by CAITLIN BUCK, Feis America Magazine contributor

Old or new and any size, all notebooks and folders can be fabul-ized!

Right...so crummy jiggle aside, a great way to add jazz, bling and general attitude to a dull composition book, or standard yawn-worthy folder, is to Irish-zise it.

Whether you have a stockpile of Irish craft materials (cleverly collected from 75-percent off “After St. Patty’s Day Sales!”) or you lack so much as a glue stick, (better get on that, since it will be on the back-to-school list), pre-school season slumber parties and start-of-term booster club meetings are a great place to pool crafts and snazz your school supplies.

After all, Irish dancing is not simply a sport, it is a way of life. Here are a few ideas to craft your own personalized school notebook or folder…
--------------
READ MORE: 
PHOTOS - Inishfree New York Feis - Irish dance photo gallery

Feis at the Falls attracts champion dancers and first-time feisers  


Utah State Feis Irish dancing adult results - PHOTOS
-------------- Around the cover:
- Redress the cover with: felt/material/scrapbooking or construction paper. Fold over the edges of the covering material to the inside of the notebook and staple or glue it. Use either rubber cement, craft glue or a hot glue gun.

On the cover:
- Ribbon or scrapbooking paper can be used to frame a boarder around the edges. Bonus? It’s a great way to cover staples.

- Go to Wordle, click “create” and enter in every Irish dance term, or every inspirational word you can think of. Wordle will then generate your words back to you in different colors and layouts. Print and glue on your notebook.

- Write your name or something like, “You think your sport is hard get REEL” or “Reel Treble” in glitter glue, alphabet stickers, or a permanent marker.

- If you’re a doodler, cut some of those little drawings out and paste them like polka dots on the cover of your notebook or folder.

- Using old feis programs, cut out the Irish clip art and Irish dance terms to use as a decorative smaller boarder on your notebook or binder.

- With colored markers, write every feis or city you’ve traveled to for competition on a piece of construction paper. Then glue to the back of your notebook.

- For an extra burst of encouragement, find inspirational quotes online (or on old good luck cards), cut out and past on the inside cover.


Photo Credit: Caitlin Buck


What are some crafty ways you’ve decorated your school supplies? Let us know.

For North America's favorite Irish dancing magazine delivered directly to your mailbox, subscribe now!