Easy Box-Top Catcher Craft

I used to cringe whenever I heard that the PTO was collecting box tops again. Oh, it's a great way for a school to earn a little cash for extras like a new ball cart for recess. And I do use a lot of products with box tops on them. It's just that it seemed to be too much trouble for me to collect the box tops and get them to school.

I know--it's such a little thing. But when you teach full time and have three kids, even the little things can be too much to add to your plate.

Last year, I solved my box top problem by thinking outside the box.

I'm not a pack rat, but I do have an odd habit of saving those adorable, tiny boxes from bars of soap or pantry items. In cleaning out the "tiny box cupboard," I found a vanilla extract box that just begged to be used for something. I thought of those Box Tops for Education.

You could do a really cute craft with this idea, but all I did was tape the vanilla extract box shut, cut a rectangular hole in the top, and slap a label on it. Now the box sits within easy reach on the kitchen counter top. Whenever I have a few box tops set aside, I trim them with scissors and pop them into the box top box.

Did my contributions make a difference to my school last year? I think so. At least they made a difference to my son, whose third-grade class was ahead in the box top contest all year and got to tape the principal to the wall with duct tape!

Have a time-saving project for teachers? Please share it in the comments!