Personalize Your Back to School Essentials With Cricut
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cricut. All opinions are 100% mine.
Saying this school year isn’t like other years is definitely an understatement. We are all making different decisions for our kids based on our own situations, and every one of us wants to make sure our kids have a wonderful year, no matter what. My kids are going back to school with a virtual option, so we have been trying to set up a virtual classroom for them.
It’s… tricky.
But in an effort to keep things as normal as possible while also making them feel just a little bit special, I dug out my Cricut Joy to personalize some things for them and give them a little extra pizzazz this year.
First up, I went to the dollar store and grabbed some basic plastic pencil cases. They will need them if and when they go back to in-person learning, and I figured it’ll keep them from fighting over supplies here at home, too.
I used Cricut Design Space™ app to find a cute little pencil image, and I came up with some cute puns that also serve as positive affirmations for my boys. I think they worked well.
I love that my Joy gives me the option to use Smart Vinyl, which doesn’t require a mat, so I can just cut it out without any fuss. Plus, I did it all from my phone, which was handy because I’m in the middle of revamping my craft room and didn’t have the ability to set up my computer or connect to my Cricut Maker for this project.
I mean, seriously, I love my Cricut Joy. It is super portable, and I can literally take it anywhere, plug it in and create something amazing with just my phone or iPad. It’s perfect.
Ahem. Anyway…
Once I’d created the pencil cases, I wanted to do something else the boys would like. I thought back to other years, and I knew that one thing we always do is buy the school T-shirts for the year. I plan to do so again this year, but because the Registration Celebration has been canceled, we aren’t going to be able to get them for a while. I figured I would go ahead and make my own T-shirts for them!
This year is a little extra special for my kids. Firstly, my oldest son tested into the ALC program, which is the gifted program in our state. My second grader is already in the program, but my fourth grader has struggled since Kindergarten due to a learning disability. So this year is extra awesome for him. Also, I have another son starting Kindergarten, which is special in itself, but kind of sad since he doesn’t quite get to experience school in the same way his brothers have.
I thought it would be great to create some T-shirts to commemorate this special year and share how different it is. Once again, I used Cricut Design Space to come up with a design I liked. I have Cricut Access Premium which allows me to access all sorts of different cool fonts and images. Originally I wanted to encapsulate everything in a fun computer image, but unfortunately I would need my Maker in order to cut something that big.
In the end, I went with just the text, which I actually LOVE. I was able to create such a cute design for all three boys, and I got to try out holographic vinyl for the first time!
I’m also really excited that I got to use my EasyPress 2 for the first time. In the past, I’ve had to use an iron, and it worked fine, but this was SO much easier! I love that you can easily set the temperature to exactly what you need it to be and then set how much time you need, and PRESTO! You are good to go. Plus, you can use the heat guide online to figure out EXACTLY which settings to use and what the process is for the vinyl you have and the material you’re using.
How CUTE did they turn out!?
They boys absolutely LOVE the shirts, and they think the pencil boxes are super clever and fun. They’re all set to start school next week, and we’re all excited for a really fun and unique school year.
I love the way everything turned out. Even though this year is a little bit different, there’s no reason it can’t be a fantastic year. Our home classroom is almost ready to go, and we are all so excited to get started.
I know my kids are going to put in the same effort they would if they were inside the school building, and their teachers are so amazing, I know they’ll get them where they need to be.
In fact, the boys have asked if they can make something special for their teachers with the Cricut, so that’s our next project! Stay tuned to see what we come up with! It’s sure to be awesome!
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
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