(BPT) – Parents spend over $500 per student for those in grades K-12 during the back-to-school season, according to a new survey from Deloitte. But back-to-school shopping doesn’t mean your wallet needs to take a heavy hit! With just a little extra time and effort, generic backpacks and supplies can be customized into a personality-reflecting fashion statement.
“Personalized backpacks, binders or even lockers are a great way to show off individual personalities and styles,” said Kate Piche, Group Product Director at DAP. “And with the right adhesive, you can quickly liven up just about any school supply without spending a fortune.”
Start the year off right by transforming your affordable school supplies into fun, personalized pieces with these four simple projects:
Locker door décor
Take a school locker from drab to fab by using DAP RapidFuse All-Purpose Adhesive to glue magnets to the back of mirrors, pen cups, clothespins or other decorative objects for cute and practical locker door décor that can be hung without damaging the locker. RapidFuse is water resistant and more durable than typical super glues, making it the best option for the job. Bonus project: to create a locker chandelier, start with an inexpensive push light (found at hardware stores) and adhere decorative ribbons or gem stones to the outside rim of the light.
Backpack zipper pull
For a backpack that won’t get lost in the crowd, adhere a ring and clip to the back of a wooden ornament. Squeeze a bead of adhesive onto the metal ring and press onto the back of the ornament for 30 seconds. Once dry, clip onto backpack zippers to create stylish pulls that reflect your kid’s interests! But don’t stop there, liven up your pencil case while you’re at it so it doesn’t get mistaken for someone else’s.
Personalize binders and lunch boxes
Visit a craft store and allow kids to choose decorative patches, buttons, gemstones or even fabrics. The hard-to-bond plastic surfaces typical of binders and lunchboxes are no match for DAP RapidFuse Plastic Primer Kit. Once you’ve decided on décor placement, use the primer pen, wait one minute, apply RapidFuse All-Purpose Adhesive and press together. Also great for quick fixes around the house, the RapidFuse Plastic Primer Kit ensures a strong, clear bond on all plastic surfaces, allowing you to keep your cherished items, instead of tossing them out.
Teacher appreciation gift
Introduce yourself to your new teacher with a small teacher appreciation gift, like a pen holder or desktop organizer. Glue on letter tiles and spell out their name or subject — or apply small beads of adhesive to fasten a fun note or name label to extra school supplies you’re donating to the classroom.
For more information to help tackle back-to-school décor and projects, visit https://blog.dap.com/category/adhesives/
