photo home_zps38eefb72.png  photo aboutme_zpsd52aac8f.png  photo mystore_zps39a49aca.png  photo privacypolicy_1.jpg

August 7, 2017

DIY - Class Rules Subway Art!

With only a few weeks left of summer vacation, I've been planning my first few weeks of back to school. One of the first things I think about each year are our classroom expectations. What do I expect of my students? How am I going to let them know what I expect? Posting classroom rules is a requirement in our school, as I'm sure most others as well. I absolutely LOVE chalkboard/subway art and want to incorporate that into my classroom. After looking at many posts on Pinterest, I figured out how to make a subway art class rules sign to display in my classroom. It is much easier than I thought it would be, but it can be a little time consuming. I did not do it all in one shot. I had to spread it out over a few days. If you don't have kids at home though, I'm sure you could get it done in a couple hours though! Here is what the finished product looks like:


 


Here is what you need to make it yourself:

*framed chalkboard (I got mine at Hobby Lobby for $20 a couple of years ago for a different project)
*white chalk
*colored chalk markers (also from Hobby Lobby, but you can get them at other craft stores too)
*white paper
*pen



First, I recommend planning out the fonts you want to use, the rules you want to write down, etc.  You can get a ton of free fonts from dafont.com.  Also, Kevin and Amanda have amazing fonts!  I also got some fonts from Kimberly Geswein Fonts on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Some of my favorite fonts I've used are: 

*smiley monster
*monster paparazzi
*mr. and mrs. popsicle
*wish I was taller
*spicy sushi roll
*KG second chances (both sketch and solid)
*KG falling slowly
*KG always a good time

There's a bunch more that are amazing!  Just check out the sites above and pic your faves!

After you pick out your fonts and decide on your class rules/expectations, next you will need to download your fonts onto your computer.  Then open up a program like Microsoft Word or Adobe Illustrator.  Type out your expectations using different fonts.  Make sure it is typed black, because you will be tracing over it once it is printed out.  The tricky part is, some of the words you may want big, so you will have to print some letters on one page and then some letters on another page (depending on the size of your chalkboard).  

Once everything is printed out, it's time to trace!  First, take your white chalk and color the area where you are planning on tracing the rule white.  Make sure you coat it pretty good.  




Then, place the white paper with your rule on it over that area.  Trace each letter/detail with your pen.  Make sure you push down a little hard and go over it a couple of times to make sure it is visible.  Once your word/phrase is traced, lift up the white paper.  You will see the lettering in the white chalk on the board.  





It does look a little easier to see in person, but it can be a little tricky.  Key is to get good chalk and put a thick layer on.  

Now is where your chalk markers come in.  Pick which color(s) you want to use, and trace over the lettering on the chalkboard.  Repeat until it is all finished.  Your chalk markers should only take a couple of minutes to dry.  Once it is dry, you can wipe the white chalk away.  If there is still white marks, take a wet Q-Tip and swipe the area with it, but be careful not to touch your beautiful letters.




   You can change up the font sizes and types to make it fun and appealing!  I even added my own little doodles in between some of them to fill in little gaps that were there.  Do whatever you want to make it your own!  Please let me know if you have any questions - it's simple once you get the hang of it, but can take some getting used to.  Once you get the hang of it, it will go a little more quickly!

I would love to see your finished versions!  Please leave a picture in the comments if you make one!  

Ciao!







No comments:

Post a Comment