DIY Marquee Piano Letters!

To say that I am excited about the photo backdrop I have created for my piano students' back-to-lessons portraits would be a huge understatement. Look...

Here's the side view...

I know, right?

* * *

Here's a brief tutorial.

Purchase letters and gold spray paint from craft store. The letters I found were at Michaels, and they were on sale for 50% off (which made them about $6.50 each). The brand is "Marquee Love". You will also need to make sure you have 2 AAA batteries per letter on hand.

When I got home, I immediately opened up the "P" and painted it. These letters are cardboard, so the paint absorbs and dries quickly. I was able to add the lights after just a few minutes of drying.

Here's what the spray painting looks like:

And the drying:

When the paint is dry, push little bulb covers (included) into the holes in the letters.

Turn the letter upside down and insert LED lights into bulb covers from behind using included diagram as a guide.

Add two AAA batteries to each string of lights.

There is an ON/OFF switch on each battery pack.

And that's it! So easy, and so cool!

How to make tiny file folders for your tiny papers!

Today I reorganized the way I store my little slips of paper showing fingering for the 12 melodic minor scales. In an earlier post, I showed you my previous storage system, which was a binder with little file pockets inside. Today, however, I think I have come up with an even more convenient way to store these myriad little slips of paper: tiny file folders that fit perfectly inside a drawer divider in my teaching desk drawer. The old way is still fine, but the new way will eliminate the need to grab the scale binder and thumb through the pages looking for the scale chart I need for any given student.

In a nutshell, the process I'm going to explain looks like this:

Here's how you can make these tiny file folders for your tiny papers. (Incidentally, I will include a link to the pdf file I made for the tiny folders template. It's FREE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.)

Supplies Needed:

1. Scissors

2. Pen

3. Letter-sized File Folder (a new, pretty one)

4. My Mini File Folders Template (free in my TpT store)

It takes a little patience, but you will end up with 12 little files after you finish cutting.

NOW THE FUN PART...

To make your little folders look like their normal-sized counterparts, trim a little bit off of each corner.

Seriously, these little folders are adorable, right?

Now to see how they look in their future home...my teaching desk drawer.

I cut out and glued 12 tiny labels to my folders to identify which of the melodic minor scale charts is inside each one.

And here is the finished product! I can't wait for my students to see. The ones who love school and office supplies will get the biggest kick out of these tiny folders. Love!

Here is the link to my free mini file folders template: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Tiny-File-Folders-Template-2071449