Various Teacher Gifts

Yesterday was the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week for my oldest son, Ryan.  I wanted the final gift to be a bit more.

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Monogrammed bag

I think everyone needs a personalized bag.  Teachers can't have enough bags for all the things they are working on.  For those of you who have been around awhile, you might remember the tutorial I did for these monogrammed totes, last year.

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Personalized Hand Sanitizer

A couple of weeks ago Shannon had a bunch of people over for a craft night.  It was a ton of fun to work on some teacher appreciation crafts with a group of ladies.  I think I might start that in the fall after my  move to Ohio.

One of the items that we made was a personalized hand sanitizer.  I've had this on my list to make for a long time, but just never got around to do it.  Thanks to Shannon, I got it made.

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Teacher Cup and Candy

Yesterday's Teacher Appreciation gift is nothing that is overly special in the craft department, but a pleaser I hope.

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Yellow Roses - Teacher gift

Last week was beyond CRAZY!  We had the boys birthday/goodbye party on Saturday and I took on WAY too much in the preparations.  Will I ever learn?  (Not likely!)  I can't wait to share the party with you, but it will have to wait till next week.

This week is Teacher Appreciation.  Each day I will showcase what my son is taking to spoil his teacher. You can never spoil a teacher enough!  They do so much that goes unnoticed.  Take the time to give back and show some much needed appreciation!

I have lots of cute items to give Ryan's kindergarten teacher.  The room mother had a daily list of things to give the teacher.  I am trying to follow the list with some additional crafty gifts!

The first day was the teacher's favorite flower; a yellow rose.  Well, I knew she would probably get a few bouquets worth and that they would eventually die off.  I wanted to give her something that would last and that she could use as a decoration.

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Owl Tissue Box Cover

A friend of mine asked me to make an owl tissue box cover as a teacher gift for her.  I have never made a tissue box cover, but thankfully, I found a free pattern.  I wanted to model it off the owl purse that I make.

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St. Patrick's Day Gifts for Around $1-A Tutorial

This is the St. Patrick's Day gift I'm giving and it costs about $1 to make!

I love to give special people, special gifts, on special days.  With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, I've been looking around for great ideas.  I saw a couple I really liked:

http://www.ishareprintables.com/po-o-gold

http://thecraftingchicks.com/2011/02/little-gifts-for-st-patricks-day-free-downloads.html

The crafting chicks said they got their cute little buckets at the Dollar Tree.  So, off I went!  Well, our Dollar Tree didn't have those adorable little buckets. They did have these adorable terra cotta pots.  They were 3 for $1.  Score!

I painted the pots with black, enamel, acrylic, indoor/outdoor paint.

I painted them on the outside, top half first.

I painted the inside.

The paint dries quickly so in about 30 minutes, I was able to paint the rest of the outside of the pots.

I bought Twizzlers, rainbow colored twists.  I lined them up in a rainbow pattern and wrapped them in Saran Wrap.

I put the rainbow in the pot.

I found this bag of Easter grass at the dollar store too. 

I stuffed it in the pot.

I added as many Rolos as I could safely jam in there.

I put a the pot in a cellophane bag and tied it with a green ribbon.

I printed the free printable, from

http://www.ishareprintables.com/po-o-gold  and cut it out with Fiskars, majestic edged scissors.  I punched a hole in the top, threaded the ribbon through, and made a bow.  I LOVE it.

Cost breakdown:

12 pots-$4 (33 cents a pot)

black paint-$2 (I used less than half a thing so 7 cents a pot)

Easter grass-$1 (there was more than enough for 12 pots) (8 cents a pot)

Twizzlers-$1.50/bag x 3 bags (each bag makes 5 rainbows) (30 cents a pot)

Rolos-$3/bag (1 bag made 12 gifts) (25 cents a pot)

Cellophane bags-$2 for 50 bags (5 cents a pot)

Ribbon-$2 a spool (18 cents a pot)

That's about $1.26 a pot.  That's less than a greeting card and this is so much tastier!

I hope you're inspired!

Don't forget to enter our latest giveaway.  The Vintage Pearl is giving a lucky follower a $50 gift card to their store!  Click here for more information. http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2011/03/great-things-vintage-pearl-great.html

Holiday Teacher Gifts

I was hoping to share with you the teacher gifts I gave to Ryan's teacher before today, but my to do list this week was a bit overwhelming.  I decided to do a mostly handmade Christmas.  That wouldn't have been so daunting if I didn't have to finish them by December 17 and also do a bunch of crochet orders.  I have been working myself like a dog.  Thankfully, I plan to take a break close to Christmas and afterwards.  It will be much needed.

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Christmas Gifts

Here's a post I did from last year. I thought you may be able to use some of the gift ideas.  Speaking of gift ideas, I'd better get busy creating.  Christmas is less than two weeks away.  YIKES!!!!

'Tis the season to be busy.  Busy, I have been!  I have played nurse, baked, blogged, shopped, crafted, cooked, cleaned, decorated, wrapped, and played hostess for the past month!  My oldest daughter had her tonsils, adenoids, and a lymph node removed on December 9th.  She did wonderfully!  She's a tough one!  Anyway, that's where the nurse role came on.  The rest, just goes with Christmas.

Jill and I started this blog during the busiest time of the year!  This year was certainly no exception with the two weddings I went to, out of state, at the end of November. Then, the giveaways.  They sounded like a great idea at the time, and we had fun doing them, but wow... that was just another addition to our overflowing plates. No worries.  We've already begun thinking about our giveaways for next Christmas.  Woah... I guess I should let you in on a little secret.  The giveaways will continue throughout the year... just not on a daily basis.  We'll do our best though.  Giveaways are great fun.  I won four puzzles for my girls, on a blog, this Christmas!

Anyway, I wanted to share some of the Christmas gifts, I managed to make this year.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of them all.  Have I mentioned my sleep deprivation?  I am not at my sharpest without sleep. Hopefully, I'll get those folks to send me pics and post them later.

Some of my gifts were copy crafting!

I made a pair of these for my mom and myself.  Notice I made my snowman one block taller.  I liked him better this way!
 http://undermypolkadotumbrella.blogspot.com/2010/11/2x4-snowman.html

Copy crafting at it's best http://undermypolkadotumbrella.blogspot.com/2010/11/photobucket.html

For teacher's gifts I attached clothespins on the back for their gift cards.  Such a cute presentation!

I made 10 of these for friends. You would have thought I would have taken some pictures of the unwrapped gift!

Here's the first one I made for our family.
It's a HowDoesShe craft. http://www.howdoesshe.com/2x4-to-birthday-boardtutorial

Then there's the wreath I copied from Jill.  I added some bells and a ribbon and voila I have the perfect UK wreath for my brother in law, Jim: a huge UK fan. http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/12/sparkle-wreath-tutorial.html

Then, there are the coasters.  I made a set for my daughter's teachers, a set for my mom, and a set for my mother in law.  She's retired Navy so I made hers with great Navy scrapbook paper.  I just forgot to take a picture of them!  Grrr... Here's a tutorial Jill did on the coasters.  http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/12/gift-idea-inexpensive-coasters-tutorial.html

And then folks, I got creative on my own....

For my daughter's teachers' gifts I put a few handmade items together to come up with:

A tshirt, four kinds of homemade treats, and coasters, all in a decorated, reusable, plastic bin.

Stay tuned for a tutorial on these easy shirts.

We'll do an embellishing with vinyl tutorial soon!

Seven layer bars and Brickle cookies http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/12/cookie-swap-recipes-part-1.html and http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/12/cookie-swap-recipes-part-2.html

White candy bark and peppermint bark (recipes coming soon).

Then there were photo boards:

These things are so versatile and amazing.  Remember the "We Believe" one I did? http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/12/making-photo-board-tutorial.html

I made some changes and a variety of gifts!

Another present for my UK loving brother in law.  Skeeter is his dog.

The glare so takes away from the cuteness of this.  My father in law is retired Navy so I thought this would be a great place for him to put Navy memorabilia.

This one is for my Daddy.

This is for my brother.  My girls will tell you, he is the best Uncle Ever!  They're right!

Here's another "We Believe" for my friend, Amy.



Remember the "Grateful" subway art?

http://www.oursevendwarfs.com/2010/11/making-subway-art-tutorial-2.html

I made this for my sweet, sweet, Aunt Esther.

Then there's this calendar creation I came up with. (I'll do a tutorial soon...)

For my Mother-In-Law.  Notice the Navy paper on the date blocks?  She's retired Navy, so fitting.  Then, to keep with the patriotic theme, I did white and red stripes.  It looks "flag-y" to me.

My brother's.  I used the same paper on his numbers that I did on his "We Love Uncle Darren" board. Matchy Matchy!  I also did themed paper for each month. 

My Dad's is sideways.  I still haven't learned how to flip pictures, sorry.

This was a gift to my daughters, from my friend, Lesli.  She got the idea from HowDoesShe.  So cute!http://www.howdoesshe.com/bucket-o%E2%80%99-chalk

Here's the inside of the bucket!

This is the burlap pillow Lesli made me.  I LOVE the font she chose.  Too cute!

As you can see, it's been a busy time for all of us crafty gals.  There's still pictures of my handmade gifts, I didn't post, because I forgot to take them.   Still, I hope you're inspired to get your crafts on!

Decorated Clipboard Tutorial

If you saw the Monogrammed Totes I made for Ryan's teachers, then you got a sneak peak at the clipboards that I made for them as well.  Here are the clipboards:

These are super simple to create and personalized for anyone.

Supplies needed:

• A wooden clipboard (under a dollar at Walmart or a dollar at the Dollar Tree).
• Various scrapbook papers
• Scissors or a paper cutter
• Small amount of paint to match scrapbook papers (for edge of clipboard)
• Foam brush
• Mod Podge (matte or gloss, your preference)

1.  Pick out the papers that you would like to decorate your clipboard with.  I used three different ones.

2.  Measure the clipboard and cut your papers to fit how you would like them to appear on the clipboard.

3.  Paint the edges of the clipboard in a matching paint color.  Allow to dry fully before moving on.

4.  Apply Mod Podge to the clipboard.  Take your paper that goes closest to the clip and apply it to the board.  Scrape it down to get rid of any bubbles.  Apply remaining pieces to the board and allow to dry.

 5.  Apply vinyl name to front if you choose to.
6.  Finish the clipboard with a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the papers and vinyl.  Allow to completely dry.
7.  Repeat this process for the back as well.

Here are the two boards that I made for Ryan's teachers.  Learn from my mistake and allow the papers to dry before applying the top coat of Mod Podge.  That is why I had a few bubbles show up.

There are so many nice personalized gifts you can make with clipboards.  You could make your to-do lists look exceptionally pretty, or your weekly house schedule, shopping list or menu plan.

Happy Crafting!

Monogrammed Tote

I have an inexpensive gift idea for you that will make a big impression.  Last year I made these totes as gifts for some friends.  This year, I wanted to make them for Ryan's teachers as an end of the year gift.  If you haven't noticed, I think Ryan's teachers are two very special loving ladies who took great care of my little man this year.

I'll give you the full tutorial, but first I wanted to show you the finished product with the gift I put inside. (I'll give you the clipboard tutorial another day).

Here is what you will need:

• A tote bag (you can get these in a three pack at most craft stores)
• Decorative ribbon for top of tote
• Apple Barrel paint (cheapest at Walmart)- in black for small letters and matching color of ribbon
• Textile Medium (to make it washable)
• Foam paint brushes
• Freezer paper (found in the plastic wrap/foil aisle of any grocery store)
• Exacto knife
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Iron
• Pencil to trace letters
• Printed letters in your choice of font (I used Annabel Script 400pt for Large letter and 200pt for small letter)
• sewing machine or needle and thread

I am going to give you the tutorial for all those of you who don't have a Silhouette, but you can easily cut your letters on freezer paper using the Silhouette as well.  Shannon has done this many times and suggests selecting "Vellum" speed 3, thickness 25.  Make sure to use a mat that has plenty of stickiness left to it.  Rub the freezer paper down well to avoid any bubbles, which could cause the paper to tear.

If you don't have a Silhouette, here is the tutorial for you!

1.  Print off your letters or any design that you want to use.  Cut a piece of freezer paper larger than the  size of your letters.  With the waxy side down, trace your letters or design.  A typical monogram is your three initials.  The first initial goes to the left, your second initial goes to the right and your last initial is the large one in the middle.

 2.  Here are all my letters ready to be cut out.  If you make the freezer paper too small don't worry, you can add more freezer paper to the shirt so that you don't get paint where it shouldn't go.

3.  Now take your exacto knife and cut out your letter.  Make sure to keep any pieces that make up the letter (see my D and L as examples-they have little portions that will need to go back in).

4.  Measure the rim of your tote bag with your ribbon and add about 3 inches to overlap the ribbon when you sew it on.

5. Heat up your iron to the highest or cotton setting.  Turn off any steam settings. Iron your tote bag.  Then cut out a large piece of freezer paper that will fit the inside of your tote bag. You want this piece to cover the entire inside so that you don't have paint bleed through.  Place the freezer paper waxy side up and iron your tote again.  This will help the freezer paper to adhere to the inside.

6.  Take your ribbon and put it at the top of your tote.  You are using to help gauge where to put your letters or design.  Center the freezer paper of your large letter in the middle of the tote bag.  Iron it down making sure it is flat and without any bubbles.  Then center the freezer paper with your smaller letters to the left and right, iron down too.

7.  If you use fabric paint, then you can go ahead and paint away.  If you are using acrylic paint, you need to add textile medium according to the directions on the bottle and mix it.  This makes the acrylic paint safe to machine wash.  You can get many more uses of your acrylic paint by doing this as it is much less expensive than fabric paint.

8.  Using a foam brush for each color, paint your letters.  Make sure not to use too much paint as it might cause the freezer paper to bubble and paint to bleed underneath.  I painted the large letter to match my coordinating ribbon and the small letters in black.  I did two light coats on each letter.  You can use a hair dryer to speed up the process if you get impatient.  Just make sure that the first coat is completely dry before painting the second coat.

 9.  Peel off the freezer paper.  If you have any difficulty, use your exacto knife to get under the freezer paper.

10.  Using your sewing machine or just needle and thread, sew your ribbon to the top of the tote.  I put my seam in the back and tucked the ribbon underneath for a clean look.

Ta Da!  Finished tote bags that are personalized and special for the recipient.   Ryan's teachers loved these and the clipboard that I included inside (the tutorial is coming soon).

Freezer paper stencils are fantastic and let you make inexpensive personalized gifts.  If you have any questions, please let me know!