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The shift from summer to school can be a tricky one – especially when it’s still swimming weather! But one of our favorite ways to smooth any transition is to spruce up your space. Setting up a homework area with your kids that’s as fun as it is functional will help them ease back into school mode. To keep them organized, turn a standard office supply into something a little more special. We’ve pinpointed the best prickly patterns for cork boards, so follow our 3 how-tos below—or if you’ve got another sharp shape idea, let us know in the comments!
CACTUS
What you’ll need:
- 2 cork placemats
- Sewing Pins and thumb tacks
- Pink pom poms of various sizes
- Green paint, in two shades
- Chalk
- Scissors/ utility knife
- Hot-Glue gun
- Command Strips
- Cactus Template
How to make it:
- Size the template to fit your cork, then print, and cut out. Trace template onto two pieces of cork or freehand draw a simple cactus shape onto cork placemat using chalk. (Chalk can easily be wiped off if you make any mistakes! ) Cut out the shapes.
- Glue the two pieces together, pressing to avoid gaps.
- Paint the top layer dark green and once dry add lighter green vertical stripes.
- Glue pom poms to the top of thumb tacks to create functional flowers.
- Add sewing pins along stripes and secure to the wall using command strips.
HEDGEHOG
What you’ll need:
- 2 cork placemats
- Small pieces of black and tan felt
- Chalk
- Scissors/ Utility knife
- Hot Glue
- Sewing Pins
- Command Strips
- Hedgehog Template
How to make it:
- Size the template to fit your cork, then print, cut out and trace the template onto two pieces of cork. Cut out the shapes.
- Glue the two pieces together with hot glue and press to secure.
- Cut out small black circles of felt for the eye, and a half circle for the nose then glue to the cork. For the ear, cut a larger circle from the tan felt, cut a small slice then overlap the edges and secure with glue. Glue to the cork.
- Add pins along the hedgehog’s back to give him his spikes.
- Secure to the wall using command strips.
ARCHERY TARGET
What you’ll need:
- 7″ Cork Trivet
- 3 wooden skewers
- Red, Blue, Yellow, White, and Black Paint
- Red Duck Tape
- T pins
- Scissors
- Hot Glue
- Pencil
- Archery Target Template
How to make it:
- Print out template and cut out each circle of the target individually. Trace each circle on the trivet one at a time, making sure your pencil lines are visible.
- Starting at the center (so you can hold the edge) paint each layer in its regulation color—gold, red, blue, black, white. Let dry and add a second coat if necessary.
- To craft arrow pins, cut two inch long strips of duck tape and fold each piece over the top of the pin, evenly sandwiching the “T”. Cut out an upside down teardrop shape to make “feathers.”
- Press two skewers into the bottom edge of the trivet an to create legs; add a dot of hot-glue to secure. Add a third skewer perpendicularly on the back to create a tripod stand.
- Set up on desk and add arrows.
For more workspace inspiration check out our post on 10 Kids’ Desk DIYS
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