Happy Monday! That sounds almost like an oxymoron, right? Well, this is indeed a Happy Monday for me because I am taking over Monday Made it! My name is Layla Henry and I blog over at Fancy Free in 4th. Tara is one of my teaching inspirations, and I am so honored to take over today's Monday Made It. This summer, I have not been as productive as I usually am... you see, I had my third baby on the LAST day of school- which is kind of Monday Made, right? Add a kitchen remodel and my oldest starting Kindergarten and I am one busy lady who is kind of pretending that the First Day of school isn't upon us.
Anyhow, here are two useful Monday Made its for you all!
First off, I decided to make some of those fancy crate seats I have seen in so many classrooms. I am thinking of introducing my students into alternative seating options throughout the year and these crates will do just that! When I saw the crates on sale at Target I knew I had to jump on it. I ran over to Jo-Ann's to pick up some fabric- I was going to get some polka dot, because it is timeless and who doesn't like polka dot...BUT I accidentally found the MOST ADORABLE flamingo fabric in the outdoor fabric section. Not only was it on sale, but since it since it was an outdoor fabric, I thought it would be easier to clean... I figured, when life gives you flamingos... you might as well!
There are a lot of tutorials out there on how to make these crate seats- so the long-story, short: you need some crates, fabric, plywood, a staple gun and some sort of padding. I used batting because 1) it was WAY cheaper than foam and 2) I wanted them to be a tad bit firmer in case students wanted to use them as a table top instead of a seat.
I just so happen to have a father-in-law whose hobby is wood-working #score! He had extra plywood and my mother-in-law cut it for me. I know I am blessed, so if you don't have these same connections, know that they will cut the plywood for you at most hardware stores. A fancy tip for you: be sure to measure the inner lip of your crate- because all crates are not created equally! But, for the record, if you buy the crates from Target, you should cut the plywood 12 3/4 X 14 1/2. 
Aren't you just wild about that fabric!? Another fancy tip: add a little folded ribbon on the side, so they can be easily opened. You can store center materials in here just perfectly! Oh the possibilities. I cranked out 6 of these crates while my 2 month old napped! This proves that they are super easy to make if you have all of the materials handy.
My second BTS Monday Made it is an easy coworker gift. My love language is gift-giving, which means if I work with you, you will more than likely receive a little something-something from me on special days like Secretary's Day, throughout the school year. With the start of the year, the staff meetings, the room prep- I think we need a little pick-me-up. This year, I am giving the gift of peanut butter goodness!
Please notice that I differentiated the snacks to fit some people's health conscious needs #winkwink. I stocked up on the Trader Joe's PB&J candy bars because OMG, they are yummy to the tenth power! BUT, you could easily give this gift with a plethoera of other peanut butter goodies. If you would like to tell your coworkers that they are your Jam, grab this free printable here at my TpT store!
