Back-to-School Crafts for Kids: DIY Backpack Tags, Pencil Toppers, and Locker Decor

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Last August, my son came home from the first day of second grade with someone else’s backpack. Same navy blue, same brand, same everything. A five-minute craft would have saved us the parking-lot swap.

Now we make DIY backpack tags, pencil toppers, and locker decor at the kitchen table before every school year. Below are ten projects sorted by age, with honest notes on mess, timing, and safety, plus a free printable kit. They work just as well for a mid-year backpack swap.

In this article (10 sections)

1. Which Crafts Fit Which Age?
2. Supplies to Gather First
3. Why Make Back-to-School Crafts Yourself?
4. DIY Backpack Tags Kids Can Actually Make
5. Pencil Topper Ideas That Survive the Backpack
6. Locker and Cubby Decor Ideas
7. Troubleshooting Shrink Plastic, Hot Glue, and Laminating
8. Back-to-School Craft Night Ideas
9. How to Store School Crafts as Keepsakes
10. Frequently Asked Questions

Which Crafts Fit Which Age?

Find your child’s age, pick a project from that row, and save the rest for later.

Supplies to Gather First

You probably own most of this already. Check the first column, then make one store run for the second.

Laminator or packing tape? A cheap laminator earns its keep if you make tags for several kids. For a once-a-year project, clear packing tape wrapped snugly around cardstock does nearly the same job. It’s just fussier to apply evenly. Either way, leave about 1/4 inch of sealed edge around the paper.

Why Make Back-to-School Crafts Yourself?

Matching labels take ten minutes online. Here’s why I still make ours:

• Lost-and-found insurance. A tag your kid made is one-of-a-kind by definition.
• Ownership. In my experience, the backpack my son decorated himself gets hung on its hook without a reminder.
• Fine motor practice, cheaply. Cutting, hole punching, and sticker spelling are quiet reps for pencil grip. New to scissors? Warm up with our Cutting Practice Sheets.

DIY Backpack Tags Kids Can Actually Make

This is the project I’d tell you to start with if you only have time for one. Backpack tags solve a real problem (identical bags, identical lunchboxes, identical everything), and they’re fast enough to knock out in a single sitting.

What Makes a Backpack Tag Actually Survive a School Year

A tag that dissolves in the rain during week two isn’t doing its job. Two rules keep it alive:

• Laminate or seal anything paper-based. A laminating pouch or snug packing tape both work. The supplies section above covers which one suits you.
• Use a metal or heavy-duty plastic connector, not just a loop of ribbon. Ribbon frays and unties itself inside of a month. A key ring or small carabiner clip holds up all year. For the youngest children, clip the tag to a zipper pull on a short key ring, and skip long cords or neck-length loops that can snag.

Project: Shrink Plastic Tags

Shrink plastic (sold as Shrinky Dinks or generic “shrink film”) feels like magic to kids. They draw something palm-sized, it goes in the oven, and it comes out hard, glossy, and about half the size or smaller.

What you need:

• Shrink plastic sheets. The frosted kind takes colored pencil and marker best, and one sheet makes several tags.
• Colored pencils or markers that your shrink-film package lists as OK for baking. Skip anything it doesn’t list, since other art supplies aren’t made for oven heat.
• Hole punch
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Key ring or small carabiner

How to make it:

1. Draw big. Have your child draw initials, a self-portrait, or an animal on the shrink plastic. Leave the name off, since this tag hangs on the outside of the bag. Shrink film typically shrinks to about 40-50% of its size, so check your package and draw bigger to match.
2. Punch. Punch a hole near one edge before baking. It’s nearly impossible to punch cleanly afterward.
3. Cut. Cut out the shape, leaving a small border.
4. Bake (adult only). Open a window, use oven mitts, and keep kids back from the open oven. Follow the package exactly, since times and temperatures vary by brand. The piece curls dramatically, then flattens back out. Don’t panic, and don’t open the oven early.
5. Cool. Pieces are hot and soft straight out of the oven. An adult lifts them off with a spatula, and they cool for a few minutes before kids touch them.
6. Attach. Clip it to the backpack zipper with a key ring.

Pair this with our Activity Finder Quiz if your kids have different attention spans. Shrink plastic suits ages 6-8 with an adult doing the baking. Younger siblings will do better with a simpler project below.

Project: Wood Slice Tags

Wood slices left over from another craft (or a bag of pre-cut ones) make sturdy, rustic tags. They hold up outdoors better than paper.

What you need:

• Thin wood slices, 1.5-2 inches across. Pre-drilled ones save a step.
• Paint pens or acrylic paint labelled non-toxic (ASTM D-4236), plus a fine brush.
• Mod Podge for indoor or light use. For rainy-day tags, an outdoor-rated clear sealer.
• A key ring or short loop (no long cords)

How to make it:

1. Prep. An adult drills the hole if the slice isn’t pre-drilled and sands any rough edges smooth.
2. Paint. Add initials or a symbol and a small design to the wood. Skip the name on anything that hangs outside the bag.
3. Dry. Let the paint dry for about 1 hour, or longer if it still feels tacky.
4. Seal. Brush on two thin coats, drying each one per the label. Mod Podge suits indoor or light use. For rain, an adult applies an outdoor-rated sealer in a ventilated space. Sealed tags are water-resistant, not waterproof.
5. Attach. Slide a key ring through the drilled hole.

These take longer to dry than other tags, so plan an afternoon rather than a single sitting.

Project: Laminated Photo Tags

The fastest option on this list, and a favorite for kids who get overwhelmed by too many art choices.

What you need:

• A printed photo of your child (or a photo + their handwritten name)
• Laminating pouches or clear packing tape
• Hole punch
• Key ring or small carabiner (ribbon frays within weeks)

How to make it:

1. Print. Print a small photo, roughly 2×2 inches.
2. Name. Have your child write or trace a first name under the photo.
3. Laminate. Seal both sides in a pouch or packing tape, leaving a border of about 1/4 inch.
4. Attach. Punch a hole and add a key ring. Clip it to a loop or pocket inside the bag, or hang it in the cubby.

Put your phone number on a separate card tucked inside the bag. This takes about ten minutes start to finish, and a photo tag in the cubby helps teachers learning twenty new faces at once.

If your house went through a nano tape phase, you may still have some stuck to a table. It makes a great backpack charm base. Our Nano Tape Crafts for Kids guide walks through squishies and bag charms step by step. A charm clipped next to a laminated tag gives your kid two ways to spot their bag in a crowded hallway.

Pencil Topper Ideas That Survive the Backpack

Pencil toppers are adorable on the kitchen table and destroyed by 10 a.m. on day one. These projects were picked because they hold up to real backpack conditions.

Project: Pom-Pom Pencil Pals

The classic for a reason: fast and forgiving. Pom-pom pals are for ages 5-8. At 5, use drawn-on eyes and stay close the whole time. Wiggle eyes are for ages 6-8 only.

1. Attach the pom-pom. Your child picks one large pom-pom per pencil. You hot-glue it to the eraser end, with a low-temp glue gun if you have one, and hold it until the glue cools. No hot glue? Use tacky craft glue and hold for a count of 30.
2. Add eyes. Draw the eyes on with permanent marker. For ages 6-8 only, hot-glue on large wiggle eyes instead.
3. Add details. Your child picks flat felt ears, a nose, or little feet for you to glue on.
4. Dry and test. Let it dry flat for at least an hour, then tug the pieces to check they don’t pull off.

Mess note: hot glue strings get everywhere. Keep a damp rag nearby and expect to find glue strings on the floor for a week no matter how careful you are.

Project: Polymer Clay Toppers

These take more patience but usually last much of the school year, not just September. Baked clay can chip or break, so check the topper now and then. Our clay fox lost an ear somewhere at the bottom of a backpack, which is how I learned that one.

New to clay? Our easy clay crafts for kids guide is a gentler place to start.

What you need:

• Non-toxic polymer clay (Sculpey or similar) in a few colors. One small block makes several toppers.
• A blunt-ended dowel or spare pencil for shaping. Don’t use the pencil the topper goes on.
• A strong craft glue labeled non-toxic. Check that the label covers baked clay and wood.
• Access to a home oven

How to make it:

1. Sculpt. Kids shape a small bead (animal head, fruit, initial) around the bare dowel so it has the right-sized hole.
2. Slide off. Gently slide the shape off the dowel.
3. Bake (adult only). Bake the clay alone on a tray, never on the pencil, in a ventilated room. Use the package temperature and time, often 230-275°F for 15-30 minutes depending on the brand. Keep the tray and tools for crafts only, never for food.
4. Glue and cure. Once the clay is cool, glue it onto the pencil. Let it cure for the full time on the glue label, often 24 hours, before the pencil goes to school. Remind your child that toppers are not for chewing. Toss any topper that chips or cracks, since the broken bits are small parts.

For younger siblings, borrow Process Art for Toddlers-style thinking. Let them squish and shape without worrying about the result, while older kids aim for a specific design.

Project: Duct Tape Monster Toppers

For kids who want something a little weirder and love texture. It takes minutes, costs almost nothing, and holds up well in a backpack because duct tape doesn’t fray the way fabric or paper does.

At ages 4-5, your child’s job is wrapping and pressing the tape. You do all the cutting and draw the eyes.

What you need:

• Duct tape in one or two colors. One roll makes dozens of toppers.
• Scissors (adult cuts)
• Permanent marker for drawn-on eyes. Large wiggle eyes are an option for ages 6-8 only.
• A pencil, plus hot glue if you add wiggle eyes.

How to make it:

1. Cut strips. An adult cuts strips about 2 inches long and snips fringe along one side. Keep the fringe short, and leave a solid uncut band along the other side so every piece stays attached.
2. Wrap. Your child wraps a plain strip around the eraser end to make the body.
3. Layer the fringe. Your child presses fringed strips around the body, overlapping them like fur. Press the solid band of each strip down firmly, then an adult rubs over every edge to seal it.
4. Add eyes. An adult draws eyes with marker, or hot-glues wiggle eyes for ages 6-8. Let the glue set for an hour.
5. Tug-test. An adult tugs the fringe and the tape edges. Re-press anything that lifts, and trim off any fringe piece that feels loose.

A Quick Durability Comparison

Locker and Cubby Decor Ideas

Kids with a locker or assigned cubby usually care about making it theirs. These projects double as organization tools.

Project: Magnetic Photo Strip

What you need: adhesive-backed magnetic strips, printed photos or kid artwork cut to size, laminating sheets or packing tape.

How to make it:

1. Pick. Choose 3-4 photos or drawings and cut them to size.
2. Laminate. An adult laminates them as one strip.
3. Add the magnet. An adult sticks the magnetic tape to the back and covers it fully.
4. Hang. Place it inside a metal locker door and swap the photos each season.

Project: Mini Dry-Erase Nameplate

What you need: a small piece of cardstock or thin cardboard, clear packing tape (the laminating trick again), a dry-erase marker, a covered magnetic strip.

How to make it:

1. Decorate. Your child adds a first name and border to the cardstock.
2. Cover. Wrap it completely in packing tape so it’s writable and wipeable.
3. Add the magnet. An adult attaches the covered magnet strip.
4. Use it. Kids leave themselves notes (“library day!”) all year.

Project: Cubby Tag from Cardboard Scraps

Cereal boxes and shipping cardboard make sturdy cubby tags.

Cut a shape about 4 inches across, like a star, a rocket, or an initial letter, from sturdy cardboard. Let your kid paint and decorate it. Then punch a hole and hang it on a short loop. For metal lockers, an adult can add a covered magnet instead.

For ages 2-3, a sticker version:

1. Prep. An adult cuts a big cardboard shape and punches the hole.
2. Stick. Your toddler covers it with large stickers and crayon scribbles.
3. Write. An adult adds the first name.
4. Hang. An adult loops it on a hook or cubby with a short loop.

Our Cardboard Box Crafts for Kids guide has more ways to turn box scraps into something a kid is proud to display. It’s a good rainy-afternoon rabbit hole later in the school year.

Project: “All About Me” Mini Poster

For younger kids especially, teachers often love a small personalized poster for the cubby area. Think favorite color, favorite animal, family members, and what they’re excited about this year.

Keep it simple: a half sheet of cardstock folded in half, with a few drawn or collaged sections. Laminate it if it’ll live somewhere little hands touch daily.

Troubleshooting Shrink Plastic, Hot Glue, and Laminating

Something always goes wrong. Here are the usual suspects.

If your recycling bin is your first stop, you’re in good company. St. Patrick’s Day Crafts from Your Recycling Bin works from the same principle, and our recycled art projects for kids cover the rest of the year. Cereal boxes, toilet paper tubes, bottle caps, and juice pouches are legitimate craft supplies, not trash.

Back-to-School Craft Night Ideas

Make the crafting session a tradition instead of a last-weekend errand.

Pick a set night. The Sunday two weeks before school starts works well. It’s early enough that you’re not laminating at 9 p.m. the night before.

Work backward from the first day. Here’s the two-week countdown we use. Starting mid-year? Count back from any new term or new backpack instead.

• Two weeks out: raid the craft box and recycling bin, then make one store run.
• Craft night: draw, sculpt, and decorate. Bake the shrink plastic and clay pieces.
• The next few days: paint and seal the wood slices, and let glue and sealer cure fully.
• One week out: add key rings, then tug-test every closure and glued piece.
• The night before: clip the tag on and tuck the name and contact card inside the bag.

Setting up a new morning routine too? Our Daily Routine Charts for Kids pair well with a freshly tagged backpack.

Make it a whole-family thing. Older siblings can help younger ones or work on their own locker decor alongside them.

Snap a “craft table” photo before cleanup. The mid-project chaos is the best part to look back on: markers everywhere, someone’s sock covered in glitter.

Use it to start a first-day-jitters chat. Crafting side by side is a lower-pressure way to talk than asking “how are you feeling about school?” across a table. A few ideas from our Calm Down Activities for Kids guide give bigger feelings somewhere to go. If school worries or refusal persist, talk with your pediatrician or school counselor.

Stack it with teacher gifts. While the supplies are out, knock out a first-week gift too. Our 10 Heartfelt DIY Teacher Gifts Kids Can Actually Make Themselves guide has options at the same skill level as these projects.

How to Store School Crafts as Keepsakes

Pencil toppers get tossed with the pencil stub, but a decorated tag or nameplate is worth keeping.

• One labeled shoebox per school year. It beats trying to save everything. Kids can revisit it later, and the pile stops at one box.
• Photograph the locker or cubby decor in place. Do it before anything comes down at year-end. Fragile pieces, like duct tape monsters that flatten and lose their fringe, are better kept as photos.
• Reuse the hardware. Carabiners and key rings pop off an old tag and go straight onto next year’s version. No need to buy new every August.
• Let your kid decide what gets kept. Not everything needs to be precious. A quick “keep or toss” sort at the end of the year is also a low-key way to talk about how much they’ve grown.

Once the crafts are made, here’s where they’ll actually live: The Back-to-School Drop Zone: Organizing Backpacks, Shoes, and Lunchboxes for Smooth Mornings

Related: How to Draw a School Locker (Easy Step by Step)

Frequently Asked Questions

What age can kids start making their own backpack tags?

Kids as young as 2-3 can join in by adding stickers or crayon to a base an adult has prepped. Cutting, detailed drawing, and hole punching usually click around ages 5-6. Adults still handle ovens, drilling, hot glue, and magnets at every age.

How do I make backpack tags waterproof for outdoor pickup lines and rainy walks to the bus stop?

Lamination is the most reliable method and makes paper tags water-resistant. No laminator? Wrap the tag tightly in clear packing tape, overlapping each layer by about 1/4 inch, and keep about 1/4 inch of sealed edge when trimming. Wood and shrink plastic tags are naturally more water-resistant. Mod Podge is fine indoors or for light use. For rain, an adult applies two coats of an outdoor-rated sealer in a ventilated space.

What’s the cheapest way to do this if I don’t want to buy new craft supplies?

Cardboard from cereal boxes or shipping packages, paper grocery bags, bottle caps, and clean food containers cover a surprising number of these projects. Combine cardstock scraps with crayons or markers you already own, and clear packing tape stands in for laminate. Only shrink plastic tags and polymer clay toppers need a specific purchased material. Everything else can be built almost entirely from what’s already in the house.

My child gets frustrated easily with crafts — how do I set this up for success?

Start with the fastest, most forgiving project on the list (laminated photo tags or duct tape monster toppers), not the most ambitious one. Prep any steps that involve heat, sharp scissors, or hot glue yourself. Let your child handle the decorating and design choices, which is usually the part they care about most. Keep the session under 20-30 minutes for younger or easily frustrated kids, and save a second project for another day.

How far in advance of school starting should we do this?

About two weeks out hits the sweet spot. Everything has time to dry, cure, or set, and the excitement still carries into the first day. Baked projects (shrink plastic, polymer clay) and anything with multiple coats of sealant benefit most from the buffer. Starting mid-year or replacing a lost tag? Any free weekend works.

Can these crafts double as gifts for classmates or a first-week icebreaker?

Yes. Pencil toppers work especially well, since a child can make a few extras for new classmates or a desk neighbor. Keep the design simple so making four or five doesn’t take all day. Duct tape monsters with drawn-on eyes have no glued-on parts, so they’re the simplest to hand out once the tape is pressed down firmly. Pom-pom pals suit ages 5 and up.

What if my kid loses interest halfway through a project?

Completely normal, especially with multi-step projects like polymer clay toppers that involve a bake-and-cool wait. Break the project into two short sessions: sculpt one day, glue onto the pencil the next. Let attention span, not the project list, set the pace. If your kid is only up for ten minutes, pick the fastest project.

Pick one project from this list and clear a corner of the table. The first day will go a little smoother because of it.