Graduation Photo Frame and Tassel Holder

Materials:
*8 1/2" x 11" photo frame with a thin cardboard backing
*2 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" paper in different colors (perhaps in school colors)
*Gold metallic marker
*1 brad
*Graduation themed stickers/cutouts (optional)
*Scissors
*Pencil
*Ruler
*X-acto knife
*Mounting squares or other adhesive

Directions:
*Attach darker colored sheet of paper to the photo frame backing
*Using a ruler and pencil, mark out a 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" section of the lighter colored sheet of paper and cut it out.  Mark out a second section of the paper that measures 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" and cut it out
*Trace a gold border around each light colored rectangle
*Arrange and adhere the light colored rectangles on the lefthand side of the darker colored paper
*Using the X-acto knife, create a small incision in the top of the photo backing on the left side
*Slide a brad through the incision
*Add graduation related embellishments
*You can hang a tassel from the brad and the light colored rectangles provide spaces for a 4" x 6" and a 3" x 4" rectangle

Update: Here's what mine looks like with pictures:

Seahorse Spiral Earrings

Materials:
*2 ear wires
*2 seahorse charms
*Small beads in shades of blue and green
*4 head pins
*Round nosed pliers
*Flat nosed pliers
*Wire cutters

Directions:
*Cut off the "heads" of two head pins
*Using the round nosed pliers, curl the bottom of the two head pins to form a loop and slide seahorse charms on.  Close the loop using flat nosed pliers
*Bead the rest of the head pins using beads in various shades of green and blue
*Curl the tops of the head pins and clamp onto the ear wires
*Cut off the heads of the other two head pins
*Wrap around the round nosed pliers to form a spiral
*Curl the tops of the head pins and attach to the ear wires

Digital Notebook Page Collage

Do you have old notebooks lying around?  Turn a page of notes into a work of art.

Materials:
*Notebook page
*Scanner
*Computer
*Paint (or similar program)
*Photos, clip art, and/or a favorite quote (optional)

Directions:
*Select a notebook page that you would like to use as the basis of your collage
*Choose a theme based on your notebook page.  I selected a page from my real analysis notebook, so it made sense for me to design a page relating ot mathematics
*Scan the notebook into the computer
*Open the notebook page in Paint (or drawing program of your choice)
*Open a new paint document and draw illustrations for your note page or import images from other programs or files into the Paint document.  I drew the stick figures in Paint and made the mathematical shapes in Mathematica, then copied them and pasted them into paint
*Select the graphics and position them on top of your note page in a manner that you find aesthetically pleasing
*When saving files made in Paint, I generally save them as bitmaps rather than jpegs because the bitmaps end up looking better, at least for me

Beaded Bookmark

Materials:
*Metal bookmark
*Jump ring
*2 head pins
*Assorted beads
*Wire cutters
*Round nosed pliers
*Flat nosed pliers

Directions:
*Attach jump ring to the hole in the top of the metal bookmark
*Cut the "head" off one of the headpins
*Using the round nosed pliers, create a loop at one of the ends of the head pin
*Bead the head pin
*Curl to form a loop at the other end of the head pin, then attach to the jump ring, using the flat nosed pliers to clamp the loop closed
*Bead the second head pin
*Create a loop at the top of the head pin, then attach to the loop at the bottom of the other head pin