Bright Ideas!

Daniella Emma: PS

Just add perspex!

I was quoted almost $600 for a book display unit, but after I saw John Curtis' wonderful revamp of his picture book shelves I was inspired to try it for myself.

It cost less that $100 in materials and our GA was able to whip this up in an afternoon. The kids are loving the newly displayed covers!

Julie Gander: Heathote East PS

The Amazing (Book) Race

I have a hat (cat in the hat) money box I’m using as a trophy at assembly. The other side will have a tally of who wins for the entire year. Hangs in window of library. The "Things" will be on velcro dots so they can be easily moved.

Get the link to Julie's artwork here

Don't judge a book by its cover ... try this instead

At the start of the term, my assistant and I decided to highlight some great books with covers that were not appealing to students. These books sat on the shelf and were not being borrowed. So we made a display with the message ‘Never judge a book by its cover. ‘ We covered the books in bright, colourful paper and wrote a blurb on each of the books. This is a before and after picture of the shelf after a day’s borrowing. We can’t wait to hear the feedback from our students!

Ainara Alonso: St Benedict's, Edgeworth

From drab to fab!

Angela Kalliope: Chatswood PS

Elyse Bryant: Cudgegong Valley PS

Recovering a ‘teacher chair’ or ‘reading chair’ - Angela Kalliope

You will need

Around 2m of fabric (thicker is better but bedsheets also work)
A staple gun or stapler that can open up
A few push pins
A ruler & pen/chalk or marker
Thumb tacks (optional but helpful for securing corners)
A screwdriver
Around 1 hour

Process

Unscrew the cushions from the chair
Lay cushions on the fabric and pin in place with push pins
Adjust positioning of fabric is needed, depending on your design
Mark where to cut your fabric, leaving a bit extra to allow for any errors
Pin in place again and start stapling down the edges of the fabric
Fold the corners however you like and secure with thumb tacks (a hammer may be useful for this step)
Place the cushion back onto the chair frame and screw into place (it may help to prop it up on a student chair, or have a friend to hold the cushion in place)