PreK Play Time: Homemade Shape Lacing Cards

I love figuring out new ways to use things that might otherwise go out in our recycling bin, and I especially love when my little upcycle project proves to be useful for a long time!  That's why I love these simple homemade lacing shapes I made!

I'm sure quite a few of you are like me and have got a bit annoyed by that paperboard that is nailed on the back of some furniture such as book shelves or entertainment centers.  It all works out for awhile, but before long it starts getting bent out of shape and pops off completely, leaving its holding nails in your furniture piece.  That's what happened to our little television stand...

Not wanting to try to nail it back on, I took a look at it and realized that despite it popping off the television stand, it wasn't really damaged.  In fact, it's some pretty sturdy stuff.  So my brain's wheels started turning, of course! Hmmm....what can I make out of this real quick?  That's when I had a stroke of genius.  Lacing shapes!

First I used some chalk and drew the shapes out rough handed.  I knew I wanted the shapes to be large, and I didn't really have any appropriate sized stencil to use.  Then I took a box cutter and cut along the lines as good as I could manage (I am not great with box cutters by any stretch of the imagination.)  After fixing the edges of the shapes a bit with scissors, Studly used a hole punch to punch a bunch of holes around the edges.  We didn't have a specific spacing ideal, he just punched holes!  Lastly, I took a white out pen (I love those things!) and wrote the name of the shape on each card.  It's that simple!

For our laces, I just pulled a few shoelaces from some old shoes that Dirty D has set aside to hand down to Curls (I can always buy new laces) and tied a quick square knot in one end.  The knot catches on the first hole so that you can start lacing without having to tie anything off.

All laced up!

You could actually use any type of cardboard to make these, even cereal boxes!  We made these in the days before Scattered Yet Together, (why there's not a complete picture tutorial) but it's pretty easy to put together, only taking Studly and I around a half an hour from start to finish.  Curls will be using these when he gets a bit older!


Here's where I linked up:

Tuesday Tots