Hi friends, It's hard to believe in the midst of this heatwave we're having in Toronto, but summer is rapidly drawing to a close. With back-to-school just two weeks away, I thought I'd gather up a few crafts from the Canadian Living web archives to help keep the kids busy and get them ready to head back to the classroom.

• This summer memory book will come in handy for the inevitable "What I Did This Summer" assignment – and will be a keepsake for years to come.
• This quick-to-sew lunch bag will keep those sandwiches and apples from rolling around the bottom of your child's backpack.
• It's easier to stay organized if you start early. This bulletin board will help with that! (And if your child doesn't seem too enthused about the flowery push-pins, why not sub in colourful vintage buttons, or maybe plastic creepy-crawlies?)
• Speaking of staying organized, why not create a personalized date book?
• These instructions for a basic popsicle-stick photo frame are just the beginning: why not use the foam letters to spell out your child's name and grade? And they aren't just for school photos...imagine a print from your time at the cottage surrounded by twigs you collected while there, or a picture of the family at the beach in a frame decorated by beach pebbles.

Do you have any special projects you'll be working on with your kids as the summer draws to a close? I'd love to hear about them in the comments. Have a good day!