Use Clear Labels and Forget the Residue!

Have you ever used address labels around your classroom?  Perhaps you label the front of your cupboards or student cubbies or hooks with labels.  I love labels.  I use the standard address labels to print word problems on to save paper and avoid the time consumption of gluing small papers into notebooks.  I also love to use them around my room, especially for labeling cupboards and coat cubbies.  I've also used them on the front of laminated cards.  The trick I have learned though is the wonder of the clear labels! I still use the standard paper labels for going in student notebooks, but I use clear labels around my room now.  The clear labels are plastic with adhesive on the back, so when you peel them away, they come away clean.  No more scraping paper sticky residue off of your cupboards!  They are also great for overlay on laminated cards.  I like to use them on my numbered hooks for hallway work display.  Any design you wanted to show through would and they just leave a more clean, nice look.  So, get a set of clear labels to have on hand, especially for the summer as you prepare for a new school year next fall.

Thanks to Shelly Gray of Teaching in the Early Years for hosting and organizing this event. 

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I'd love your comments about how you use labels in your classroom. 

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Classroom Spruce Up - Mason Jar Lamp

The librarian at my school has this darling lamp on her check-out desk.  I thought this was a fun way to add some light to a reading corner or listening table in your classroom and theme it any way you want.  So, I sought out how to make such a fun item.  They are so easy and inexpensive!  You just need five items: (click on the pictures to see them in Amazon)

• A Mason Jar - I can items at home, so I have these hanging around.  If you don't have them around, try a local thrift shop.  You can purchase them in most big box stores in the home canning section or on Amazon:67000 Ball Qt Mason Jar WM 12-pack

• A Lamp Kit - Here are a few options (click on the pictures):

This one comes as a set of 3 (Best Value, make some for a colleague or one for at home)

This is a single silver colored set

• A Lamp Shade - You can embellish this simple white one in any way you desire. 

• A Light Bulb - These kits will fit any standard bulb.  
• Items to Fill Your Jar - Check out your local craft store for small themed trinkets.  Shaped buttons might be a fun way to go.  To cut down on how many items you need to fill your jar, put a Styrofoam cylinder or other similar object in the middle of the jar to take up some of the space.  Then put your themed items around the filler.  These fun colored buttons come in a variety of color sets and would be great to fit any color scheme: 

If you make one of these fun accents, we'd love you to come back and share your picture with us!