Small Budget for Back to School?

I know when I was growing up we always had a small budget to work with when going back to school. Every girl has to have the latest fashions, the best shoes in the classroom, and, of course, the coolest backpack. Well, when you have a small budget you have to re-use many of the things from the year before. I don’t know about you, but when it was time to go back to school and I couldn’t get what I wanted, I kind of threw a fit. No, not one right there in the store, but one when I got home about how nobody is going to think I am cool and nobody is going to like me because I don’t have these shoes, that shirt, or even that totally cool backpack. I wish I knew then what I know now about how I can change things that I already have into something new, time and time again.

All you need is duct tape and a backpack! That’s it! You can take that boring, plain, ugly, beat up backpack (in my case, my suitcase) and change it with DUCT TAPE! I saw this totally cool website. It is all things duct tape. High school students made their prom dress and tux completely out of duct tape. AND THEY WORE IT THE WHOLE TIME AT THE DANCE! Well, no worries here. Your kids will be wearing duct tape, but on their backpack.

So I was at Wal-Mart today, just looking through the craft section trying to find out what I wanted to do for the blog. Then I saw it. Duct tape paper. Yes ladies….I said it. Duct tape paper.

Boring, ugly, worn out suitcase.

So here it is. My boring suitcase. I think I have seen my suitcase a couple of other times in the airport, so I thought it would be a good idea to do something else to make it stand out more. I bought some duct tape paper that happens to be PINK AND BLACK ZEBRA PRINT! Oh yes! Black and pink zebra print.

Pink and black zebra print duct tape paper!

Now, all I did was cut the paper to fit my suitcase and, voila! I have a brand new suitcase that I can pick out in ANY airport!

Front of Suit Case

And just you wait! I’m not done yet! My handle on my suitcase was falling completely apart!

Worn out handle

I cut the plastic part off of the handle and I simply added duct tape to it! Check out my art work!

Sigma Kappa!

And to think I am posting in the Sigma Kappa blog without representing! I can’t tell you how many times a sister saw my luggage tag and asked me if I was a Sigma! But I didn’t forget about school! You can get these duct tape papers or rolls of different patterned duct tape at Wal-Mart and have a go at your or your child’s backpack! I know when I did crafts at school I was so proud of them I just wanted to show the whole world! Let’s hope you or your child has a dingy, ugly, worn out backpack that you can spruce up. A roll of duct tape can go a long way. So if you are on a budget, get a roll of duct tape and you are good to go! (Not to mention that if your backpack is literally falling apart, just tape it together and NOBODY will know the difference!)

Do you all plan on doing this for back to school? If you do, please post pictures for the rest of us to see. Did you have any tips or pointers for those of us who have done this before? I hope that those of you that are going back to school have a wonderful school year and you all do very well! I look forward to seeing what you all have to say!

Love in the Dove!

–Lisa