Learn how to make a cut and paste activity to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. This video has all the details about how to create a TPT product: which program to use, how to set up your resource, and what you need to do to make sure your product is protected by copyright.
Click here to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more!
Creating a TPT product might sound overwhelming, but it’s easier than you think! Let’s break it down into simple steps that anyone can follow.
1. Choosing the Right Program I recommend using PowerPoint for creating your TPT product. It’s user-friendly and offers a lot of flexibility when designing your activity. PowerPoint’s grid system makes it easy to align elements and adjust sizing for a polished finish.
2. Set Up Your Resource Start by creating a table for your activity. If you’re working with younger students, you might want to simplify the design. For example, instead of using 8 different tables, you can opt for just 4, making it easier to duplicate and resize. Adjust the spacing to suit your needs, and remember, the cleaner the layout, the better!
3. Adding Answer Tables Once your tables for the activity are set up, you can add an answer table where students will cut out their responses. To make sure it’s clear, I recommend making the borders dashed. To achieve this, select the border options, click on “dashed,” and then apply it to all borders. This makes it easy for students to know which sections to cut.
4. Adding Your Questions Next, you’ll need to add the questions at the top of the table and the corresponding answers at the bottom. Be sure to keep everything aligned, so the resource looks neat and tidy.
5. Copyright Your Work Before you finish, don’t forget to add your copyright! Use a text box and type the copyright symbol (©), followed by your name. This step is important to protect your work from being copied.
To add the copyright symbol in PowerPoint, open a text box and type “(C)”—this will automatically turn into the copyright symbol. Don’t forget to add your name and the year to make it official.
What You Need to Know About Copyrights and Trademarks Now, let’s talk about the most important part—copyrights and trademarks. As a creator, it’s essential to understand what you can and cannot use in your resources.
- Trademarks: These apply to names of businesses, characters, and movie titles (e.g., Disney, Harry Potter). Avoid using any trademarked material in your resource. You can check trademarks through the U.S. Trademark database or simply avoid popular names altogether.
- Copyrighted Content: Anything you create is automatically copyrighted, but if you’re worried about legal issues, you can register your copyright. However, the process is rarely needed unless you’re dealing with serious infringement.
When creating your resource, avoid directly copying from textbooks or online sources. Make sure you’re creating original content, like coming up with your own questions, instead of taking them verbatim from other materials. However, using definitions from sources like dictionaries is fine.
Clip Art and Images For clip art, I recommend using resources like Teachers Pay Teachers or getting images that are free for commercial use. If you’re not a graphic designer, it’s worth investing in high-quality clip art that matches your product’s style. The consistency in your visuals will make your resources look professional and polished.
What You Can and Cannot Use When it comes to books, be careful. If you’re using published works in your resources, reach out to the publisher to check what is permissible. You can freely describe a character from a book, but using exact quotes or cover images might require permission.
Final Thoughts Creating a TPT product doesn’t have to be complicated! The key is to make your content original, use the right tools, and protect your work with copyright. Once your resource is complete, you’ll be ready to upload it to Teachers Pay Teachers and start sharing it with other educators.
I hope this guide helps you feel more confident about creating your own TPT resources. If you’re interested in more tips, check out my other training on creating self-checking activities and other digital products for Teachers Pay Teachers.
Remember, every mistake is a learning opportunity, and the more you create, the easier it will become.
Click here to watch my free training and make a teacher resource!
Click here to watch my free training and make a digital product!
