to buy dorm room decor. While it has been almost 20 years since I have been in college, my my pre-teens are not yet at this stage, I found (through this posts ) there are so many awesome places to buy college dorm decor. Many of these purchases can be used for apartment living, small homes, or even carried over into a starter home. Some of the ideas (like rugs) you might want to toss at the end of the school year. other items, you will find yourself carrying to your fist home. (Three kids later, my college roommate still has the bookshelf we used in our first college room! I actually still sleep with the same blanket!)

Shop Dorm Room Decor

Best College Dorm Ideas

Follow Neelam, an interior designer who turned a cold college dorm into a warm home away from home. Details about dorm room storage, laying textures, and adding little touches to define your personality through your college room decor – five stars and two thumbs up! | Patterns and Prosecco

Inspire your welcome with a temporary polka dot door. Using white vinyl, a cutting machine or a circle cutter this dorm room decor craft can be done in under 30 minutes. Make sure you are using Removable Vinyl! | Sarah Hearts

Use command strips and decorative clipboards. Easily change out art or calendars using clipboards. Download our free Dorm Sweet Dorm printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

By downloading you are accepting the FCL printable terms that free download is for non-commercial use. Please contact Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

This dorm storage ideas acts as both a Collapsible storage ottoman and a bench with seat back. Comes in white, gray and black. Get this dorm storage ottoman here.

Display all your feelings on a rotating mood board. You can use anything from magazines, articles, sticky notes, and other materials to put together your board and of course turn to inspiration of Pinterest. | Just Josie

Layer textiles. Cover your standard title floor with the largest rug you can to fit your room. Even if you don’t like this larger rug, you can add smaller rugs on top to define your space and style. | Dormify

Instead of using the overhead florescent lighting, adding your own lighting will warm up the room and make such a mood difference. Head to Home Goods (Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc) and find affordable table lamps. Jump on Amazon for hanging string lights. We used these Command light hooks to hang my daughters. I highly recommend adding Powered Bed Risers. | Source

Smile. Place your favorite memories when you these this Dry Erase Polaroid Frame Decal Set. This allows you to easily rotate photos plus it it’s safe for walls and won’t leave a sticky residue.

Talk about a dorm room makeover. These college roommates took a scary 50 year old residence into a place to relax and rest with custom drapes, two loft beds, white dressers, monogrammed chairs, and more. | Today.com

White brick wall paper will change the entire feel of an ugly cinder block wall! Bring a charming vibe within a matter of minutes. The best part about it is, if you mess up, it’s repositionable and removeable! Get your white brick removeable wall paper here.

Create perfect under bed storage as well has hide an ugly wall with a tapestry. You can get this pull out storage here, tapestry clips here and black/white tapestry here. | Driven by Decor (Take a second and look at this entire blog – so much inspiration for mom’s home too!)

This dorm decor is doing so many things right. A perfect mix of textures, prints, pom-pom garland duvet cover, and a dorm room gallery wall add serious personality to this space. And of course for the ultimate small dorm room hack, a table beside the bed triples as a besdie nightstand, a vanity, and a desk. | René Quickle’s Freshman Dorm on Pinterest

Tip: Everyone needs a fur chair cover to hide basic dorm room chairs.

Easy to maintain pants will create some responsibility as well as provide some fresh air. Succulents, cacti, and aloe plants are super easy to take care of. Not to mention, those leafy greens can help purify the air quality in your dorm. If you’re too intimidated by becoming a plant mother, then just buy fake ones. | Room 264

Create your own mini kitchen with this Mini Fridge Organizer. This freestanding organizer fits over a compact mini fridge to provide organized storage in the available space above your fridge. Will also fit a microwave. Get your mini refrigerator storage cabinet here.

There higher you go with the bed, the more storage you are given below. Make sure to invest in a step stool. You can also use it as an end table, as storage, or even as a place to sit. Shop Blush Pink Storage Ottoman

Also consider getting these powered bed risers for bed height and extra long dorm bed skirt for covering unsightly storage.

Use a dorm room utility rolling cart for practical things like pantry items and kitchen supplies. Easy to pull out, easy to push back. | Jessica Slaughter

These gold polka dot wall decals create a mural on a wall with little time and effort. | Preptista

Head to thrift stores, search Facebook market place, look high and low for recycled furniture. Distress your own dorm room coffee station for late night studying. | Source Unknown.

Change messages and inspirational quotes in your room with a letter board. Hang with command strips for easily going on and coming off!

Do yourself a favor and make sure you do this – take a dorm room before and after photo. It will be so exciting to see your artistic side and personality show when decorating a dorm room. Can’t wait to see what you do! | Cosmopolitan.

Dorm Room Cleaning Checklist

We provided a free dorm room cleaning checklist printable. Included in our dorm cleaning checklist is a list of daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. Give each roommate their own copy or share the chores.

Daily

Make Your Bed
Pick Up Clutter
Wash Dishes

Weekly

Clean Out Refrigerator
Vacuum and Take Out Trash
Laundry

Monthly

Declutter Rooms
Wipe Windows and Mirrors
Dust

Grab dorm room checklist and our “Dorm Sweet Dorm” college decor printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

Save these Small Apartment and Dorm Room Hacks and Tips. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Dorm Room Recipes – Snacks, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. No Bake Recipes. Pin to Pinterest.

3-D Paper Cactus Template + Teacher Appreciation Printable

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

June 14, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, DIY, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Using Cricut Design Space and a free teacher appreciation printable, we assembled and easy craft and teacher gift idea. Download this 3-D Paper Cactus Template gift this mini potted cactus to your fantastic teacher – “Thank you for being a fan-cactus teacher!”

3-D Paper Cactus Template

Sometimes classroom and indoor spaces lack the sunlight for a small potted plant. We put together this easy to make Mini Potted Cricut Paper Cactus. Follow this step by step tutorial in design space and wirelessly cut with Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machines. After creating an adorable mini paper plant, we provide an optional teacher appreciation gift tag to thank a “fan-cactus” teacher!

Let’s get started!

Cactus Craft Materials

The following materials are needed to create your 3d cactus craft.

Torch Cactus template in Cricut Design Space (#M103661F)
Cricut Maker (or Cricut Joy) with Fine Point Blade and Scoring tool
Cricut Light Grip Adhesive Cutting Mat
Cardstock paper in light green, dark green, coral pink and cream colors
Mini terracotta pot (we used 2”)
Cricut Spatula
Smoothfoam Styrofoam Ball (we used 1.9″)
Hot glue gun with clear hot glue sticks
Glue stick
Optional: Mini Landscape Rocks

DIY Cactus Instructions

First gather your supplies. You will begin your process in Cricut Design Space, craft your DIY cacti, and then create your final potted paper cactus plant. When your craft is done, you can print our cactus teacher thank you note and tie with a ribbon.

3D Cactus SVG on Cricut Design Space

Open Cricut Design Space.

Click on the “+” sign to start a new project and open up a blank canvas.

Click on the Images button from the toolbar.

Search “torch cactus” image (#M103661F). Click the image to insert the pattern on the design canvas.

Resize grouping to double the original height to 4.5 inches high.

Click on the shape button on the toolbar to insert a circle shape.

Measure the diameter of your terracotta pot and resize the circle shape to match slightly smaller than the diameter of the top of the terracotta pot. (In this case, the circle shape is sized to 2.125”.)

Change the color of the lightest green pieces to pink and change the color of the circle shape to cream color. Move to the color sync tab to see all the pieces sorted by color.

Cutting Paper Cactus Template

With the machine set to Cricut Maker, select “Make It” in Design Space.

Set the material type to Cardstock, choosing the appropriate weight based on your paper.

Place your first paper color onto the light grip mat.

Follow prompts for loading cardstock paper into Cricut Maker and cutting. When the cut is complete, unload the mat from the machine.

Remove the cut pieces from the cutting mat using a spatula tool.

Repeat for the remaining colored paper cactus pieces and circle base.

Assembling the Paper Cactus Plant

Create a sharp fold on the cactus pieces along the score lines.

Group the similar sized pieces together to create a total of three separate cacti.

Start with the largest sized cactus pieces. Using a glue stick, glue the pieces together, sandwiching the prickly pieces between the other colors, alternating them as you go along.

Press the paper cactus sides together firmly.

Repeat with the smaller and medium sized cactus.

Allow your glued paper cactus plants to dry.

Assembling the 3D Potted Paper Cactus

First, place a dot of hot glue at the center bottom of your terracotta pot.

Lay the styrofoam ball inside the terracotta pot and let it settle on the glue dot.

Next, place a glue dot on top of the ball.

Cover the ball with the cream colored circle shape.

Lastly, attach the prepared 3-D cactus paper plants on top of the circle with hot glue and hold in place until glue sets.

Allow your final piece to dry.

Optional: Using a hot glue gun, on the flat surface of your potted plant, glue down sand and rocks.

Teacher Appreciation Printable

Using an adorable ribbon (we love this green gingham check ribbon), tie off our cactus teacher thank you note a back to school, teacher appreciation week, or end of the year teacher gift idea.

Teacher Cactus Quotes

We pulled together some punny teacher cactus quotes to use this cactus craft as a gift.

Bloom where you are planted.

Let’s stick together.

Needle’s to say you’re a great teacher!

Thank you for helping me stay sharp.

Teacher, you are always on point!

You can hand write your note (see our hand lettering ideas) using the quotes we provided or print off our free teacher printable below…

Thank you for being a fan-cactus teacher!

Download Cactus Teacher Appreciation Note

Get all of our free teacher appreciation printables including this Cactus Teacher Appreciation Printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

How to Teacher Appreciation Printable at Staples

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples. First, sign in or create a Staples account. Using the Staples printing service page, you can ship your teacher thank you note printable or pick it up.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final 3-d Cricut Cactus and Teacher Appreciation Cactus Printable . Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Follow these Cricut Freebies & Tutorials. Pin to Pinterest.

Also save these Teacher Appreciation Printables to use throughout the year. Pin to Pinterest.

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas for the Mail

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

May 5, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, DIY, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media Leave a Comment

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas for the mail plus a free donut teacher appreciation printable gift tag that can be delievered via email, over USPS or with Restaurant delivery or pick-up. Plus Virtual teacher appreciation ideas for Zoom, Google classroom and more.

Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Coming up with this Quarantine Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea took some time. I knew I wanted a punny teacher appreciation printable that could be used during Teacher Appreciation week or as an end of the year gift idea. Plus, currently we are in social isolation and many local restaurants and establishments are suffering, so I wanted to grab something would would give back to local organizations.

We came up with this easy Teacher Appreciation Week gift idea – DONUT you know how much I miss you printable gift tag for teachers. And for years, were we are not in social isolation, this teacher gift tag also comes with another quote that reads DONUT know what I would do without you.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Donut Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag

Get all of our free printables including our donut teacher appreciation gift tag. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples. You can sign in or create a Staples account.

Mail a Gift Card

For our donut teacher appreciation gift card idea, we went at it two ways. First, we picked up gift cards that teachers could use at their leisure. I privately emailed teachers and asked for their best mailing address (knowing well that I might be the school address.) It was a personal question and I know some teachers would want to keep that information private. I softened it by sharing my child wanted to send them a treat. This teacher gift card idea well because it’s a gift that is not perishable. They can get it immediately at their home or when they return to school to pick up materials.

If leaving the home is not convenient for you, consider shopping Amazon for gift cards. You can have them mailed to your home and then add our printable teacher appreciation gift tag before mailing to your child’s educator.

By purchasing from a local bakery or restaurant, you are supporting small businesses during social isolation. Consider it a win/win.

Online Restaurant Delivery

Another option using your donut teacher gift tag is restaurant delivery or pick-up. We used Door Dash to deliver donuts. In this case, you can swing the gift tag to the establishment and add it to the order.

If leaving the house is not an option, consider this electronic addition. You can email the gift tag separately with a sweet message that your great teacher is expecting a delivery.

Another creative idea is to take a photo of your child holding the printed gift tag and email it to your teacher after the Restaurant Delivery arrives (track it on your phone or app.) I think this is a cute idea because it’s personalizes the doughnut delivery with a cute smile from your child and a sweet punny teacher message attached.

For this Teacher Appreciation Restaurant Delivery idea you will need your teacher’s home mailing address.

Teacher Appreciation Printables

We have years and years worth of teacher appreciation printables. Use any of these ideas and using a flat rate shipping box from USPS fill your box with a teacher gift and send it straight from your mailbox. Never leave the home.

More Unique Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Get creative with your electronic and virtual teacher appreciation ideas too.

Host a Class Zoom Party. have all the kids dress up and surprise the teacher. During this time you can share memories of the year together.
Make a Video Message. Have all the students in the class send in a 10 second clip of the reason they love their teacher. Piece those together for a sweet video message. Such a unique and priceless gift idea.
Send an Books Gift Card. One of my favorite places to shop for books is Better World Books. You can buy used or new books. I love buying used knowing I am recycling older books and finding many of my favorite authors and books for less. This also allows teachers to fill their personal and classroom library.
Thanks a Lattee. Thank a teacher a lot with a printable coffee gift card! Print and mail.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Donut Teacher Appreciation Gift Tag. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

The end of the school year is new. Save these End of the School Year Acitivites and Printables. Pin to Pinterest.

Find creative Pun-Tastic teacher gift ideas for save these Punny Teacher Appreciation Printables too! Pin to Pinterest.

End of the Year Activities and School Traditions

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

March 29, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Instagram, Party, Pinterest, Social Media 2 Comments

Fill the last day of school with memorable end of the year activities and form new last day of school tradition. End the year and start summer with a bang!

I am all about creating traditions with my family. This round-up was especially exciting for me because it brought together two side of me – the former 5th grade teacher and the mom of five. It was the perfect collision of creating memorable end of the year activities and last day of school transitions both for the classroom and for home. Get ready for summer with these end of the school year ideas.

If you are home schooling, in a traditional school or trying to come up with creative ideas during a forced stay-at-home period, these end of the year activities are perfect for all grade levels and ages.

Create traditions both with teachers, mom, and friends. Let us know what cherished memories you have turned into traditions!

End of the Year Activities

When you are teaching, the end of the year doesn’t just happen on the last day of school. Look at these end of the year activities; party ideas that make each day a small celebration.

Then and Now Photos. One fun idea is to have a then and now bulletin board. Show pictures of the kids at the start and at the end of the year. | Poet Rocks

Character Rocks. Start this end of the year tradition by decoration rocks with superlatives. Find a word that describes each student and gift it to them as and end of the year gift idea. | We Heart Teaching

End of the Year Balloon Countdown. Have an end of the year countdown the last 20 days of school. E Have a free or inexpensive activity that gets hidden in a balloon. Pop one balloon each day to create a cherished memory. | Picture from Miss5th on Instagram, Get a balloon pop countdown printable from Anna Brantley at Teachers Pay Teachers

Beach Ball Autographs. Give the students a beach ball that they can use on the last day of school. Collect autographs from classmates on their end of the year student gift! | Source

Host a Flashlight Day. Do everything with flashlights, both finger lights and regular sized flashlights. | The Sassy Apple

End of the Year Printables

You know how much we, at Frugal Coupon Living, love printables. End the school year with these last day printables and creative ideas.

Host a Year in Review Circle. On the last day of school I had the kids go through and share their favorite memory from 5th grade (the grade I taught.) This writing activity can be done earlier in the year and you can hang these memorable events on a bulletin board. In your last day of school circle, they can read aloud this writing prompts printable and bring it home as a keepsake/memory.

Welcome Summer Banner. Download this this free Welcome Summer banner printable. If you are really creative, make a run through banner and have the kids run through it when the last bell rings! | The Crafting Chicks

End of the Year Bingo Game. Remember the ice breaker you might have done at the beginning of the year? Have kids grab something to write with and then pass out an End of the Year Bingo sheet to each student. | Play Dough to Plato

KIT Contact Cards. Share keep in touch contact cards for those that want to exchange numbers. On the back students can write letters to each other like a yearbook message. You could offer paper clips or an envelope so kids can keep their cards together in one place. | Eighteen 25

Last Day of School Finish Line. For another fun activity, print this finish line. Fun a fun way to end the last day of school at home or at school! | Just Add Confetti

Summer Bucket List. Print your summer bucket list and let the summer fun begin. | Summer Bucket List Printable and also see our Visual Summer Bucket List

End of Year Memory Book. During the last weeks of school, during language arts have students create year memory books with this free printable. | Sara J Creations

Last Day of School Traditions

Schools out for summer. Enjoy these last day of school traditions. Warning: fun is required!

Silly String Bus Welcome. That yellow school bus pulls up, your giddy and excited kid steps off for the last time this year. Are you ready? Grab the silly string and welcome them home with this fun activity. | Peanut Blossom

Balloons and Streamers in the Car. Drive up to school and fill the van (car) with balloons and streamers! What a great time and memorable ride. | Oh Goodie Goodie

Hide and Seek with Water Balloons. Fill water balloons and let the sign say it all! “Hey guys, I am armed and hiding. I suggest you take off your backpacks and be prepared to get wet. Love Mom” | Yummy Mummy Club

Last Day of School Breakfast. Host a memorable last day of school breakfast. Add table decor and other summer decor to make the breakfast fun and memorable. | Source

Last Day of School Car Pickup: Decorate the car. When it’s time to get the kids from school, embarrass the kids by pulling up in the car line with a decked out car. Get car window markers. | Source

Buckets of Fun. Make a summer gift bucket for summer buckets of fun. Fill up this Anti Boredom Bucket with Dollar Store ideas. | Dating Divas

Hosting a graduate? Take a look at these Graduation Tips and Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

For me game based activities, we also love these End of the Year Kids Party Games. Get ready to get messy and have fun with fun ideas perfect for every great level. ! Pin to Pinterest.

Save these Memorable First Day of School Ideas & Traditions. Pin to Pinterest.

Inspirational Homework Stations & Easy Kids Study Spaces

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

March 26, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Home Improvement, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 1 Comment

Ready to organize the home and create a DIY kids study space? These 15 Inspirational Homework Stations are Quick and Easy Homework Spaces to provide the kids with easy access to school supplies, quiet areas to work and bright colors to get the creative juices flowing.

Best Homework Stations

It’s been awhile since we shared our Homework Center Ideas. We realize the need more and more for the return of these work from home school rooms and zones. We have put together some of the Best Homework Stations to inspire you to get working!

Kids Study Spaces

It can be easy and affordable to make Kids Study Spaces and Homework Centers. Take a look at these inspirational ideas to get started with home schooling or finishing school work.

It’s possible to build a desk/homework station for under $100. Using Stackable 3-Shelf Organizers, Sarah made a desk using a $19 Ikea Counter Top. She ideally was going for butcher block and could have easy made it with Butcher Block Self-adhesive Vinyl. | Pretty Providence

Small spaces? Turn a closet into a homework center. We love the unique touches on this study center. | I Heart Organizing

Create this simple DIY Rotating Desk Organizer lazy susan for an easy school at home Homework Station in under 10 minutes! It keeps all supplies at your fingertips! Portable and perfect for moving from room to room and space to space. | Busy Creating Memories

Organizing doesn’t have to be costly. We love this frugal friendly Dollar Store Hack. Get ready for a clutter-free school zone with this simple Dollar Store portable homework station and our free printable label! | Simple Made Pretty

Create a homework station for your kids by using a metal rolling utility cart to store books and other school supplies. This allows you to move school work from room to room and space to space. | Suburble

If you are using common space like a dinning room table and need privacy, consider making homework station privacy boards using a white tri-fold project board. So easy and each child can customize and design their own space. | Mom Advice

Have a wall of clipboards you can easily rotate art work, calendars or to do lists. So easy to lift the clip and remove. | Clean and Scentsible

This was done in a classroom but can easily be done to organize a homework space at home. Check out Michael’s Belmont frames – they are affordable. | Dandelions and Dragonflies

A homework station can be as simple as a binder. Grab this one with printable sheets for organizing. | I Heart Naptime

Use a nook and chalk paint to create an inspirational space for homework. | By Dawn Nicole

Use a hanging shoe organizer to sort school supplies making an easy, tucked away homework center. | A Bowl Full of Lemons

We shared this hidden closet idea in our Homework Center Ideas but wanted to share it again. Turn a crawl space like under the stairs storage into a quiet reading nook, art center or school work area. | Rebecca Propes

It doesn’t have to be expensive. Grab a $22 Home Depot pegboard and mount over a tabletop or desk. At a touch of hanging baskets, hooks, and cups to keep homework supplies within reach. Amazon has Pegboard Organizational Sets.| Claire Collected

Turn a corner of the playroom or kitchen into an area the kids can work or create. Just grab a pre-existing table and chairs. This homework station is complete with build-in chalkboard and art display board. Love the v-groove paneling. | The Project Girl

Want to involve the kids? Grab the sewing machine and make these adorable Seat Sacks for the Kids’ study corner. | Scissors and Spatulas

Take a look at our original Homework Center Ideas (also with Family Command Centers!) Pin to Pinterest.

Create a cozy nook with these Creative Reading Corner Ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

April Low Waste Earth Day Challenge

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

March 7, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Printable, Social Media 1 Comment

April 22 is Earth Day! Take this easy Earth Day quiz, get your little ones involved in these Earth Day projects and activities for kids, and take on this April low waste living Earth Day challenge to create some new environmental conscious habits and perhaps a zero waste home!

Low Waste Earth Day Challenge

Earth Day is an annual celebration around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection. On this date, environmental awareness is put forth and discussions and ideas are created to acknowledge our impact (both good and bad) on the environment.

Earth Day Quiz

Before we begin, we have an Earth Day Quiz for you. Can you do something to differently to make an environmental difference? I bet we can all answer yes! But really, here is a quick Earth Day Quiz (with answers) to teach you more about Earth Day.

When is Earth Day? April 22

When was the First Earth Day? 1970

Who founded Earth Day? Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin

Why do we belebrate Earth Day? Celebrating Earth Day serves as a reminder of how fragile our earth is and how important it is to protect our planet.

Also try this easy Earth Day Quiz for Kids…

What color is the earth from? Blue and Green (white if including clouds)

What covers 70% off the earth? Water

What are five things you can recycle in your home? answers will vary

Where is your favorite place to visit on earth? answers will vary

Want to learn more? Take an Earth Day Quiz for Kids or Earth Day Quiz for Adults.

Now that you have begun an Earth Day discussion and even grown in knowledge of your Earth Day facts, we have Earth Day Projects and our very own Earth Day Challenge for you to tackle during the month of April.

Earth Day Projects

These Earth Day Projects and Earth Day Activities for Kids are a few ways to make a difference this April and perhaps for the rest of your life. A new habit takes on average a month, perhaps making a difference this month will create some life long differences for your family and your environment.

Easy Earth Day Projects and Activities for Kids

We have more Earth Day Ideas! Also visit our Earth Day Crafts Ideas for Kids to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment with your children

Earth Day Challenge

We have our very own challenge for you. Incorporate the kids and take this Low Waste Earth Day Challenge for the entire month of April. I bet you already do many of these things already. Once you complete the month, is there something you can continue and perhaps make a new habit?

Use a refillable stainless steel water bottle
Use a reusable coffee cup/thermos (even when buying coffee)
Get a library card and borrow books and magazines instead of buying prints (or join Audible and listen to books)
Use a bamboo toothbrush (instead of a plastic one)
Say no to free promo items
Use bar soap instead of liquid soap (less packaging)
Use reusable shopping and produce bags
Shop your local farmers market, bring a reusable bag
Plan meals to avoid food waste
Collect and re-purpose rain or grey water
Have your shoes and clothes repaired instead of buying new
Run full loads in the dish washer and laundry
Focus on experiences instead of things
Change all your bills to paperless (electronic)
Join carpools or use public transport
Plant a garden (even if it is small)
Carry your own reusable straw
Reduce the amount of consumption of toothpaste, shampoo, etc
Don’t impulse shop – stop, think method
Avoid palm oil (responsible for much of the world’s deforestation)
Upcycle and re-purpose as much as you can
Pack your own lunch in a reusable container

The steps will turn you into an environmentally conscious earth member (wink) and get you family closer to a zero waste home!

Earth Day Printable PDF

Get all of our free printables including this Low Waste Challenge Earth Day Printable. Subscribe and look for a link and password in our inbox. The password allows you to access and download all of our free printables.

Earth Day Printable Directions

1.) Enter your email address HERE.

2.) Confirm the email request in your inbox.

3.) Look for the link and passcode in your inbox.

By downloading you are accepting the terms that this is for personal, non-commercial use. Please contact Frugal Coupon Living with any questions.

I am happy to share printables. When sharing with others, please lead them to my website instead of emailing them the file(s). It takes time, effort and money to put the freebies forth and I earn when you visit. Thanks for visiting and thanks for sharing with others!

How to Order Prints at Staples

You can of course, keep this product digital – that would be Earth Day Friendly. However, if you want to print a copy, I have a video to show you how I print my PDF documents at Staples.

You can also follow the directions below.

Have your PDF, Word Document or printable saved to a folder on your computer.
Sign in or create a Staples account.
Return to the Staples Printing Service Page.
Scroll down to Self-Service printing.
Go to Start Project.
Go to Documents Printing.
Select Browse.
Select the Buy Now Button under color.
In the left column, choose add file(s).
Select upload files (to upload a file from your computer).
Add more files or select the blue upload button.
Select done.
Give your job a name in the top left column.
Choose color or B&W.
Make sure your project is single sided. (You can choose double sided if you need.)
Choose the correct orientation of your project – landscape or portrait.
I changed my media to 8.5×11 67 lb card/coverstock (I prefer a card stock feel over printer paper feel. It makes the paper very durable and sturdy.)
Save your product to Staples or select add to cart on the bottom right.
Proceed to checkout.

*Note: these Staple print service steps were added in Winter 2020. The directions may change as the website changes. They should give you a general outline of how to upload and order a print on Staples.com.

Our Pinterest community and I would love to see how this worked out for you. Share your final Earth Day Challenge Low Waste Printable. Leave a comment and/or add a photo here on Pinterest!

Take a look at our Earth Day Crafts Ideas for Kids to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment with your children. Pin to Pinterest.

Upcycle old Little Tikes and Step2 Toys with these creative ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Also upcycle these Old Altoids Boxes with these creative ideas. Pin to Pinterest.

Earth Day Crafts

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

March 1, 2020 by Ashley at Frugal Coupon Living Filed Under: Back To School, Crafts, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Social Media 1 Comment

When is Earth Day? It is April 22nd. This Earth day, embrace these Earth Day Crafts Ideas for Kids to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment with your children.

Every year, we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd to raise awareness and support for protecting our environment. It’s important to start talking to your kids from an early age about ways we can do our part to lessen our impact on the planet. These Earth Day Crafts are a great catalyst for those discussions.

As you craft with your kids, making models and depictions of Earth, talk about ways to save water and reduce pollution. Talk about the importance of recycling, and if you don’t have one in your home, set up a can just for recycling. Discuss ways to keep the earth “healthy” and talk about activities that may make the planet “sick.” You get the idea.

But most of all, have fun making these Earth Day crafts with the kids. Proudly display the crafts in your home (or in your classroom) as a reminder all month long that we are connected with the Earth, and it is our responsibility to take care of her.

Don’t forget our Easy Earth Day Projects and Activities for Kids too!

Earth Day Crafts

Make a paper Earth Day garland to string up in the playroom or classroom for Earth Day. This craft is a great visual to teach kids about how we are all interconnected and all responsible for taking care of the Earth. | Hello, Wonderful

You only need a styrofoam ball, tissue paper, and lots of glue to make this pretty globe! Not only is it fantastic for Earth Day, but you could use this technique to make planets to build a solar system. | Gluesticks

Your kid will want to wear these Earth Day salt dough necklaces often as a reminder to take care of the Earth. The one with the heart will be particularly easy to do with young children—they can even make the heart shape with their fingerprints! | Natural Beach Living

Older kids who still enjoy crafting things may like paper quilling. It’s a technique that involves curling paper into different shapes like circles, loose coils, teardrops, and more. You can create some really beautiful pieces, like this lovely quilled paper earth craft. | Projects with Kids

Coffee drinkers—save those k-cups! They’re perfect for crafting. This k-cup Earth Day craft is really cute. | Artsy Momma

Black glue can help you create stunning art! Outlining the continents and then using watercolors to paint the Earth creates gorgeous contrast in this fun Earth Day black glue craft. | Messy Little Monster

Kids who can paint the shape of the continents will enjoy making these earth magnets made out of upcycled jar lids. They can even add them to their lockers at school as a reminder to take care of the planet. | Moms and Crafters

Learn about the layers of the Earth for Earth Day! You can use this craft as an opportunity to simply teach kids a little more about the Earth and its various layers. We only see the top layer, the crust, but there’s so much that goes on beneath Earth’s surface! Small children will need to have an adult do the spray painting. | Surviving a Teacher’s Salary

Earth Day Crafts for Preschoolers

Talk to your kids about what makes the Earth happy and healthy and what makes the Earth sad and unhealthy. This craft offers a great visual representation through interchangeable elements as you go through the list of suggestions. Preschoolers will have so much fun coloring the Earth and then changing out the eyes, mouth, and the heart/bandage elements. | The Inspiration Edit

This cupcake liner earth craft is stunning! It’s so fun for little ones because they can learn to paint using different materials. For this project, they’ll be painting with a toothbrush and a pom-pom. How cool is that? | I Heart Crafty Things

Handprint crafts are fun for preschoolers, and this hand print earth craft is just adorable. The printable template makes it easy to guide little ones through this craft. And look! The Earth is wearing a party hat in celebration of Earth Day! | Simple Everyday Mom

Any kid who enjoys playing in the dirt will love making this Earth Day craft. Simply cut out the earth shape, color or paint in the water, and cover the land portions with glue and dirt. It’s a great excuse to get messy. | Kids Activities Blog

Get ready for some sticky, slimy fun! This Earth Day Baking Soda Slime is Borax-free and totally kid-safe. Make sure your kiddo doesn’t have sensitivities to baking soda before proceeding with this project. Keep in mind that it’s a little stickier than regular slime, but the mess is part of the fun. | Steamsational

Speaking off messy crafts, shaving cream painting is another one that’s popular with kids. The marbled effect you get from shaving cream art is so pretty, and the blue/green combination is perfect for Earth Day. | The Simple Parent

Start a new springtime tradition by making seed bombs with the kids to celebrate the Earth! Use blue, green, and white paper to give the seed bombs an earth-like appearance, or just use whatever paper scraps you have on hand. Adults will need to run the food processor, but cutting the paper scraps and shaping the balls gives kids lots of fine motor practice. Seed bombs would make nice neighbor gifts, along with a hand-painted pot or recycled container. | Little Bins for Little Hands

Moms, if you have any CDs leftover from yesteryear, you can use them to make one of these cute CD ornament Earth Day crafts with the kids. Turning old things you don’t use into art is a great way to encourage kids to recycle and upcycle. The ornament would look really pretty spinning around on your porch or breezeway. | Our Kid Things

Children need to be taught to love our planet from a young age. The hands holding the world project is a great way to do that. Use the conversation starters to talk about how we can love the Earth. Isn’t it cute that the hearts are made out of thumbprints? Younger children may need help with tracing and cutting their handprints. | Fun Handprint Art

Don’t forget to pin this list of Earth Day Crafts to save it!

Look at these Easy Earth Day Projects and Activities for Kids. Pin to Pinterest.

For Earth Day, head to the thrift store! Take something old and make it new including this Upcycled Farmhouse Table. Pin to Pinterest.

With the kids, take old paint chips and turn them into crafts with these Paint Chip Crafts Ideas! Pin to Pinterest.