Day 16... The End of Mod/Modge Podge

It began with the idea of adding color to the drawers that hold the materials in our Writing Center. With a fair amount of frustration and tears, I completed the first half of the set. (You can read about that "adventure" HERE.) For the last few days, I have been fearful that I would never finish "the bottom half" of the shelving because Modge Podge and I simply cannot get along...

But I couldn't get rid of the drawer set altogether. And, if you know me at all, you know I could never have half clear drawers and half colored drawers. This unit sits directly across from my teaching area. I would have to look at it every day. No, it was inevitable. I had to finish that second set of drawers.

The lower portion of the shelving unit only has four drawers--but two of those are "tall drawers" and, no matter what trick I tried, I could not get the paper to lie straight. It was crooked. Or it was bubbly. Or it was bumpy. Or it was crooked, bumpy and bubbly.

At one point, I thought I was having vision problems. But, no, I had just manged to get Modge Podge on my eyelashes! (Pause for a moment, and think of all of the substances you have used to remove adhesives. Then wonder: How many of those say "Avoid contact with eyes." Thus, my dilemma!)

This is the last drawer that I completed. It took five (or was it six?) tries to get the paper straight! And just before I took the picture, I thought I needed a little extra 'Podge to seal up a gap. The result: I ripped the paper right off the drawer with the Mod Podge saturated brush! (I didn't even know that could happen!)

Here is a picture comparing the old drawers to the newly completed set! 

I do like the colors. And there are advantages to NOT being able to see what is in those drawers. But there has GOT to be an easier way...

I am posting this much later in the day than I had planned (Mod Podge has that effect on me!) But at least I didn't break my promise of blogging daily! I am anxious to get to school tomorrow and drop those drawers into place.

Oh, who am I kidding? We both know I will be re-doing that orange drawer before I go to bed...

20th Day... Writing Supplies (Or: The Battle with Modge Podge)

I am the least crafty and creative person I know. Truly. I could use my crafting skills as an opportunity to teach Integers... The teacher had a craftivity skill level of negative seven...

I can line things up and color code them, but give me a bottle of Modge Podge (I know... I learned the name wrong a hundred years ago and it just stuck!) and a brush (or three) and I will have that gluey stuff in my hair in less than five seconds. The paper bubbles, the "smoother" pokes holes, and the results stay wet for days, making me worry that the item will be moldy before it is ever dry.

Still, I couldn't go through the ENTIRE summer without one Monday Made It... even if this does post on a Thursday. I just love Tara and I wanted her to know I was trying one more time. Trying unsuccessfully, but still trying.

In my classroom, I have a "tower" of writing materials for my students to use. It looks like this...

Students keep their table boxes filled with supplies from this area and it is also the place where they find envelopes and paper clips and other things needed for reading or writing. You can see that there are two sections stacked on top of one another to save floor space.

This summer, I decided it needed more color. Why I made that decision remains unknown (and ill-advised). The drawers held paper just as well without being adorned with Modge-Podged scrapbook paper (maybe even better?) Why couldn't I just leave it alone?

I began this project at 7:00, and it is now just past midnight. The results are not pretty. After five hours, I am only have half done. I've now decided to tackle the second section another day. Currently, the drawers are dripping with Modge Podge. (As I type, I can imagine the paper disintegrating into a soggy wrinkled mass of goo...) There is Modge Podge in every room of the house. It is on the kitchen counters, it is on the living room rug. It is in the bathtub, which now has an iridescent shine after I tried to wash off a few failed attempts on the drawers, and now I am left with the question of how to get Modge Podge out of the tub. And I just noticed that my fingernails are covered in Modge Podge--as if I painted my nails in the dark... since the "polish" extends the length of my fingers!

That's it! Step away from the Modge Podge, Kim...

Love my Hello Lori font from Jen Jones HERE

I put the labels on the outside while the insides of the drawers were still saturated with my nemesis, the Podge of Modge... just so I could take a picture for you. Those places that look like vanilla ice cream? Still WET!

And now here is my solemn promise:

Whew! That was an adventure. I'm hoping that your projects come together more easily, and I am confident that you can beat me at Craft Wars any day without trying. That's okay. I saw another drawered organizer online... And it comes with colored drawers!

You can still check out some REAL crafty projects at 4th Grade Frolics. They're still there... Even if it is already Thursday!