Teacher Gifts

Whether it's for Teacher Appreciation Week or as an end of year thank you, teachers everywhere need to be recognized for all the work and dedication they've shown this past school year. You don't need to spend a lot of money. Even something small can say a big thank you.

SRM tubes are perfect for a little thank you and when filled with a sweet treat, it fits the bill for cute and satisfying. Use stickers from any of SRM's adorable and inspiring school-themed sets to decorate any size tube. Using an awl, I poked a hole in the top of my lid and attached several lengths of twine to create a few hanging tags. The tags are stickers on a semi-clear plastic backing.

The bright red chevron paper bags are perfect for teacher appreciation, too. I cut out an apple shape in the front layer and inserted a piece of printed acetate inside. I shaped a stem and leaf by hand from cardstock and used a marker to outline it. Give your favorite teacher a gift card, decorated cookie, candies, or like me, a set of colorful pens. A small clothespin clip decorated with more stickers keep them secure. One more sentiment sticker across the bottom sends the message that we appreciate our teachers!

Don't forget to say thanks to the great teachers who have helped you or your kiddos grow this year!

For these projects, I used:

Clear Tube | Red Chevron paper bag | Say It With Stickers Teacher | FreeStyle School

Back to School

It's back to school around here. I love the yearly supply shopping and getting back to a routine. I'm glad my daughter loves school and shares some of my enthusiasm for this time of year.


It's also a great time for crafting up some back to school goodies. This year I created an adorable banner that I used for our annual back to school photo shoot and now have it hanging in our dining room. Most of the die cuts are Cricut cuts that I just selected randomly from various cartridges. I used school themed paper to coordinate the different elements. To add a little interest at the top of each pennant I added a small doilie (from SRM).  I also grabbed a few clear sentiment stickers from my SRM stash to add to some of the banners.

Of course we needed a sign for my 2nd grader to hold during the photo shoot and on the first day of school. I used an piece of wood (found a great size in my garage) and added some SRM stickers and a die cut title. Simple and much faster than the banner! 2nd Grade here she comes!!!

I also like to give a small gift to our new teacher. This small red wire basket was in the dollar bin at Target as were some of the included goodies. I used some more SRM stickers and put them on cardstock and attached a magnet to the back so they would stick to the basket. A little twine wrapped around it and the gift was done. Teaching is a hard job (I taught middle schoolers for 13 years). We like to look for anything we can do to make their day a little more fun and a little easier.

You can find the SRM sticker products I used HERE:

Say it with Stickers "Teacher" | Freestyle "School" | Express Yourself "School" | Live Life "School"  | 6 inch doilies (red, black, green, white)

Teacher Appreciation Totes

This year we created a tote for each of Hannah's teachers.  We went with an orange theme and I created a cute "Orange you glad it's summer" tag to tie onto each tote.  I just downloaded a cute free orange slice image and placed the words over it for the tag.  Print, cut, attach with orange and yellow ribbon.
I used my Cricut to create the stencil for the bag.  The doily is a background from the Edge to Edge cartridge and I inserted a monogram from the TC Sophisticated font. It cut out in one piece with my Cricut.  I applied just a little non permanent adhesive to help it stay in place while we painted.  I used a sponge dauber and orange fabric paint.  I think they sort of look like suns, which went perfectly with the summer theme.  Inside each tote is an orange beach towel and an orange water bottle.

I also made a card for a thank you message to each teacher. 

Teacher Appreciation Week

Having been a classroom teacher myself, I know how much teachers appreciate Teacher Appreciation Week.  It's just nice to be noticed for the hard work you've put in all year long.  Whether the recognition is from the administrative staff, the parents, or the kids you teach, any little something - even just a simple card - brings a smile to a teacher's face and warms the heart enough to get through the last long stretch of the school year.  I helped make these cute signs for my daughter's preschool teachers' doors.  What can I say?  I love owls!  I designed and printed off the background from my computer and added a cute and colorful owl cut with my Cricut (Hoot n' Holler cartridge) on an Action Wobble, so it moves.  It made me smile just to make them wiggle with their cute googly eyes - I hope the teachers get a warm-fuzzy, too!

I had picked up a few of these mini owl notebooks quite a while ago in a clearance bin and thought I'd just put a little tag on them for a quick gift and thank-you.  The stamps are from Technique Tuesday and Lillian Vance.  I cut the circle and scallop with my Cricut and tied it up with some twine.  Every teacher needs a notebook, right? A quick and inexpensive gift.  Hannah wrote a thank you on the first page.

I might get a few other things together this week.  What are you doing this week to thank a teacher?

Teacher Thank You Gift and Card

I really have been crafting...and moving...but mostly moving.  Before too much time passes, here are a few things I've worked on.  I made this little teacher gift and card while we stayed with friends between houses.  Hannah brought it to her teachers for the last day of school.

Apple Teacher Pin and Post It Note Gifts

My girl has started school.  Granted, it's only 3 year old preschool and it's only 2 mornings a week, but it is a big deal - for both of us.  Day one was great - no tears for either of us and while she was at school with her teachers, I was able to help out a friend.  And that felt good, too.

I wanted to get some great first day photos, but wasn't sure we would have enough time on the actual first day, so we did a little dress-rehearsal photo shoot the day prior and with a little help from photoshop, I was able to post this photo as soon as we got home from the big day.

I also realized that her starting school has opened up a whole new excuse, ahem, reason, for crafting.  Of course I'm talking about teacher gifts!  I had to create a whole new board on Pinterest to organize all the great ideas out there.  That's where I first saw cute ways to give a simple stack of post-it notes.  I made mine by covering plain cardboard with scrapbook paper and clipping a stack of post-it notes to it with a paper-covered binder clip.  So easy!  I also wanted to make something with an apple, so I went to my Cricut machine, found this cute apple on "Create A Critter" and cut it from felt.  The felt is self-adhesive and I sandwiched a pin between the two layers so Hannah's teachers have a cute felt apple pin to wear.  If anyone wants more specifics, let me know and I will try to create a quick tutorial.  Yay for school and more crafty reasons to make special handmade cute things!  Teehee!