Birthday Celebrations in the Classroom

Fewer things are cooler as a kid than having your birthday at school.  Songs, surprises and really just the whole attention thing is awesome.  Apparently I'm just a birthday & attention diva.....



My very first year of teaching, it was actually an internship that my university had secured by partnering with several local school districts.  It was so exciting because I had my VERY own classroom.  I made half salary as an intern, and even though it was more money I'd ever had in my life every paycheck, I knew I was still on a strict budget (read: I was still a poor college kid).  While attending the summer wedding reception of one of my besties from my elementary ed classes, I noticed the gorgeous, white and pristine chair covers that adorned each chair with a simple, pink blush sash.  I thought to myself, "Those would be fun in a classroom for celebrations-every kid would love that!"

I went home late that night with those chair covers stuck in my brain.  I thought that they'd be super cool on a chair for a student's birthday in super bright fabric with balloons printed on it.  This way they'd be reusable year after year, and I wouldn't have to buy/make birthday gifts every year that would consume my personal budget.  I called my mom (aka the master seamstress) and proposed the idea.  She said she had just seen the perfect fabric (it was exactly what I had in mind!) at Jo-Ann's and said that she'd make one for me!  They are my favorite thing for birthdays, and I've actually avoided posting the pictures on here for four whole years because I didn't want it to be in every other classroom and ruin the novelty & magic!  Ha!  I'm so selfish. 



I traced the chair on butcher paper with the chair on its side and on its back, and that's how we got the measurements accurately. 

Front views:
 
 

View from the back - don't you just love that little bow?  :)



Underneath the chair there are eight ties to tie around each leg so it doesn't wobble around.  This was my mom's idea who is also a teacher.  She knows about those wiggly littles! 


You can still buy this fabric from Jo-Ann's!  Click HERE for the link.  There's some really cute fabric that's new, too, right HERE!  (I'm not compensated for it, nor is this post sponsored or anything.  I just like the fabric!)

Happy Birthday-ing!  Go make one or two (or three if you're like me and had 3 students that shared a birthday, and none of them were twins!)!  What do you do for birthdays in your class?

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