Summer Fun Chore Chart!

For Every Job that Must be Done, there is an Element of Fun!
~Mary Poppins

Summer is here, and I don't know about you, but without a little organization, we seem to get nothing done! I have so many fun activities I want to do with my kids, but I want to keep things organized, and help teach them responsibility!  My grand scheme is to get my kids to earn our summer fun projects! I have made SOOOO many charts in my day as a Special Education teacher, and wanted to make a fun chart for my kids! When making a chart, make it versatile, visual, age appropriate, and easy to implement. I hope I have done this with this chart!

My good friend Holly owns a vinyl business with her sister called Vinylize It. She approached me a few weeks ago asking me if I wanted to do a vinyl project, and she would provide the vinyl.... Seriously?....... I was practically doing cartwheels at the thought! I knew just what I wanted to do, a summer fun chart for my kids! She was so great to work with, and she made it custom to fit my needs. I even found a font I loved at dafont.com, and she was able to use it. (I was trying to duplicate the Mary Poppins font).

This is such a fun chart! Since my kids are little and are not literate yet, I took pictures of the chores they are expected to do. I use clothes pin to hang their job picture up, when they are done with that job they simply take it down. When all of the jobs are completed, they can open the box underneath each day of the week magnet to find out what their fun summer activity prize will be that day! I love how versitile it is!

Items Needed:

Board:
Board, or Frame
Vinyl Lettering..(If you love this quote as much as I do you can get it at Vinylize It for $5!)
Paint
Ribbon
Staple Gun

Magnets:
Aluminum circular disks (I used the ends of Pillsbury cresent roll tubes)
Magnets
Match Box
Cardboard
Scrapbook Paper
Hot Glue Gun

Jobs
Pictures
Clothes Pins

Step One: Board

Find a board, or frame the size that you would like. I painted a board yellow, with white Chevron stripes. Paint the board/frame a solid color.

To make the chevron stripes, I made a grid on my board 2"x3" to help guide me. I placed masking tape in a Chevron pattern.

I painted what was not covered with masking tape white. Let the paint dry, and carefully take off the masking tape. I distressed the board a little.

Apply the vinyl to your board. Sorry, I got a little excited, and forgot to take the picture before I put the aluminum disks on!

With a staple gun, attach ribbons to the back of your board. (Like my new staple gun, I got sick of trying to find hubby's at the farm!)

Step 2: Magnets

I wanted to make this chart a reward system as well, so I made a magnet for each day of the week. Each magnet has a matchbox attached, that I can put the reward/activity they can earn each day after the complete their jobs! Make circular Days of the Week tag. Make circles out of cardboard and scrapbook paper.

Modge Podge the scrapbook paper, and cardboard together.

Attach your vinyl for the days of the week. I love how you can see where you are putting the vinyl because the covering is clear. I modge podged the outside to make the scrapbook paper to make it glossy!

Glue your aluminum circles to your board. Are you wondering where I found my aluminum circles?

Yup, Trusty Pillsbury cresent rolls! Can you guess what we are having for dinner? (If you guessed pigs in a blanket your might be right!)

Glue the matchbox to the back of the circles you just created, glue a strong magnet to the matchbox.

Now you have a multipurpose Magnet.

Step 3: Jobs

Take pictures of jobs your kids do around the house. I added text to my pictues. Some of my jobs include making bed, dusting, completing homework, setting table, dinner helper, etc.

I Modged Podged, scrapbook paper to clothespins. Each of my kids have a different color clothespins. The striped paper means it is a job for everyone to do.

Using the clothespins, pin the kids job to the ribbons for that day!

After completing a job they can take if off the chart, and into our basket. This is very visual they can see how many jobs are left.

After they are all done with their jobs, they can see what their surprise/activity will be! I like that I can change what the activity/surprise is everyday to fit the needs of our schedule. I want to do a lot of fun things this summer, and this is a great way for us to get it all accomplished. If we are really busy that day, I can change the amount of jobs to be done. Here is a list I am making of their summer rewards, most are absolutely free. If you have more ideas please leave me a comment!

My kids absolutely love it! They are so excited to finish their jobs at every morning, so we can find out what the surprise is!

Would you like to make one of these of your own? Well Vinylize It, is giving Ladybird Ln readers a great deal. You can get this quote vinylized, for $5, you can even change the size, color, font, etc... If you want to change the color, font, etc. just leave Holly instructions in the special instructions box, or contact Holly. Yup only $5 bucks. Go check it out here! Plus, I just found out this week only, Shipping is only $2.  (It is normally only $5) Thanks Holly!

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Goodie Bags

I promise I do not only make things with vinyl, but I am kind of on a vinyl kick right now. I thought it would be so fun and easy to make some Valentine Goodie bags out of my left over vinyl. I think they turned out pretty cute, and they were super easy!

Items Needed

• vinyl covering
  
• ribbon
  
• vinyl tubing
  
• wire
  
• scissors
  
• hole-punch
  
• bling to decorate your pouch.

a) Cut two same-size rectangles out of vinyl covering.
b) Place the two rectangle vinyl pieces on top of each other. Trim the sides up as needed so that they match up well.
c) With rectangles still together. Fold rectangles with the ends meeting. Punch holes about 1/2 inch around the edges. You should be punching through four layers of vinyl.
d) Cut a long piece of ribbon. Knot one end of the ribbon, and put tape on the other. Weave ribbon in and out of holes, until you reach the top of the bag. Loop the ribbon around the top of the bag to give it more support.
e) Cut vinyl tubing to desired length for the handle. Connect ribbon to a long sturdy piece of wire.
f) Pull ribbon through the vinyl tubing.
g) Loop the ribbon around the top of the bag again to help give the handle more stability. Pull excess slack through.
h) Weave the ribbon through the remainder of your bag. Tie with a double square knot.

Decorate your bag as desired. I found it helpful to put a clear piece of tape over the pockets with the decorations, so they will not fall out.

Enjoy, Carlee

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Valentines Day Chair Backer

I may be cheesy, but I love writing little Valentine love notes to those I love. At my house we are working on getting along better, and using kind words.. Like not screaming at your little sister, when she so much as touches your toy train, or not freaking out when you don't get the silverware with flowers on them, does this sound familiar to anyone else? So with valentines approaching I thought it would be fun to make Valentine pouches we could write or draw NICE notes and deliver them to each other.

My inspiration for this project was Pottery Barn Kid's valentine chair backer, so cute I LOVE IT! Also, this cute plastic purse I fell in love with at a craft fair a year ago, isn't it cute? It reminds me of one of my favorite children's books, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse! Anyway, I knew the instant I saw the plastic purse, I wanted to play with VINYL, so here we go!

Item's Needed

• 1/3 yard vinyl covering
  
• Ribbon
  
• Vinyl tubing, you can find this at the plumbing section of a hardware store
  
• Wet-erase marker
  
• Wire
  
• Scissors
  
• Hole-punch
  
• Velcro
  
• Bling, to decorate your pouch.

Step 1: Cuttinga) Using a wet-erase marker, mark 2, 12"x24" rectangles on the vinyl covering. My cutting mat, and quilting ruler helped out a ton.b) Cut rectangular pieces out with scissors.c)Place the two rectangle vinyl pieces on top of each other. Trim the sides up as needed so that they match up well.d)Round the corners on one of the shorter sides of the rectangles, to make the flap. I made a template out of a piece of scrapbook paper.e) Wipe of any excess marker spots. A baby wipe works great.

Step 2: Bindinga) With the two pieces of vinyl still on top of one another, fold the square end up to make the pocket. I made my pocket 9 inches deep.b) With your wet-erase marker, mark dots about 1/2 an inch around the edge of the vinyl, where you want your holes to be placed. I made a simple template here.c) Punch holes. In the pocket portion of the pouch you should be punching through 4 layers of vinyl. Don't panic, Vinyl is so easy to work with!d) Cut (2) 1-yard lengths of ribbon for your binding. Knot one end of the ribbon, and put tape around the other.e) Weave ribbon in and out of holes.f) Stop as you reach the curve of the flap, so that you can put your decorations in.

Step 3: Blinga) This is the fun part where you can show your personality! My kids had so much decorating their pouch.b) You can slip a picture etc, in the pocket part of the pouch. Use the vinyl as a guide to make round corners on fabric, or paper for the flap piece.c) I used pictures my kids drew, scrapbook paper, fabric, old jeans, foam shapes, old greeting cards, etc. etc, to decorate the pouch.

Step 4: Finishing touchesa) Weave the rest of the ribbon on the flap portion of the pouch, tie with a bow.b) Put velcro on the underneath side of the flap to secure pocket.c) Make Handle: Punch two holes above the pocket.d) Cut 12 inches of vinyl tubing, and about 16 inches of ribbon. e) Put a long piece of sturdy wire through the hole (I had to like quadruple my wimpy wire to make it strong enough) Connect ribbon to the wire. Pull ribbon through tube.f) Slip ribbon through the hole you just punched and tie a knot. Repeat for the opposite side.g) I used the same hole I used for the handle, to stick another piece of ribbon through to secure the pouch to a chair.

I love how my Valentine's Chair Backers turned out. You can really see our individual personalities. Plus, I love the fact that next year it will be so easy to change the decorations in the Chair backers..... if I want to.

My five year old loves to draw and loves pink!

I thought it would be fun to do a candy heart theme, for my littlest princess!

I used an old greeting card for the lightening McQueen. Can you tell my three year old is excited about his McQueen pouch?

I considered using bailing twine and duct tape for my hubby, but I decided this was cuter.

I love how mine turned out!

However, my FAVORITE, part about this project is all of the fan mail I keep receiving in my pouch!

I am submitting this project to Crafting With The Stars! Wish me luck, it would be so fun to learn from a Star Blogger, to help get my Blog started!

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