Back-to-School Hacks and DIY Projects You Need To See
It’s that time of the year again — back to school means days filled with packing lunches, helping with homework, and keeping track of chores. Yesterday, I went on Good Morning America to share some of our favorite hacks and DIY projects that are guaranteed to make your life easier. Check it out!
Make Your Own Lunchbox Ice Packs
This DIY is perfect for keeping snacks, sandwiches, and drinks cold in your kiddos’ lunch boxes. It’s a great alternative to ice packs that may have harmful ingredients in them.
Materials + Tools:
- Sponges
- Sandwich bags
- Water
- Bowl
Instructions:
- Soak the sponges in water.
- Place wet sponges in a sandwich bag.
- Place in freezer overnight.
Find the full tutorial over at My Kitchen Escapades. (Photo via My Kitchen Escapades)
DIY Duct Tape Lunch Bag
This no-sew lunch bag is made entirely out of fabric, duct tape, and staples. It’s also a fun project that you can do with your kids.
Materials:
- Fabric
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Stapler and staples
- Pen
Instructions:
- Cut your fabric into two 10” circles.
- Layer tape on the inside of the fabric and trim the excess tape.
- Mark and cut a 4” x 2” opening near the top of each piece of fabric.
- Fold and tape in the cut fabric to finish the edges of the handles.
- Staple together along the right and and left sides.
- Flip inside out and voilà, a custom lunch box.
For a full tutorial of what inspired the circular lunch bag we made on air, check out Instructables. (Photo via Instructables)
No-Sew Snack Bag
These snack bags are an eco-friendly alternative to one-use sandwich bags that are essential for packing a well-rounded lunch. You can easily wash them out with warm water and soap to keep them nice and clean.
Materials:
- Cotton fabric
- Vinyl fabric
- Ruler
- Fabric glue
- Scissors
- Velcro
- Book, or something heavy to place on top of while drying
Instructions:
- Cut cotton fabric into a rectangle, about 12” x 7”. The exact size can definitely be played around with to fit your snack needs.
- Cut a vinyl piece of fabric slightly smaller than the cotton piece of fabric.
- Using the scissors, round the tops of the snack bags.
- Place the vinyl piece of fabric centered on top of the cotton fabric. Fold and glue the cotton edges of the vinyl fabric, sealing it in place.
- After that dries, fold the fabric almost in half ~4” and glue together.
- Place something heavy on top and let dry for about an hour.
- Once it has dried, glue the velcro closure on.
For a full tutorial, check out Made With Happy. (Photo via Made With Happy)
Ceramic Tile Photo Display
If you’re looking for a fun way to show your summer family vacation memories or your little one’s new school portraits, look no further. This is a great way to display family photos, and they also make great gifts for friends.
Materials:
- Photos printed on photo paper
- Mod podge
- Spray shellac
- X-ACTO knife
- Ceramic tiles
- Cutting mat
- Paint brush
Instructions:
- Cut your photo so it’s half an inch larger than your tile on all four sides.
- Brush a thin layer of mod podge on your tile.
- Press your photo firmly onto the tile.
- Smooth out air bubbles, and let dry 5-10 minutes.
- Trim excess photo with X-ACTO knife.
- Seal with a coat of spray shellac.
Full DIY is here.
DIY Hula Hoop Photo Display
This project is perfect for decorating a dorm space where minimal to no holes are allowed on the walls.
Materials:
- Hula hoop
- Ribbon
- Spray paint (optional)
- Colorful paper
- Hot glue gun
- Washi tape
- Scissors
Instructions:
- We spray painted our hula hoop a color we liked more than the original one. This step is not necessary if you like the current color of your hula hoop.
- Cut ribbons to match the size of the hula hoop.
- Evenly space and hot glue ribbons vertically, from the top to the bottom of the hula hoop.
- Trim or glue the excess ribbon to the back of the ribbon.
- Mount photos to paper with washi tape.
- Hot-glue the mounted photos to the ribbon.
Watch a full tutorial here.
3 Ways to Upgrade a Notebook
Take your plain notebooks to the next level with these three easy DIYs that will totally customize your notebooks in minutes.
Paint-Stamped Notebook
Materials:
- Notebook
- Paint
- Stamps
- Paintbrush
Instructions:
- Pour paint onto a bowl or a plate and brush the stamp with the paintbrush.
- Stamp away!
Marble Contact Paper Notebook
Materials:
- Marble contact paper
- Cutting mat
- X-ACTO knife
- Notebook
- Washi tape
Instructions:
- Cut the contact paper to be slightly larger than notebook.
- Peel and stick paper to notebook.
- Make slit at binding and fold excess paper to the inside the covers.
- Add washi tape for a pop of color at the binding.
For a full tutorial, check out The Lovely Drawer. (Photo via The Lovely Drawer)
Mod Podge Confetti Notebook
Materials:
- Notebook
- Mod Podge
- Paint brush
- Confetti
Instructions:
- Using a paintbrush, cover the notebook cover in a coat of mod podge.
- Place pieces of confetti on top of the Mod Podge.
- Let dry, and cover in another coat of Mod Podge to seal it all in place.
For a full tutorial, check out Rosyscritption. (Photo via Rosyscription)
Dry-Erase Chore Chart
Getting in the groove of back-to-school life is painless when you find an effective way to keep things organized. Keep track of your kids’ chores and incentivize them at the same time with this dry-erase chore chart.
Materials:
Instructions:
- Grid dry-erase board with washi tape with the weeks on top and chores to the left.
- Place magnets on the chore that your kids do.
For a full tutorial, check out Craving Some Creativity. (Photo via Craving Some Creativity)
What are your favorite back-to-school DIYs and hacks? I want to hear ‘em! Share with us on Twitter or Instagram!