Back to school. Such a busy time of year. So much to do to get ready-fresh school supplies, fresh outfits, fresh lunch and breakfast ideas, and of course...the adorable First Day of School sign.

When my daughter was about to take her first momentous steps into Kindergarten, I decided to jump on the ubiquitous First Day of School bandwagon. However, to my dismay, I couldn’t find any sign ideas that did not cover up her special back to school outfit. And then one day, after much deliberation and brainstorming, it finally hit me… the perfect solution and my now all-time favorite Back to School #MomHack…drum roll, please….

Photo Booth-inspired Speech Bubble Signs!

This is one of my all-time favorite DIY creations-I’m really proud of them because they’re both super fun and super functional. My girls get soo excited each year when they see them. It lends a whole festive atmosphere to the, otherwise hectic, First Day of School morning.

So here’s how you make them.

(Scroll down to the end of this post for my How To Video!)

You'll Need:

• 12 X 12 sized cardstock/scrapbook paper -1 or 2 colors
• markers or chalkboard pen
• pencil and scissors
• masking tape and possibly glue stick
• photo-booth sticks (wooden dowels) or culinary skewers (available at the local grocery store)

How to Make the Sign:

Step 1: Take your 12 X 12 paper. (I wanted to make mine chalkboard style so I used black 12 X 12 chalkboard paper.)

Step 2: Take a pencil and draw out a speech bubble shape filling up the whole paper.

Step 3: Cut out the shape and carefully write out your message in pencil. (Example: First Day of Kindergarten).

Step 4: When you’re happy with the text, go over it with the marker or chalkboard pen.

Step 5: Turn over the speech bubble and tape the wooden dowel to the back. If it seems a bit flimsy, add another dowel diagonally across the back to reinforce it. (See my video for a demonstration).

But wait---There's More!

This year, I've created a printable if you'd like a pre-made speech bubble!

Download the Printable Here.

Steps to Create the Speech Bubble Back to School Sign-OPTION 2

1. Download the printable
2. Print out the appropriate year (ex: Kindergarten, first grade, etc) on card stock.
3. Cut out the speech bubble.
4. Attach the wooden dowel to the back with tape. If any of the edges flop, you can break a wooden dowel into a smaller piece and attach it across to give it more structure, but that shouldn’t since it’s a smaller piece of paper. (See my video above for a demonstration).

And that’s it!

Here's what it will look like when you're done.

Have a great school year!

And Here's my How To Video. Enjoy.

(If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you, please feel free to leave me a comment below.)