DIY Life

So by now you're officially in the swing of things, right? Wrong. Chances are, you and your family are still struggling at the idea of 6am wake-up calls, mounds of paperwork and the ever-so-present extra-curricular activity schedule. There never seem to be enough hours in the day, and definitely not enough cash in the bank. Perhaps our list of top back-to-school tutorials will make your adjustment process a tiny bit smoother... and a whole lot more stylish!:

For the cafeteria:

1. DIY Reusable Lunch Set
   
2. Martha Stewart Lunch Labels
3. Magnetic Cafeteria Chart

Your kid will be the cat's meow in the lunchroom with these easy (and super cute!) tutorials for a lunch set and labels. Of course, you can always score brownie points with your child's teacher by creating a magnetic cafeteria chart for classroom use! You know... in case your kid isn't already brown-nosing enough for the both of you.

In the classroom:

1. Apple Print Backpack
2. Martha Stewart Book Covers
3. Handmade Owl Backpack
4. Quick Pocket Organizer

Send your kid to school prepared with DIY book covers, backpacks and pocket organizers. Who knows? Maybe they'll be the future DIY Founding Father of their class! They'll certainly be one of the more stylish munchkins...

In the craft room:

1. Egg Carton School Bus
2. Roll-Up Pencil Kit
3. Tree Bark Pencil Holder
4. Binder Pencil Case

With crafts for all ages, back-to-school can be a bit more fun. Tackle a school bus created out of egg cartons with your pre-schooler, or create a nature-inspired pencil holder for your tween. The key is, have some fun with your child before they're swamped with homework and they start locking you out of your bedroom forever!

For the teachers:

1. Leather Day Planner
2. Marbleized Pencils
3. Kate Spade Downloadable Book Cover
4. Old Pants Laptop Sleeve

Teachers deserve a bit of back-to-school love, too... right? Surprise your favorite teacher with a handmade, well-crafted gift, or even send a few of these fun ideas with your kid. Remember --- you can never be too nice to your child's teacher. After all, as far as education is concerned, the teacher is boss.

Inspired yet? Incorporate a few of these fun tutorials into your weekend and welcome school season with a bang. Enjoy, and happy crafting, school bees!

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

I admit it -- Diane's Avant Yard post, 75 tricks to get your kids outdoors, inspired me. It's one thing to enjoy scents, to make scented products, and to use essential oils and herbs in your daily life. But have you shared your love of scents with your children?

Inadvertently, you just may have. I know my three-year-old wanders through my garden with me, picking leaves off the basil plant for nibbling (he knows which plants are the edible ones), admiring the hard-working bees at the lavender plants, and of course, stopping to smell the roses (stereotypical, yet true).

Kids catch on, through your modeling, to the things you love. If you feel like spicing it up a bit, though, how about creating a scent hunt for your kids?

The school bell is about to ring in a new year, but there is a group of adults who need just as much attention for Back-To-School preparation as the students: the teachers. Most people don't realize, but a summer break for a teacher is not a break at all, but an opportunity to lesson plan for the upcoming year, get those state required classes completed, fight in line at the local state board of education for re-licensure, and catch up on the required reading for next year.

Regardless, going back to school is just as exciting and demanding on teachers as it is on students. Unlike students, however, most teachers have the added stress of family and household demands. So, here's a survival guide for the teacher on easing back into the school year without fainting from exhaustion.