We’ve got the perfect Back to School project for you – a cute little notebook and crayons paper bag craft! Comes with a printable template!

Ask any parent across the world this question: What was the first item you gave your child to draw or write? Most people won’t mention pencils (too pointy) or color pens (too messy) or paints (possibly toxic) – they’re most likely to say crayons!

Crayons are a child’s first medium to scribble, draw, color and write. It’s their entry ticket into the wonderful world of learning and art, even if some of that art ends up on the wrong surfaces!

We think it’s high time we celebrate crayons, and since it’s Back to School season, we’ve come up with a cute little notebook and crayons paper bag craft for kids. It’s easy, fun and very nostalgic!

Contents show

Notebook and Crayons Paper Bag Craft

Supplies required:

Colored craft paper
Paper bags
Pencil
Template
A pair of scissors
Craft glue
Markers

How to make the Crayons Paper Bag Craft:

1. Download and print the Notebook and Crayons Paper Bag Craft Template. The template has two pages – one for the notebook and the other for the crayons. Let’s start with the crayons paper bag craft, using the template on the second page. This template includes the shapes for the flap, stripes, triangles and crayons.

2. Trace the parts of the crayon template on craft paper of the appropriate colors and cut them out. We’ve used a traditional yellow and green color scheme for the crayon box. Cut out a yellow rectangle that’s the same size as the front of your paper bag. Keep the flap of the crayon box a neutral color like beige or light brown, but make sure your crayons are as colorful as you can make them!

3. Let’s start the crayon part of our notebook and crayons paper bag craft by assembling the box. Take your rectangle and stick the triangles and short stripes on the bottom corners as shown below. Put it aside.

4. Take the crayon cutouts and use a black marker to draw double lines on the crayon cutouts so they look like real crayons.

5. Take another marker the same shade as the crayon box flap and drawn an outline on it. Next, stick two of the crayons such that the stripes on the crayons align with the border of the flap, as shown below.

6. Arrange the remaining crayons below the crayons from the previous step and secure them in place with glue. Make sure you leave a narrow margin at the base of the crayons.

7. Take the remaining strips from the crayon part of the notebook and crayons paper bag craft template and stick the narrow strip on top of the thick one. Then attach this strip combo to the base of the flap with the crayons.

8. Time to put everything together! Bring back the rectangle from Step 3 as well as the pink cheeks and eyes. And yes, the paper bag too!

9. Stick the rectangle on the front of the paper bag, right under the folded flap. Apply some glue on the folded flap.

10. Stick the set of crayons on the flap, so it looks like the crayons are popping out of the box!

11. Stick the eyes under the crayons, and the cheeks on either side of the eyes. Take your black marker and draw a smile under the eyes. The first stage of your notebook and crayons paper bag craft is ready!

How to make the Notebook Paper Bag Craft:

1. Trace the parts of the notebook template on craft paper of the appropriate colors and cut them out. We’re going for a red notebook, which means we need a red paper rectangle the same size as the front of the paper bag. Of the two cutouts that represent the book’s top view, let the larger one be red and the smaller one white. The bookmark can be any color – we’ve chosen white. Let the label be a neutral color like white, beige or light brown.

2. Stick the label on the bottom half of the red rectangle. Glue the smaller white cutout inside the larger red one, as shown below.

3. Stick the eyes and cheeks on the top half of the red rectangle, above the label. Attach the bookmark to the cutout as shown below.

4. Time to assemble everything! Take your paper bag and stick the bookmark-top view cutout on the folded flap.

5. Glue the notebook base to the front of the paper bag under the folded flap.

6. Use a black marker to draw a smile under the notebook’s eyes. Use markers of matching colors to mark pages and outline the label. That’s it – all parts of your notebook and crayons paper bag craft are now complete!

Isn’t this craft simply adorable? We love how easy it is, with the free printable template to guide you through the process. You can use these as puppets in a fun Back to School puppet show, or simply stick them up on your wall – anything works!

If you’re looking for more back-to-school projects, check these out: