Harry Potter House Banners Tutorial

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Creating Harry Potter house banners can be a fun and creative way to decorate your space, whether it’s for a Harry Potter themed party or just to show off your love for the series. Here is a tutorial on how to make your own Harry Potter house banners:

Collect your materials to create your own Harry Potter House Banners

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Materials:

  • Four pieces of fabric in the colors of the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor: red and gold; Hufflepuff: yellow and black; Ravenclaw: blue and silver; Slytherin: green and silver) or black like the ones I created.
  • Iron-on transfer paper or Cardstock and laminator, lamination sheets
  • Scissors
  • Printer
  • Iron or Hot glue
  • Twine or ribbon or yarn in red, yellow, blue and green
  • Sewing machine or needle and thread
  • Dowel Rods
  • Fishing Wire
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Follow below to create Harry Potter House Banners.

Instructions:

  1. Begin by measuring the size of the banners you want to make. Cut the fabric pieces to your desired size. A standard size for a banner is around 12 inches wide by 18 inches long, but you can adjust the size to your liking. I folded mine in half to create a triangle bottom.
  2. Using a computer, find the house crest images for each of the four Hogwarts houses. Resize them to fit on your banners, and print them out onto the iron-on transfer paper or cardstock. If you are printing on cardstock I recommend laminating the house crests and then cut. Make sure to cut two of each, one or each side of the banners.
  3. Cut around each of the crests, leaving a small border of transfer paper around the edge. If you printed on cardstock make sure to cut as close to the edges as possible.
  4. Following the instructions on the transfer paper package, iron each crest onto the corresponding color fabric piece. If you laminated the house crests then hot glue them to the banners.
  5. Once the crests have been transferred onto the fabric, trim any excess transfer paper from the edges.
  6. Cut a small slit at the top of each banner to thread the twine or ribbon through. Fold over the top edge of the banner about 1 inch and sew it down to create a pocket for the twine/ribbon. Alternative: Fold over the top edge of the banner and sew across to make a pocket for the dowel rod to pass through. Place the dowel and glue around the ends of the banner on each side so the banner does not slide.
  7. Thread the fishing wire, twine or ribbon through each banner and tie a knot at each end to create a hanger.
  8. Hang your banners on a wall, above a doorway, or wherever you choose to display them. Enjoy your Harry Potter house banners!

My banners are hung in my classroom above the tables for each house. I have a grid ceiling and used a paper clip attached to the fishing wire and slid them on the metal frame.

Optional: You can also add additional embellishments to your banners, such as gold tassels or fringed edges. I used yarn from Dollar Tree in the colors of red, blue, green and yellow corresponding to the house banner and hot glued them to the edges of the banners. Use your imagination and have fun with it!

Be sure to check out other Harry Potter Classroom

Topic: Harry Potter House Banners Tutorial

Harry Potter Classroom Decorations

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Looking to transform your classroom into a magical world of wizardry and enchantment? Look no further than our Harry Potter classroom decoration ideas! From posters featuring your favorite characters and spells to themed bulletin boards and door decorations, we have everything you need to create a Hogwarts-inspired learning environment. Get ready to cast a spell on your students with our Harry Potter classroom decorations!

  1. Entering the world of Wizarding Magic

I used a “Welcome” image I found on google and created an SVG file to cut on my Cameo Silhouette.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan and a teacher, there’s no better way to combine your two passions than by decorating your classroom with Hogwarts-inspired decor. With a little creativity and some basic crafting supplies, you can transform your classroom into a magical world of wizardry and wonder. In this blog post, we’ll share some DIY Harry Potter classroom decoration ideas that are sure to impress your students.

2. House Banners

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One of the most iconic symbols of Hogwarts are the house banners. You can easily create your own house banners using felt or paper in the house colors: red and gold for Gryffindor, green and silver for Slytherin, blue and bronze for Ravenclaw, and yellow and black for Hufflepuff. Hang them above the blackboard or on the walls of your classroom to give your space an authentic Hogwarts feel.

I used black table clothe and cut my banners with a triangle tips. I then printed the House logos big enough to fit in the center of each banner. I cut the logo out and used my laminator to laminate the logo and then hot glued it the banner. I printed and cut two for each banner as I made them double sided.

3. Potion Bottles

Create a collection of potion bottles to line your shelves and create an atmosphere of potions class. Fill clear bottles with colored water, add a label with a potion name and use string or wire to attach tags that display their ingredients and instructions. Make sure to include some funny and magical ingredients like “Dragon Blood” or “Flobberworm Mucus” to make your classroom feel like a true Potions dungeon. I purchased my potion bottles from Dollar Tree during the Halloween decoration season. Buy early they do go fast!

4. Wands

Set up a wand station in your classroom where students can pick out their own wand before the start of each class. You can create wands from dowels or wooden chopsticks, decorate them with paint, and attach tags with the students’ names on them. This will make your classroom feel like Ollivanders wand shop and get students excited for the magical lessons ahead.

For my personal classroom, I created wands at the beginning of the school year and they were able to select their welcome bag that corresponded with their house they were sorted into during the sorting ceremony. I took regular #2 pencils and spray painted them black. I then took hot glue and created different designs and painted with a silver/grey paint. These did take a couple coats to cover.

5. Quidditch Hoops

If you have a space large enough, you can create your own Quidditch pitch. Make hoops out of PVC pipe and spray paint them gold. Attach them to the walls or a stand and use a small ball as the Quaffle. This will allow your students to feel like they are part of the wizarding world and can bring some excitement to your classroom.

I did create smaller quidditch pitch using the rings from Dollar Tree found in the crafting section. I spray painted them gold and glued dowel rod to the bottom of the ring and then glued them onto my wall.

6. Floating Candles

Hogwarts is known for its floating candles, and you can create the same effect in your classroom. You can hang battery-operated candles from the ceiling using fishing line or transparent wire. This will create a magical and cozy atmosphere, perfect for reading or studying. My candles are from Dollar Tree and they come out during the Christmas Decoration Season.

These DIY Harry Potter classroom decoration ideas are sure to make your classroom a magical and exciting place for your students. By incorporating these decorations into your classroom, you’ll not only inspire your students to learn, but also give them a fun and memorable experience they won’t forget. Remember, the sky’s the limit when it comes to creating a Hogwarts-inspired classroom, so don’t be afraid to get creative and let your imagination run wild!

5 Emotional and Social Calming activities for Students

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Students just as much as adults need to take care of both emotional and social well-being. With the increasing pressure to succeed academically, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious. Therefore, engaging in calming activities can help reduce stress, improve mood, and increase focus. Here are five emotional and social calming activities that students can try:

  1. Mindful breathing: Mindful breathing is a simple but effective way to calm down and focus on the present moment. Create a quiet place, sit, and have students close their eyes. Tell students to take a deep breath in through their nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly through the mouth. Focus on the sensation of the air flowing in and out of the body. Repeat this for a few minutes or until you feel more relaxed. Alternative: Students can do this on their own by doing the Five Finger breathing or by the four square breathing.
  1. Journaling: Student can take a 5 – 10 minutes to journal. Writing down their thoughts and feelings can be a great way to process emotions and reduce stress. Set aside some time each class to write about their experiences, worries, and goals. You can also use journal prompts to guide their writing and spark new insights.
  2. Yoga or stretching: Practicing yoga or stretching can help release tension in the body and calm the mind. Look for guided student yoga or stretching videos online or images to try with students. Even just a few minutes of stretching during study breaks can make a big difference in how they feel and is a great brain break.
  3. Socializing with friends: Spending time with friends and loved ones can help improve their mood and reduce stress. Make time for social time in the classroom. The time you allow does not need to be long. Give students 3-5 minutes to take with one another and let them move around. Collect their attention and get them back on task when time runs out. You can also give them some prompts to talk about for example “This or That” or “Would you Rather” prompts.
  4. Listening to music: Music can have a powerful effect on our emotions and can be a great way to relax and unwind. Create a playlist of favorite calming songs appropriate for the classroom or find pre-made playlists on music streaming platforms. You can also listen to nature sounds or white noise to block out distractions and improve focus. Be sure to mix up when you listen to music in your classroom as students will expect this daily and feel as if they can only work when music is played.

Overall, taking care of a students emotional and social well-being is important for academic success and personal fulfillment. Incorporating these calming activities into your students daily routine can help them feel more grounded, centered, and ready to tackle whatever challenges come their way in your class and in their other classes.

Minecraft Cardboard Character Build Project

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Minecraft Cardboard Character Build Tutorial

Minecraft is a popular video game that allows players to build and explore a 3D world made of blocks. But did you know that you can also use Minecraft as a learning tool? In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to build a cardboard Minecraft character and use it to teach students about area, perimeter, and surface area.

Materials:

  • Cardboard
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Glue or tape
  • Minecraft character reference image

Measurements for Minecraft Cardboard Character Build

You will have 5 body parts in total.

Head/Face – 4 inches by 4 inches. You will need 6 pieces

Torso – Front/Back 2 pieces = 4 inches wide by 6 inches tall. Sides 2 pieces = 1.5 inches wide by 6 inches tall. Top/Bottom 2 pieces = 1.5 inches wide by 4 inches long.

Arms – 8 pieces of 1.5 inches by 5 inches tall. Top/Bottom 4 pieces total = 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches

Legs – Front/Back 2 pieces 4 inches wide by 5 inches tall, Sides 2 pieces = 1.5 inches wide by 5 inches tall, Top/Bottom 2 pieces = 1.5 inches by 4 inches.

Tutorial Steps

Step 1: Choose your Minecraft character Choose your favorite Minecraft character and find a reference image online. This will be the basis for your cardboard character.

Step 2: Draw and cut out the shapes Using your ruler and pencil, draw the shapes for your Minecraft character onto the cardboard. This may include squares, rectangles, and triangles. Cut out the shapes with your scissors.

Step 3: Assemble the character Use glue or tape to assemble the shapes into your Minecraft character. Pay attention to the dimensions of each shape and how they fit together. This is where students can start learning about perimeter and area.

Step 4: Calculate the surface area Once the Minecraft character is assembled, measure the length, width, and height of each shape. Then, use the formulas for surface area to calculate the total surface area of the character. This is a great opportunity to introduce students to the concept of surface area and how it applies to 3D objects.

Step 5: Decorate the character Using markers or paint, decorate your Minecraft character to bring it to life! This is where students can get creative and add their own personal touches.

Step 6: Explore and learn Now that your Minecraft character is complete, use it to explore different concepts related to area, perimeter, and surface area. For example, you can measure the area of each shape individually, calculate the perimeter of the entire character, or compare the surface area of different characters.

Using Minecraft as a learning tool can be a fun and engaging way to teach students about math concepts. By building a cardboard Minecraft character and exploring its dimensions, students can gain a deeper understanding of area, perimeter, and surface area.

Topic: Minecraft Cardboard Character Build.

Interested in more classroom craft items check out the classroom category.