Class Windchimes {Teacher Gift}

Things really get busy with 2 kids in school, huh? I'm always amazed by how much we get done by noon now.

Anyway, Finn's teacher's birthday is coming up next month and my neighbor (who also has a boy in Finn's class--YES, it's all my housewife dreams come true!) suggested we make her a windchime.

We went out and bought some metal alphabet stampers. Who knew they're sold at Hobby Lobby and only $12 (even less with 40% coupon)? Then we got some metal washers and stamped each child in the class' name on them. We went back and forth about what to hang them on, but while shopping at Goodwill, we spotted a cute door hanger and that was settled. I upcycled it by cleaning it up a bit and Mod-Podging the teacher's name to the bottom.

I added the teacher's name to it and voila! I think it was just such a great idea and a really cool way to remember the class!



I'll be linking up here!

And I'm entering this into Sew Dang Cute Crafts' Upcycled Linky Contest. Go check it out!

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Because there was so much going on last week, my son's school is celebrating Teacher Appreciation a week late. But I still started early! Here are some ideas for celebrating your favorite teacher.

I'm the homeroom mom, so I started by asking all the other parents to chip in $5 apiece for a different gift card everyday. I forgot to take a picture of Mondays gift, but we got her a book store gift card, and each child make a tracing of their handprint and wrote why they were thankful for their teacher. It turned out really sweet! I gave her a binder to put all the pictures in.

On Tuesday, we're giving her a plant in a personalized pot (made with my Silhouette). Inside the card is another gift card to Home Depot:

Wednesday, the kids are supposed to give her a big "Good Morning!" and we're gifting her with a "Thanks A Latte" gift card to Starbucks:

Finally, on Thursday (it's only a 4-day week class), I made her a card full of apples that says "You're the best of the bunch!" One of the apples has a gift card to Mardel's attached. In addition, I'll be making apple cupcakes for the class:

 I certainly didn't want to leave the music teacher out, so I made a cute pencil holder full of candy:

I'll be linking up here!

Teacher Appreciation {Quilted Wall-Hanging}

Teacher Appreciation week is coming up in May (AND the end of school--it has flown by!), so I figured it was the perfect time to make something handmade for my son's teacher. I've really wanted to make a quilt for her before Finn even started school, but I decided to pace myself and my patience paid off!

I've had the idea for this floating around in my head for awhile. I knew I wanted something with this sort of layout and size, but when I saw this at Moda Bake Shop, it sort of inspired me to get moving on putting this together. I didn't use their pattern at all, but it obviously has its similarities.

I especially love the back and binding. The rainbow colors worked well together. I hope she likes displaying it in her classroom.



I will be linking up to these great parties!

Teacher Christmas Gift

I know I promised a tutorial on my skirt-to-bag transformation, but I told about a hundred pictures of it and it's going to take me awhile to edit them down. And between sitting at the sewing machine and sitting at the computer desk, but back is nearly killing me from being so hunched over!

Today I have a quick and easy teacher holiday gift idea. (Did you notice that I kind of love my son's teacher? She's awesome.) It's a mini-recipebook for all of the kids in the class to contribute their favorite holiday recipes to! I think it's a great way for the teacher to remember her students year after year.

First, take any mini-album. I bought this one at Hobby Lobby for about $2.50 (half-off, of course), but you can probably find something similar at Walmart, Dollar Tree, or even in your own hall closet.

Cover the front and back with Christmas scrapbook paper. Use only a thin layer of Mod Podge to apply it so it doesn't bubble so much. Also, with my cover I had to punch holes in it as well.

Use some more holiday paper to jazz it up. I don't own one of those awesome digital scrapbook cutting tools, so I just printed this off my computer in a cute font:

On the front page I added a note so she'll always remember who it came from. Now you just need recipes from each parent. Don't forget to add that it's "So-and-so's favorite recipe" on each one, so she'll always remember her special students!

I'm adding ours to a gift basket full of baking-themed gifts from all the parents. She'll be all set for her holiday cooking!

Teacher Appreciation

My first child started school this year and I admit, I've been a little overzealous when it comes to participating in school activities. One of the other moms even told me that I'd soon be burnt-out if I keep going like I am. I'm not quite there yet, but I am glad that Christmas break is coming up and I can have a little downtime from the school.
The latest thing I've done is volunteer to co-chair the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon. I really have absolutely no recollection of signing up to do this (although I don't doubt that I did). I'm sure I must have thought I was signing up to HELP with the luncheon, because I would have to be out of my right mind if I consciously signed up to help CHAIR it.
Anyway, no worries. Despite the fact that I've never done this before, have no idea what I'm doing and it's on the one day a week that I work, I think I've actually pulled it together. The other co-chair didn't realize what she was signing up for either and said that she couldn't actually even be there, BUT she works for a great fast-food chain and can provide all the food. Score!
Therefore, I've had to put together the rest of it. This means: calling mothers to help volunteer (out of the hundred or so parents at the school I've gotten 5. FIVE.), buying tableware, getting together some sort of gift for each teacher and making decorations. I've had 2 months to do it, so it isn't exactly awful or anything.
Here's what I came up for for the gifts:

Aren't these the cutest mugs? You probably can't see, but they say "Write your own story" "Take some time" "Shine" and "Discover." They were only a dollar at Michaels! Each one is filled with candy and a gift card to Sonic (we are deep in Sonic country 'round here).

I wrapped them in Christmas gift bags (hard to find much else this time of year) and added a homemade gift tag.

And finally, I made a banner for the room.
It should be a nice luncheon, and thankfully, hubby will be around to help me clean up!

Teacher Gift, Part 3

I finished Mrs. Ancik's birthday present, and just in time! I did not feel well yesterday, but I HAD to get some more of that polka dot paper to finish her wish list, so I trucked up to Hobby Lobby with the kids in tow, probably looking more than a little green.
The "Wish List" was another find at Ponytails & Fishscales. I got a tin sign from Hobby Lobby, mod podged cute paper and ribbon on it, and made some apple magnets. Now, whenever she needs some kleenex, copies run, or anything else, she can put it up on the wish list so that one of the parents can help out. I got her a gift card to Barnes & Noble as well, packaged it up, and voila! (those are Kiki's little hands in the picture) Another thing I wanted to make for Mrs. Ancik were these adorable apple cupcakes. I baked the cupcakes, got sick and decided that nobody would want my possible tainted cupcakes (I'm 99% sure it was the fish I ate for lunch, but there was still that 1% of doubt), so I threw them all out. However, I kept one to decorate. They would have been so cute! It's just a white cupcake, white icing, dipped in red sugar, then a tootsie roll for the stem and an icing leaf.

Teacher Gift, Part 2

This idea came from Ponytails & Fishscales, another awesome blog. It's a chalkboard initial! However, this is the first time I've ever chalk-boarded something, and I think I should have added another coat. Which of course means that I will be ripping that ribbon off and trying again. But, I figured I would go ahead and show it off anyway!

Teacher Gift, Part 1

I feel like I don't even come up with original ideas anymore, I am WAY too busy trolling the blogs so that I can recreate everyone else's cool crafts. But that's okay. It keeps me busy (although I am coming dangerously close to the edge of burn-out).
Here is a great idea that I saw at eighteen25. It's a teacher emergency supply box. You get one of those plastic craft boxes for around $1 and dress it up with a little scrapbook paper and whatever-else-you-wish: And on the inside you fill the little cubbies with all sorts of supplies a teacher might need (including chocolate!). My hubby joked that what Mrs. Ancik really needs is a taser to chill out my son when he gets too wild, but, well...it wouldn't fit.