This Teacher *Loves* Chalkboard Paint...

...who'da thunk it?

Teacher tip:  visit thrift stores from time to time- you never know what you might find!

For example, this sturdy tabletop-sized puppet theater (for which I paid $7 whopping dollars, that's right, *SEVEN* dollars):



I purchased paint from Joann's making good use of a 40% off coupon (the paint usually costs about $6):




Two coats later, here's how it looked:

As most of my students come from active-duty military families, I thought some speciality trim would be a nice touch (who knew my hot glue gun would choose *this* project to express itself?):

Hiding the seams with buttons was the next step:

New denim curtains with camouflage ribbon tiebacks finish it off (though the denim was a poor choice- I'll be making new curtains out of thinner material this weekend):

You can often find old easels, platters, cookie sheets, trays, etc. that can be easily transformed and repurposed for home or classroom use at yard sales or thrift stores- keep your eyes peeled, and don't be afraid to get your craft on as you create your students' learning environment affordably.