This "Creating With Colors" project was inspired by the challenge of organizing my 5-1/2yr old's desk. He does not have a lot of room to store things because his desk as no drawers and little shelving. I had attempted to sort things into see-thru shoe boxes which were stacked to the back right of his desk. After awhile, I realized that a few of the shoe boxes were half empty and that was a waste of space. So I decided to make a project out of decorating these canvas pencil bags with fabric markers to hold different things. Then all the pouches would go into a small basket.Today's Project: Personalized Pencil Cases
With your help, ask your child to design a pencil case with their name (or another word or words) using fabric markers.
Supplies Needed:
- At least one Canvas (or Fabric) Pencil Bag
- Non-Washable Fabric Markers (Could be substituted with fabric paints, but markers are easier for younger children to manage)
- (Optional) If you are making organizational pouches like we did, then you will need a small oval or rectangular basket or plastic container about the length of your pencil bags.
Tip #1: To make the project more interesting, I thought it would be fun if my son and I each chose a guideline. I decided that each bag should only be decorated with 2 colors other than the outline for the lettering and I allowed my son to choose the colors for each of the 5 bags we decorated. My son decided that we were not to color inside the letters, but rather only in the space around and in between them.
Tip #2: If your child is younger, then you may want to draw the lettering for him or her. This also applies to the general shape of a border, if one is desired.
Tip #3: If your child is known to be less than careful, you may want to use a smock or encourage him or her to wear an old shirt. Fabric markers that are not washable are made to be permanent on fabrics.
Tip #4: Lay your pencil cases out flat to dry completely because the color will come off on your child's hands if it is handled too soon. You should read the instructions on your particular package of fabric markers to find the recommended drying time and the amount of time you should wait before wetting or washing your child's project.
Here is the result of our project:
My son was very pleased with his new basket of storage pouches. His favorite pouch is the red one he designed to hold his pens. He also said that this was a fun project, which made me feel extremely pleased. I'm also happy that the result is something he can use daily.
Thank you to Discount School Supply for supplying us with canvas pencil cases and fabric markers for this project.
