Computer crafts to make and give.

Bring on a burst of letter writing in your classroom with the step-by-step projects here. Students design stationery, address labels, and seals to make writing materials they'll enjoy using themselves and giving as gifts.

STATIONERY WITH STYLE

With a few clicks, your students can make personalized stationery that reflects their own creative style/The directions that follow are for Print Shop. Depending on the version you have, you may need to make minor adjustments. You could also use a similar program again, making adjustments as necessary.

1 Open Print Shop and click on OK after each selection. Select Sign and Tall.

2 Choose a backdrop (these are decorative frames and whole-page pictures) and select No Layout. Check the box to lighten the backdrop if desired.

3 Select Object, Add, and Text from the menu bar. Click and drag to move the text box to the top center of your page (or wherever you would like to position name and address).

4 Double click on the text box to open Edit Text. Type the name, address, and any other information that will appear on the stationery.

5 Highlight the text. In the Edit Text window, justify the text to center horizontally and vertically. While highlighted, choose a font, size, and color. Click OK when finished. (If you change your mind later, you can always return to the Edit Text window by double clicking on the text box.)

6 Select File and Print from the menu bar. Print a test copy before printing additional copies.

Ink-Saving Stationery

If you want stationery that will print with less ink, choose Blank Page instead of Backdrop (see step 2). Select Object, Add, and square Graphic from the menu bar. Double click on the graphics box to select clip art.

EASY ADDRESS LABELS

1 Open Print Shop. Select Labels and the stock number that corresponds with the labels you purchased. Select No Layout.

2 Select Object, Add, and square Graphic from the menu bar.

3 Double click on the graphics box to select a design. Use the drop-down menu for more options.

4 Move your picture to the far left by clicking and dragging. Resize to fill the left-hand side of the label, staying within the dotted lines.

5 Select Object, Add, and Text from the menu bar. Click and drag to move the text box to the right of the graphic. Resize the text box to fill the remaining space, being careful not to overlap with text or dotted lines. Double click on the text box to open Edit Text. Type the name and address.

6 Highlight your text by clicking and dragging across it. In the Edit Text window, justify your text to center horizontally and vertically. While highlighted, choose a font, size, and color. Click OK. (You can always return to the Edit Text window by double clicking on your text box.)

7 Select File and Print from the menu bar to print. Print a test sheet before printing on actual labels. Be sure your labels are positioned in the printer tray to print on the correct side.

STICK ON A SEAL

Special letters call for snazzy seals on the envelope. With Avery's new Kids Printertainment software, your students can make them!

1 Open Kids Printertainment and click on Make a New Sticker. Select the seal you want to make (rectangle, square, round) and match the Avery product number to the labels you purchased.

2 Your screen will be divided into four frames. Skip the premade stickers in frame one and go directly to frame two to create your own. There are hundreds of seal designs to choose from here. Scroll through the options or use the A-Z bar to quickly change categories. To select a design, click on it once and it will appear in the active work space. Click and drag to move, or resize using the handles. Experiment to find a complement of picture stamps and background colors.

3 To add a word or phrase to your seal, click on the text button. Select font, size, alignment, and so on. Click outside the work space once, and again on the text box frame to access handles for resizing. Click on the center of your text box and drag to the desired location.

4 Once you have created a seal you like, move the cursor to the seal page in frame three. Click once to place it. You may create a whole page of the same seal or design lots of different ones.

5 When you're ready to print, click on the 'button in frame four. Print a test page first before printing on adhesive-backed paper.

PROJECT MATERIALS

* assorted printer paper

* labels (address-label size and stickers for seals)

* Print Shop, Broderbund, Mac/Win, 39.95; [phone]. www.broderbund.com

* Avery Kids Printertainment, Avery Dennison, Win, $24.99; [phone]. www.avery.com/kids/home (Download a free trial!)

Odette Nunes-Turcotte is a special-education teacher at Paul R. Baird Middle School in Ludlow, Massachusetts.