Project: First Day of School Photo Shoot Sign and Scrapbook Page

My boy is starting 4K this year. That’s what we call Pre-Kindergarten here in Wisconsin. I’m not sure how it happened, but I have a million emotions. My childhood best friend and I met when fate placed our desks next to each other on our very first day of school. Nolan is a social butterfly, so I’m SO excited for him to meet new friends and have new experiences. Of course, like most mamas, I’m a little sad about him getting so big. He will turn 5 just before his first day of school, and I just want to hang on to his little-ness. And since I can’t, my mind has turned to all the ways I can capture these moments. 

Look at this little cutie! AUGH! My Mama heart!

First day of school photos are a popular and simple way to start this. I also love those lists of questions to ask your kids – it’s a perfect way to document some of the cute things they say. I found a simple way to combine these in some cute portraits and then turn around and use them to complete a page in his album! Double win!

I love the look of the little chalkboard signs, so I modeled mine after them. I DIYed mine, but if you find a cute little chalkboard sign, that works! Here’s how I made it:

Items Needed:

• First/Last Day of School Page Kit from DML - We'll use the die cuts from this kit to make our board and then transfer them all back to the page kit to complete our layout! So simple!

• Medium-Large Sized Photo Frame or Simple Board - This will really be up to your taste. You could easily head to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and grab an inexpensive board or even use some thick foam board. I stopped into my local Goodwill store and hunted through the frames. I found this beauty for $5.99! It was big enough for me to  write all my information, but light enough for Nolan to hold. This gem was with a set of 3 other similar frames, so I chose the one whose frame was in the best shape - the picture doesn't matter; it'll be covered with paint.

• Chalkboard Paint - This can be picked up at your local craft store or many big box stores. I believe I got this jar of chalkboard paint for $6.99 at Walmart years ago. It was originally used to spruce my son's play area so I wasn't super concerned about quality, but, boy, did I luck out here! This is GREAT quality! We've used it on many surfaces and it's held up very well and we've still got half a jar left!

• Adhesive - You'll need adhesive to put your die cuts together and to then adhere your page kit. Your favorite adhesive will work just fine. This one is my favorite. It dries clear and pretty quickly. The design of the bottle is fantastic. It fits nicely and comfortably in my hand so I feel totally in control and the nozzle is super thin and seems to never gum up. I love it.

• Chalk - Basic chalkboard chalk will do, here!

Instructions:

1.Take your clean frame or board and paint one layer of chalkboard paint. It's best to paint in one direction so it will dry uniformly. I like using the foam paint brushes to avoid brush strokes. Depending on your surface and the thickness of your paint, you may need a second coat. Since I was painting on glass, it was difficult to get full coverage with just one coat. A quick second coat did the trick.

2.While the paint dried, I pulled out my DML page kit and assembled the die cuts using adhesive. I wasn't sure which ones I'd be using for my sign quite yet, but since I'd be putting them on my page kit, I assembled all of them. Look at that little glue nozzle! Seriously, I can't get over this adhesive.

3. The hardest part for me was deciding which categories to include. I wanted to capture some basic information, but also capture his little personality. Here's what I ended up with: 

Grade

Age

School

Teacher name

Favorites: Color, Food, Toy, & Activity

Best Friend

What I want to be when I grow up

4. Write your information with chalk on your board. I started with Nolan's name, making it the most prominent. I wrote the category titles in white, and then alternated colors. Here's a couple extra tips for writing:

• I freehanded the writing, but you could create a stencil for your chalk writing or you could cut the categories in vinyl if you want them to be permanent. I decided that I'd rather capture "mama's handwriting" rather than perfection, so I just wrote it out.

• Water is your friend here! I soaked a paper towel in water and rubbed the chalk into it - kind of like chalking up a pool cue - before I wrote. It's easier to control the chalk and color goes on smoother and deeper.  In the bottom photo, you can see that I used the water technique for the blue letters, but did not for the letters below them. The green "4K" is a little more splotchy. I fixed it by wetting the green chalk and filling it in.

5. Place assembled die cuts onto the board. I rearranged them for a while until I found my favorite look. I LOVED using the little stars as category markers! I used some tape to hold them in place for the photo shoot. 

6. Stage your photo! Find a cute tree or building to take your photo in front of. Be aware of your backgrounds! We used Nolan's little play shed since the rich, dark blue was so pretty as a background. Be creative with it! These are my favorites from the shoot. What a cheeseball. 

7. After your photo shoot, take the die cuts and place them on your page kit! Print out those adorable photos, adhere them down, and you've got your memories saved on this adorable little page kit! 

Now that you've got the chalkboard created, store it in a safe place and pull it out for the last day of school. Snap some photos, see what's changed, and marvel in your kiddo's growth. Each year from here on out will be easy as pie! Grab your chalkboard, a new First/Last Day of School kit, and get those photos! If you do it each year, you'll end up with a perfect album that shows your child's growth each year - perfect to set out at their graduation party!