Back To School DIY Ideas & Essentials

The back-to-school rush is almost upon us, so it's time to start thinking about getting your school supplies in order. While buying everything that's needed is always important, why not try getting a little crafty to make your school supplies stand out from the crowd? At Spotlight we have heaps of great school supplies you can choose from, as well as many amazing art and craft supplies you can use to customise things like pencil cases and bookmarks. Our back-to-school projects page is full of fun and colourful projects you can use to make library bags, backpacks, pencil toppers and more.

Read on to discover all the great ways you can prepare for the school year ahead with Spotlight!

Quick Links

• Back To School Essentials
• Back To School DIY Projects
• Back To School Tips

Back To School Essentials

You can find a great range of high-quality essential school supplies at Spotlight, including:

• Writing supplies: Perfect your handwriting with some quality writing tools. Grey lead pencils are a must-have, and blue, red and black pens are there for all your permanent writing needs. You can also find fine liners and calligraphy sets for important projects that you'll be presenting, as well as stencils for when you need uniform lettering for poster projects.
• Colouring supplies: Make your schoolwork and art stand out with any of our gorgeous colouring supplies! We have coloured pencils, soft-tip markers and acrylic paints that students of all ages can use to bedazzle their work. You can also find great art supplies for art students that go beyond classic classroom paints, including oil paints and pastels, watercolour pencils and gouache paint.
• Craft supplies: Simple craft tools like scissors and glue are essentials that need to be in every crafty kid's pencil case. You can also find feathers, beads, foam, coloured paper, stickers, pom poms, chenille stems and all sorts of craft supplies here as well, in a rainbow of gorgeous colours.
• Other tools: Handy stationery supplies like an eraser, ruler and stapler will make school life easier, while protective art smocks, plastic pockets and binders will keep everything neat and tidy.

Make sure to browse the full range of art, craft and stationery supplies to find everything you need.

Back To School DIY Projects

Want to add a personal touch to your school supplies? Try some of these easy sewing projects for a unique take on some classic school supplies.

Winnie The Pooh bookmark ribbons

Reading is an important part of any subject, and you can ensure your child always knows where they're up to with these adorable Winne The Pooh bookmark ribbons! These bookmark ribbons can be created using material featuring any book characters of your choice, but we love the classic look of Winne The Pooh characters like Tigger, Eeyore and the bear himself.

Creating these bookmarks requires a sewing machine, an iron and some thread to match your material. This easy project is perfect for beginner sewists and your child may even like to try making it themselves!

Duck pencil case

This easy sewing project takes you through creating a soft zippered pencil case that's perfect for school or home. Choose cotton duck fabric that reflects your child's interests - mauve it features a rainbow of colours, maybe it's cool and monochrome or it can even feature their favourite TV and movie characters!

This is a great project for sewing beginners, as you'll learn how to attach a zipper and the importance of using bias tape and overlocking seams.

How to decorate your lunch box.

Get into the DIY spirit and check out this amazing project on how to decorate your lunch box! As something that gets used every day at school, having a unique lunch box is a great way to make the school day a little more fun for students of all ages.

Grab everything you need for these projects from our sewing and needlework category. Browse our other craft, sewing and needlecraft projects for even more DIY back-to-school ideas.

Back To School Tips

Here are some more handy tips and tricks you can use to start the new year at school on the right foot:

• Iron-on name tag: The right name tag can be the difference between finding a lost item and never seeing it again. A written name can wash out over time, and writing on a protruding label that can be cut off isn't the safest option to ensure your lost garments are returned. The best way to label uniforms is with a permanent iron-on label! Iron-on labels are very hard to get off once adhered, and are a great option for using on the back of shirts, blazers, pants and dresses.
• Unique drink bottle: Not drinking enough water can be a problem for many young students, so make getting the daily dose of water easy with the right drink bottle! For school you'll want easy-to-access bottles you can sip easily, so no hard-to-use screwtops or flip lids. Instead, look for pop-top style bottles, extendable nozzles and built-in straws that make drinking quick and easy.
• Plain school supplies: If you have artistic kids who love to decorate, consider buying plainer school supplies that your kids can customise themselves. A plain exercise book, calico library bag and fabric pencil case will give creative students plenty of empty canvas to unleash themselves upon, and plain school supplies also happen to cost you less money.

Get Ready To Go Back To School With Spotlight

Make your next school year a creative one with school supplies from Spotlight! Check out the entire back-to-school range online, or visit your nearest Spotlight store to buy your school supplies in person.

For more back-to-school ideas, make sure to read our blogs on some of the other amazing school supplies you can find at Spotlight, ideas for packing a school lunch and everything you need for a school art kit.