Made it Monday - Trash to Treasure!

Happy Monday everyone!  Since it is Monday, I just have to link up again with Tara over in 4th Grade Frolics for another edition of her Made it Monday linky party!  

Summer is winding down so of course that means that all my craft projects have to get done and quick!

A few months ago I found this coffee table on the side of the road.  Seriously, someone had put it out with the trash and even though it was raining, I just had to do a u-turn right then and there to check it out.  My husband thought I was nuts but I saw some potential, so I hopped out and snagged it right up.  So I finally got it to my classroom and started to work some crafting magic to turn it into the vision I had that day in the rain. Check out it the before picture:

The first thing I did to make the table over was to paint the top with dry erase paint that I bought from Walmart!  I am going to use the table as a word work table so I think it will be great for kids to be able to write on the table.  I hope it works, I am afraid to try it but it looks nice and bright so even if it doesn't work I am happy!

The next phase of this project was mentally challenging!  It had a hole in the center for a piece of glass and I thought it would be easy to find a little box to replace that glass with and then I could keep supplies for the kids in the box.  Simple right?  Not!  The opening is 10"x10" and let me tell you that finding a square container is not easy and then when I did find squares they were either too small or too big.  I was getting frustrated and starting to think my hubby was right about this table, then my good friend stopped by and saw the perfect solution.  She said, "why not use one of your table group supply bins?" Duh, they were right there in front of me and I had been all over creation trying to buy something new!  Almost perfect! The bin was just a hair too small so I had to get creative with balsa wood and my handy glue gun and then POOF the bin fit just right! 

Then all that was left was to make the whole thing cute!  My husband had the idea of using the zebra duct tape on the legs and I think it turned out great!  I painted the edge of the table neon green and the edge under the tabletop black.  I popped over to Ikea and got some stools to use at seats and I think I am all set for a really great word work table!!

When I was at Ikea getting my stools, I spotted this really cute shoe storage/hanger and just had to buy it for my reading buddies!  I really didn't make anything except the cute reading buddies sign but I wanted to share it since I "made" the reading buddies area in my classroom.  LOL

My last project was so super quick and easy that it seems like cheating to say that I made it.  I found these letters at Michael's on summer clearance and snagged the last A that they had!  I traced it on some scrapbook paper, cut it out and then glued it down.  I finished the edges with ribbon I found at JoAnn Fabrics that was only $1 and came with sticky stuff on the back.  I am pretty sure the ribbon is meant for scrapbooking but I think it looks pretty dang cute on the edge of my A!

Thanks for stopping by to check out this week's edition of Made it Monday!  I can not wait to go the the linky party and spend the next few hours checking out all the cool things you other all have made!