5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips - Alignments

Welcome to my 5-part series of  "5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips". This series shows you some awesome tricks and tips for building your PowerPoint presentations. Posts go up every Wednesday. 

Today, I'll show you all about alignments.

What do I mean by alignments? In terms of PowerPoint, it's where objects, pictures, and text boxes are located on a slides. It can be on the left or right side, the bottom or top, or in the center. If you like to have all your objects perfectly aligned, this is the tool for you. Making sure everything is straight can be nerve-wrecking, but with a few clicks, everything will be as you like it.

To align objects, first select the objects you wish to align. Next, click on "Format" and choose how you wish to align your objects. There are many options to choose from.

There are several options to choose from. You can align objects to the:

• left, center, right
• top, middle, bottom

You can also distribute objects so that they are evenly spaced out horizontally and vertically. Simply click on all the object you wish to space out evenly and distribute horizontally or vertically.

Another way to help with alignment is to use guidelines on the slide.

Guidelines can be used to help place clip art and pictures onto a slide. The guidelines will appear on all the slides, but won't appear when you print out the slides or play the PowerPoint in slideshow mode.

To turn on the guidelines, click on "View" and check the box labeled "Guidelines". There's also options for a ruler (similar to the ruler in Microsoft Word) or a guide (1 vertical and 1 horizontal line).

I hope these tips come in handy! They're a big help when you create product covers, worksheets, games, and other teaching materials. Please share & comment if this was helpful Don't forget to check out Part 1: Selection Pane and Part 2: Using Sections.

5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips - Using Sections

Welcome to my 5-part series of  "5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips". This series shows you some awesome tricks and tips for building your PowerPoint presentations. Posts go up every Wednesday. You can also check out the replay on Katch.me or at the bottom of the post.

Today, I'll show you all about using sections.

Just what is sectoins? Using sections in PowerPoint can be very useful, for both your classroom and your teacherspayteachers store. A PowerPoint can be divided into sections, allowing for easy access to certain slides, especially when there are multiple slides.

To create a section, simply right click on the slide panel and click "Add Section" at the bottom of the list.

You can create as many sections as you like. You can also rename sections too. This helps when creating flyers for different social media platform or for creating different product covers for a set. 

Simply right click on a section. Select "Rename Section" and rename the section. Simple!

Here's a great example. I make covers of all my game sets. Instead of having multiple ppts with different covers, I can simply file them all in one single PowerPoint.

You can easily collapse all the sections for a quick search and expand them when needed. You move sections up or down, or just drag-and-drop sections where needed. This makes it easy when you have to move 10+ slides. Right click on any open section and choose your options.

I hope these tips come in handy! They're a big space saver when you have so many different projects to do on PowerPoint and you want them all in one PowerPoint. Please share and comment if this was helpful! Don't forget to check out Part 1: Selection Pane.

5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips - Selection Pane

Welcome to my 5-part series of  "5 Fantastic Tricks & Tips". This series shows you some awesome tricks and tips for building your powerpoint presentations. Posts go up every Wednesday. You can also check out the replay on Katch.me or at the bottom of the post.

Today, I'll show you a very under utilized tool know as the selection pane.

Just what is the selection pane? The selection pane displays all the objects on the current slide. Every object has a name, whether it's a text box, shape, or photo. 

The Selection Pane is not immediately displayed in powerpoint. To display the selection panel:

• select any object on the slide
• The "Drawing Tools" panel should appear at the top. Click on "Format".
•  Click on "Selection Pane.

Just what does the selection pane do? Aside from displaying the objects on a slide, it can help you manage your layers (who's in front and who's behind) and identifies/hides objects.

Did you know? You can name your objects? That's right. Just double click on a shape in the selection pane and you can name your objects. This comes in handy when you have several objects on a page.

This helps when you make PPT Games! When you making buttons to move to the next slide, you can actually name them "Next" or "Previous" rather than "Picture 1" or "Picture 2". This helps your you know when you use "triggers" in animations.

To name an object, open the selection pane, double click on an object on the pane and type your desired name.

One feature of the selection pane is to show or hide objects. This is useful when changing a powerpoint game to task cards. You can do so by clicking the "eye". An open eye means the object is visible. A closed eye means it's still there, but it is not visible. Perfect for hiding answers on games and printing them as task cards.

I hope these tips come in handy! They're a big help when you create product covers, worksheets, games, and other teaching materials. Please share and comment if this was helpful!

Change your File Folder icon!

This post will save Clip Art addicts! If you're like me and have tons and tons and tons of clip art, it's always hard to find where it is. This post will save your insanity and make you buy more clip art.

One day while working  on some games, I was trying to find some clip art I knew I had somewhere. I kept thinking "I know I have that clip art, but I don't know where it is". Luckily, I knew who made it and browsed through that folder, but I kept thinking to myself "There has to be a better way to see what's in each folder without actually clicking on this plain folder". I decided to get online and find an icon maker somewhere. Alas, I found a website ICO Convert and my mind was blown!

This website allows you to take ANY image and turn it into a computer icon.

Simply upload your image.

Crop it. This is optional. If the clip artist included the cover page, you can just use that.

Design it (if you want).

Convert it! I just kept mine all the same size.

Download the icon to your PC and add it to the clip art folder.

Find the folder you wish to change the icon for. In this case, Krista Wallden's Las Vegas Clip Art.  Right click and choose "Properties".

When the menu pops up, click "Customize" tab. At the bottom, click "Change Icon".

Another menu will pop up. Choose "Browse" and find your icon. Click "Open" and then "OK" twice.

You're done. Sometimes it will not change immediately. Simply "Refresh" or on in and out of the folder to see the change.

No trials, no fees, no limits! Making icons has never been simpler. I wish I had found this when I started downloading clip art, but now can make my over icons!

You can use any image. I'm OCD so everything must be perfect. You can make your own icons. I made my icon using Powerpoint. I changed the paper size to 6.1 so that won't have to worry about size. Squares are best suited for icons.

You can click here you get the square powerpoint I use to make icons. Simply make your icons then save them as PNGs.

A few things I did notice:

1.) If you move the folder, the icon will change back to a folder. But since you made the icon, you can simply change it back.

2.) Also, renaming the folder will change the icon back to the folder. Be sure you name the folder what you want before changing it.
3.) The icon will only show up on the computer you change it on. If you use flash drives, it will only show up on the computer you changed it on.

Working with Paper Puzzle Pieces

When your working with puzzles, it's always great to have a little guidance. Whether you've been teaching for 1 year or 10 years, it's always great to have some extra help. Here are some tips and tricks for working with paper puzzle pieces.

Tip #1 - Gather your materials!

Let's face it. There are not a lot of puzzles for subjects like the 3 Branches of Government or animal life cycles. Time to grab all the materials, clip art included, for the puzzle you'd like to make. Save some time by having the source materials with you for easy access.

Tip #2 - Find some puzzle pieces!

When you have your designs all figured out, it's time to decide what type of puzzle you want. Do you want the traditional puzzle or something different. Maybe a two piece puzzle or even a 3 or 4 piece. I have a few free puzzle templates in my TPT Store.

Tip #3 - Use strong paper!

If you decide to create your own, print them out on some durable paper. I bought a pack of 75 white cardstock sheets from Big Lots from $2.50. The stronger the paper, the longer they will last!

Tip #4 - Laminate them!

Just about every school has a laminating machine. Once you're done print and cutting them our, get them laminated. Laminating the cards will help them last much longer. If your school doesn't have a laminator, simply take them to Office Max, Staples, or a postal store (like Postal Annex) and have them laminated there, though it can get a little pricy.

 You could always buy your own lamination machine. They can run anywhere from $20 to $100, depending on the model and make. I bought mine from Wal-Mart for $45 (including the 20 thermal pouches). They do sell starter kits for $20 which includes 3 pouches.

Tip #5 - Store them!

Now your cards are ready for student use, but where to store them? I've seen teachers store them in soap bar boxes from the dollar tree. Others have them in plastic bags with rings. If you're on a budget, I'd go for the latter. You can buy plenty of zip-lock sandwich bags and label them accordingly.

Tip #6 - Buy them

If all else fails, buy them already made! Time is always a factor. If you need it by Friday and it's already Wednesday, you may have to buy them yourself. There are plenty of sellers on TPT with tons of puzzle pieces sets.

Tip #7 - Teach Kids to handle with care!

One of the most important tips is to teach your students to handle the puzzle pieces with care, especially if you made them. Whether you plan to use them 1 time or 100 times, students should know that these pieces need to be taken care of properly so that student next year can enjoy them too.

I hope you found these tips useful in your classroom. Don't forget to stop my TPT store for some printable puzzle pieces!

5 Helpful Tips for taking TPT End of the Month Inventory

How to do you stay organized in your TPT store?

How do you keep track of all your sales?

Do you really keep every receipt?

These are a few questions TPTers are asking, especially new sellers. Since the beginning of January, I've been keeping up with my sales and it's been great for me! I'd like to share some tips that help me keep track of my expenses.

Tip #1:
Buy an Expandable File Folder!

On a whim (and because it was on clearance), I bought this expandable file folder. There are 12 pockets (13 if you use the front pocket), one for each month of the year. It comes with the monthly tabs for you to insert or if you have OCD, like me, you can create your own. It also comes with letters of the alphabet and blank tabs to create your own label.

Every time I made a purchase, I would place the receipt in the appropriate month. This brings me to my next tip.

Tip #2:

Save every receipt!

Yes, save every receipt from every single purchase made for your store, no matter how little. I make trips to the Dollar Tree, sometimes just for some post-its. I save that receipt and when I get home, I place it on the folder.

Use highlighters to highlight purchases on receipts with multiple purchases or just make a separate purchase (just let the cashier know). 

If you have to make a purchase using PayPal, print the sale transaction from Paypal.com. Just make a note about what the purchase it so you'll know what it was for. Let's face it. You're not going to remember every purchase made a year from now.

If you have a PayPal account, get a PayPal business debit card. It's a MasterCard so it's used practically everywhere.

If you make a purchase on TPT, print it out and place it in the folder. It will come in handy in the future. Did I mention every purchase for your store is Tax-deductible?

Tip #3:

Invest in a printer, ink, and paper!

If you don't have a printer, get one! Printing receipts for online purchases as you make them can be critical. Even though you can pull it up online, if the power goes out or the IRS wants a physical proof of a purchase, you'll already have it. You won't have to find it and pray that you didn't delete a purchase from your purchase history.

If you need to buy ink or paper, don't hesitate to buy it! Since it's for your business, it's tax deductible. I bought a wireless printer on Black Friday for $27.

Tip #4:

Keep track of all the giveaways!

If you host a giveaway and include gift cards, save your gift card receipts. If you give away a Shopping Spree to your TPT store, keep a record of it. I write down the  name of the giveaway, the name(s) of the winners of the giveaway, the start/end date of the giveaway,  and what products they won or want (shopping spree/winner's choice). I keep this record in my TPT Planner until the end of the month.

If you donate to a giveaway hosted by another seller, keep a record of it. I collect the same information as before and I also include the name of the giveaway and the host. This is also recorded in my TPT Planner.

If you donate to Donorschoose or a GoFundme Project, print out a receipt. It may be tax deductible, especially if the donation is from your business. Be sure to check with your tax preparer. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Tip #5

Use Microsoft Excel!

This is the part I dislike the most. The last few days of the month, I check through all my expenses and type them ALL in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet. Yes, this can be a tiresome ordeal, but this will give you an online copy of all your purchases you've made and items you've donated throughout the month. You can set the spreadsheet to do all the calculations for you and you can include whatever information you choose. I print it out and place it in my file folder as a cover sheet for each month.

My cover sheet is divided into 3 sections:

• Monthly Expenses
• Giveaway Information
• Monthly Income

In the Monthly Expenses section, I include the name of the item or purchase, the date of purchase, and the price. All my TPT purchases are added and placed at the bottom.

In the Giveaway Information section, I include the date, the hosts (even if it was me), products, prices, and the winners. 

In the Monthly Income section, I include the number of items sold, the best selling product (and number sold), total sales, and total earnings.

I print it out. I collect all the receipts and paper clip them all together on the top and bottom. For those small in-store receipts, I place them in an envelope and label the envelope whichever month it is.

What does this do in the long run?

Keeping track of my inventory gives me a good reference point. I can check to see what items sold best during certain times of the year. I can decide if I need to cutback on expenses or if I can make more purchases (clip art addict and KG Font addict). It will be even more helpful when it comes Tax Season. I won't have to search my house for every little receipt. It will all be in the same place all neat and ready to go.

Other things to add to the folder:

• Taxes from the Previous year
• Idea list for next year
• Important emails & forms (like plane tickets and hotel reservations)
• End of the Year Statements
• Annual Purchase Statement from TPT
• Goals Check-List
• Anything Busniess or Tax Related

 
I hope you found this post to be useful. Here's a few freebies you can use for your file folder.

Giveaway Information Sheets
Inventory Check-List

Enjoy! Class dismissed!