Come One, Come All! Step Right Up & See The Amazing Circus Classroom!!!

Hey y'all! Happy Saturday!!! I have a very special blog post for you guys today! As many of you may already know, my BFF and #1 Mom, is a 5th grade teacher at Russellville Elementary in Alabama. Each year Mom picks a theme for her classroom and we work on her room together. I flew down this year and helped her set everything up. We had such a good time! We always laugh a lot and have such a sense of accomplishment when we work on her new classroom. This year she decided to go with a circus theme and although I may be biased, it is just about one of the CUTEST classrooms we've ever done! I just loved all the bold, bright primary colors! It's so fun and I know the kids are gonna love it! A great space for them to expand their little minds in! So today, I wanted to give you a sneak peek into her classroom. So sit back, relax, and get ready for the ride....

First up, I wanted to start the tour from the outside of her classroom. As you walk into each classroom, there is a big bulletin board on the outside. This will be the first thing that many see as they enter her room so we always like to start out with a bang! Below is a picture of the bulletin board and my Mom (ain't she cute?!!) standing in front of it. The bulletin board is supposed to reflect a circus tent and the view of the inside as you peer in...

 For the circus tent top, side panels we used basic plastic tablecloths that you can purchase at any party supply store. We got ours at Hobby Lobby. We cut the red and yellow tablecloths into long strips for the tent top and sewed them together. We then bunched up one end and secured with a rubber band. To cover the rubber band, we cut a little flag and put the letters 'RES' (for Russellville Elementary School) on it. Then we used adhesive to spread the other end out. Mom then free hand cut the scallops into the tent top. Next, we took red pieces of tablecloth and pleated them for the tent sides. For the 'inside' of the tent, we used dark blue fabric for the background and bright yellow bordette. The lion in the center is a purchased item from Carson Dellosa. We cut the title 'Step Right Up' using the Cricut and Carousel cartridge. We cut the balloons out using the Cricut, SCAL software, and SVG files from SVGCuts.com. On each balloon is the individual names of the students in her classroom. She printed these out onto clear labels and affixed them to the balloons.

(you'll have to excuse the angle. The hallways are only so wide and it is impossible to stand directly in front of the board and snap a pic.)

 I created this sign that hangs down from the ceiling as you enter the door. I used the Circut Carousel Cartridge for the tent and the seal. The alpha's were cut with my Cricut and SCAL software. Patterned Paper by Sassafras. I also added some bling.

 Here is the door as you enter her classroom. I made the 'Welcome' Banner that is above the door. We cut her name 'Mrs. Fretwell' out using the Cricut Carousel cartridge. The individual tickets were purchased at a school supply store and also include the students names on each.

 Here is the view as you enter the classroom. The popcorn boxes and pieces of popcorn that hang from the ceiling were purchased at a school supply store. The students names are also on the popcorn boxes. The curtains on the windows were created by my Mom. We purchased this multi colored polka dot fabric at Joann and she used her sewing machine to stitch them.

 Here is the view of the classroom from the opposite side of the room. On the far wall, above the lockers, is an educational bulletin board. She will focus on Science things on this wall. By the TV is the wall for Social Studies posters. There is a different circus image on each of the individual lockers. These were all cut from the Cricut Carousel Cartridge and the Circus Collection from SVGCuts.com. Each kid has their name on the image by their particular locker.

 Here is my Mom's desk. She has a black bookshelf in front of her desk with bins that she created herself. I'm not sure what will go into these bins, but I know she has a plan for them. On top of the bookshelf is her name plaque that we bought her when she graduated college. Also, 2 pieces of scrappy art I created for her. I shared each of these on my blog a few weeks ago.

 Here is a closer view of the Science bulletin board. The colored sheets of paper will be places for the students classroom work to go to highlight what they are learning.

 Girls/Boys passes hanging on the wall by the door. I created these for her as well.

 This 'popcorn' themed bulletin board is at the front of the room by the white/Smart board that she uses to teach. We bought the bordette and images on the board at a school supply store. The red striped background is fabric we purchased at Joann. The yellow pieces of paper are where the students work can be displayed to show what they are learning at any point during the year. This will be where she posts their Math work. I just LOVE this board! It's so cute! The bookshelves below this board are for books the students can read.

 Closer view of the lockers...

 This board is on the back wall of the classroom. We did a double layer of bordette. The background is yellow fabric. All artwork, except the balloons and numbers on the calendar, were purchased at the school supply store. She will post the kids birthdays here and the balloons that the zebra is holding will be helper rotation.

 Here are their desks. The popcorn boxes to the left were purchased at Hobby Lobby. She put a red pen, a pencil, and crayons down inside the box. Then on the left is another popcorn box where their names will be placed to identify the desks.

I hope you will enjoy this peek into her classroom! It was so much fun to create and I hope the kids will enjoy learning in this space for the school year.

I'm off to scrap! Lots of work to be done! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Happy Scrappin'!