WildcatsCreate

WildcatsCreate Hi, I'm Dawn Lynn, mom of 5, art educator & heart behind Wildcats Create! Join me in our colorful space where creativity thrives & ideas come to life!

My curriculum is guided by Studio Habits of Mind fostering personalized learning & student agency. 🌈 25+ Years in Education | 📍 St. Louis
🎨 FREE Teacher Resources
11 Years StL TAB Regional Leader
🎯 Love to help and inspire others in the studio!

There’s something about the beginning of a new school year that feels full of possibility. ✨This year, I’m looking forwa...
08/26/2026

There’s something about the beginning of a new school year that feels full of possibility. ✨

This year, I’m looking forward to growing creative kids, trying new things in the studio, building relationships with my artists, creating and sharing new resources, and soaking up this season of life with my own family. 🌈

I’m also excited to see where the work leads—new collaborations, publications, partnerships, and opportunities to connect, contribute, and advocate for creativity beyond the studio walls.

Not chasing a checklist of accomplishments… just staying open to the opportunities that come from doing meaningful work, sharing it, and continuing to grow. 💛

Here’s to a year of creating, connecting, learning, and saying yes to the right things.

What are you looking forward to this year? ✨

08/22/2026

Sometimes the things that mean the most are the little notes that say, “Made this for you!” 🥹💛

Inspired by Artsy Blevs, I wanted to create a special spot in our new principal’s office to collect all of those little pieces of positivity that come her way throughout the year.

Using beautiful colored paper, I created simple frames, laminated them for durability, and attached them to the wall with pushpins. 🌈

Now student artwork, kind notes, thank-yous, celebrations, and little reminders of the GOOD can be tucked into the frames—and because everything is movable, the gallery can grow and change right along with the school year.

Because the things that make us smile deserve a place of honor. 💕✨

Here’s to filling this wall ALL the way up.

Free download: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Gratitude-Gallery-Frames-17457445

08/21/2026

Unpopular teacher opinion… I’m actually excited to go back to school. 🫣💛

Yes, summer is wonderful. Yes, I love the slower mornings. But I genuinely miss the children.

I miss the routines.
I miss the energy of the studio.
I miss hearing, “Can I show you something?” approximately 847 times a day. 😂
I miss watching an idea turn into a plan, and a plan turn into something a child is proud of.

After all these years, there is still something so exciting about a brand-new school year—a fresh studio, new possibilities, and another group of little humans ready to create.

So while being excited to go back might be the unpopular opinion…

I’m ready. 💛🎨

Anyone else secretly excited too? 👀

By the way, I’m in love with the Walgreens banner hack! Here's the link to my free download... https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Its-a-Good-Day-to-Make-Art-Banner-17447797

This banner was designed using canva which is an online graphic design program. You’ll find the backgrounds, elements and tools within the program and you can manipulate the colors to your aesthetic. Creativity is about having ideas, making choices, experimenting with tools, and creating something that serves a purpose.

08/16/2026

I love a good gallery wall. 🖼️✨

I have them throughout my home and school because there’s something about putting a frame around something that says:

Hey—this is worth an extra look.

So, of course, one of the first things I wanted to create for my husband’s new classroom was a gallery wall for his students. 💚

A collection of thrifted frames + spray paint + cardboard + fabric + Command strips + push-pin clothespins turned into a completely NO-HOLES-IN-THE-WALL display that can change all year long.

But right now?

The frames are empty—and I kind of love that.

Because soon they’ll be filled with drawings, writing, projects, ideas and all the things his students are proud to share.

Classroom displays don’t just decorate our spaces. They communicate what we value.

And I can’t think of anything more deserving of the spotlight than the work of the children who fill the room. ❤️

Now we just need the artists, writers, thinkers and creators to arrive!

08/15/2026

🎨 What happens when you give children blank canvases, lots of paint, and permission to explore?

Something pretty incredible. 💛

Our amazing maintenance team built these custom wooden canvases, and then I turned them over to our young artists to investigate COLOR.

They painted. Scraped. Mixed. Tinted. Layered. Added texture. Changed their minds. Tried again.

There was no “right” finished product to copy. The goal was to make a choice, see what happened, and respond to it.

That’s the creative process. ✨

Afterward, we installed a small collection in our new principal’s office to see what would happen when all of these individual experiments came together as one piece.

And when she saw it… happy tears. 🥹💛

What started as an exploration of color and materials became something that brought joy to our school—and gave our children the opportunity to see that their creative choices can transform a space.

And this is only the beginning… I have plans for the rest of these canvases. 👀🎨

08/14/2026

The easiest (and cutest!) way to add a pop-up color to a new classroom! 🎨🦕

We are helping my husband get his brand new classroom set up, and we needed a simple project that our kids could get in on. We decided to make these DIY prize jars, and I am absolutely obsessed with how this joyful little group of animals turned out!

It was so incredibly easy, and it adds the exact right amount of color to his countertops.

✂️ how we made them:

Step 1: choose a variety of hard plastic animals or dollar store toys.

Step 2: hot glue the feet of the animals directly to the top of your jar. Let Dry completely.

Step 3: take them outside for spray painting! (mom handled this part). We used a few different bright colors for variety.

Step 4: let them dry, screw them onto the jars, and fill them with classroom prizes!

🖍️ Supplies needed:
* Glass are plastic jars with flat lids
* small plastic toy animals
* hot glue gun, and glue sticks
* spray paint in fun, vibrant colors
* classroom prizes(stickers, erasers, candy, etc.)

What is your favorite way to add color to a space? Tell me in the comments!👇



Address

123
St. Louis, MO
63017

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when WildcatsCreate posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to WildcatsCreate:

Shortcuts

Share

Category