Fun Notebook!

Hey guys!!

For summer school this year, I am teaching 4-6 grade. Our pod theme is CSI...hmmm...It was my idea, but as the art teacher, I had to be really creative in coming up with art projects for the week. I decided to have the students make their own detective notebook using craft paper, typing paper and some embroidery floss. I have tons of embroidery floss donated by a parent. Another teacher gave me large needles to use that are not too sharp. Students get to sew the binding and then stamp on the front and I emboss it for them. The students really enjoyed the process of sewing--even the boys! They fold the paper in half, poke 8 holes with a tack (using a piece of scrap cardboard underneath to protect the table), and then they sew, it is very easy!


I knew I would need a really wet ink for the embossing powder to stick so I looked around for something that would do the trick. I found a multi-color package of Colorbox Chalk Ink in Sax, an arts and crafts catalog.
Colorbox Chalk ink from Sax is an 18 color-set for around $40.

I thought it was a great deal and the ink is so beautiful on the craft paper. I ordered some animal tracks/paw print stamps to use on the cover because they were the most 'clue-like.'




This is a fun little project that takes less than an hour, it would be a fun craft if you have kids (even boys!) at home this summer and you are looking for something to do with them. You could use patterned paper on the front, they could stamp some of the pages and then they would have a little note book to use for drawings and notes...perfect for pretending! The students have been walking around the room pretending to be interviewing each other and writing down clues, it is so cute!

We are also solving some mysteries and using the characters, stolen items and getaway cars as subject matter for a glow-in-the-dark/neon-black light reactive paintings!