Fun and Easy Back to School Crafts

For most children in the country the start of school is just around the corner. An informal poll of the children I spoke to at school enrollment this week showed that about 50 percent were glad to be going back and the other 50 percent were not yet ready to give up their summer fun.

Getting the kids in the mood to go back to school can be a little easier if you get them involved with making some of their own school supplies. A few simple crafts may be all that it takes to have them looking forward to the start of the new school year.

Personalized Bookmarks. Get your children excited about the adventure of reading by having them make bookmarks to suit their own personal tastes. These bookmarks are a breeze to make with just a few simple items that you probably already have at home. Start with a piece of colored cardstock or construction paper and cut it to bookmark size. Have the children decorate their bookmark with stickers, photographs, magazine cutouts, bits of ribbon, buttons, or even decorate them using rubber stamps and markers. Have them take care not to place decorations where the hole will be punched. Once the bookmarks are decorated, simply place the bookmark between two sheets of clear self-adhesive paper and then trim around the edges. Punch a hole in the top and thread a piece of ribbon or yarn through it.

Nifty Notebook. Purchase a notebook that has a clear pocket on the front. Using a piece of cardstock, your child's favorite pictures and scrapbook materials, make a photo collage that slides right into the front pocket. You can add more pizzazz to the notebook by using a glue gun to add ribbon, faux fur, fake jewels and other decorations. Plus, the picture collage can easily be removed and updated as new pictures are taken.

The same decorating ideas can also be used on a spiral notebook or theme book.