Teacher Toolbox re-do... new & improved!

I'm linking up wtih 4th Grade Frolics for this week's Monday Made-It with a project I did a couple of weeks ago... my updated Teacher Toolbox!

I made my first Teacher Toolbox last year, and LOVED it! In fact, my first TPT product was the label set that I had created for my toolbox. I wish I knew who to credit with the original idea, but I have no idea (aside from that it was on Pinterest). I used the (affiliate link) Stack-on 22-drawer organizer, and spray painted it to match my classroom.

The original directions I read said to use double sided tape to attach your labels inside the drawers, so that's what I did. It worked fine for a little while, but by the end of the year, my toolbox looked like this:

Poor, sad toolbox. As you can see, the tape definitely lost its stickiness over the course of the year. One of my labels was even lost!

 I kept reading that people Mod Podged theirs on, but I was worried about the ink bleeding since I printed on my inkjet printer. A little internet research was all it took to find an easy, and FREE solution!

HAIRSPRAY! 

Yep, the solution was right on my bathroom counter. Before you cut the labels apart, spray the entire page with a light coat of aerosol hairspray. This will seal in the color.

 The rest of the process is really simple:

Cut out your labels, and get your Mod Podge and brushes together. I used an old envelope to paint on, since it was what I had handy.

I found that the trick is to use a thin, light coat of Mod Podge on each label.

Press the label onto the inside of the drawer. Don't worry if it doesn't go on straight, you have a couple of minutes to reposition the label before it starts to dry.

I love how it turned out! Probably more than the original. And I'm so excited that I figured out how to mod podge over printed papers without ruining it!

[UPDATE: Three years later, my toolbox still has these same labels, and they still look like new!]

 If you like my Teacher Toolbox Labels, both of these and a dozen other color/pattern options are in my TPT Store. Click on the photo below!

 

Click here to see all my Teacher toolbox Designs!