End of School Gifts {2013}

My friend Keva had this cute sign on her door to usher in

 Summer Break-so CUTE!

The Busdriver Gift

Smore's Kit: King size chocolate bar, 

package of marshmallows & package of graham crackers

Teacher Gift

A rainbow of Hairclips

Pin It Pin It

Present {Name} Gift Tags

I love using monogrammed letters.

 I thought it would be fun to do this for the kids' presents. 

Then I thought it would look cute to add this to the gifts we gave the neighbors, our friends and family.

 I just printed it up in a square in Microsoft Publisher.

 Just repeat the name. Cut and Paste. 

Used a letter template to cut out the letter. Use a hole punch for the hole.

They are ready to be attached to the presents!

Pin It Pin It

Christmas {2012} Gifts for Teachers

Again this year, teachers were given love with homemade gifts.

They will get Homeopathic Packs (one with rice(leftover fabric), the other with flaxseed(sock was walmart clearance)-which stay warmer longer), a couple of magnets and some hot chocolate with cookies.

I carved this magnet from MDF molding(its a softer wood)

I use my Dremel tool. . .

with this tip.

Pin It Pin It

End of School Gifts {2012}

With our 4 kids in 3 different schools, the end of the school year has been pretty crazy.
This week marks the end of school for ALL our kiddos.
For the end of the year gift for the Teachers, we just did something very simple.

 I made Chocolate Zucchini Bread(I had A LOT of zucchini) and added some treasures I found (for $0.50 each) in the Walmart clearance bin. The outside paper got stamped with a bunch of "Thank Yous" for that special touch.
Pin It Pin It

Christmas {2011} Gifts for Teachers

This year for the Teacher Christmas Gift, each teacher will receive something I made[jam + kleenex boxes] & something the kids made[decorated letter].

TAIDAN'S

AULINA'S

AURI'S

AUDRA'S

[we did a little something different for her teachers since she has 7]

Here's what I did:
Got a frame from the second hand store ($0.75)and covered it with fabric.
Bought some Walmart brand crayons and hot glued them to the fabric.
Used my heat gun to melt the crayons. Stand picture up and use heat gun in a downward position.

Then added ribbon for hanging and their name in vinyl to personalize it.

Things I think I learned to do different the next time:

1-Use "CRAYOLA" crayons

2-Use real canvas fabric or save up to buy the actual canvas

Pin It

End of School Gifts {2011}

Our kids get out of school this week-Ya!
At the end of the school year I like to do an extra nice gift for the teachers to show my appreciation for teaching our children. This year I used stuff I already had at home.

Binder Clips:

I just covered these with fabric using Mod Podge.

Dice(4"x4"):

Painted.

Making the dots.

Burned.

Tool used to burn the dots(found at Michael's Craft store).

Start/Stop Sign:

The sign comes out of the hole so the sign or stand can be used separately. Pin It

Teachers' {Sweet} Treats

Here is an Easy & Yummy teacher gift for Valentine's Day. I found the tute here.

Instead of doing just graham cracker I did 1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies + 1/2 cup chocolate graham crackers + 1/2 cup butter.

Or you could dip donuts.

Basically anything you can dip in chocolate I think the teachers will love.


Pin It

Christmas {2010} Gift for Teachers

This year I needed to do something simple for the kid's teachers as a Christmas Gift.


I took the large candy bars & wrapped them with paper. Then added a sparkly foam letter then tied it off with fabric.

This is our years edition of Homemade Fudge!

Pin It

Last-Minute Teacher Gifts?

Oh no! Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break and my children's teachers' Christmas gifts are still somewhere between "shipped" and my doorstep. Time is running out, and I need to figure out a back-up plan. Fast! If any of you are in the same boat, I found a couple of links that gave me some great ideas. (Now I just need to decide which one I want to do and do it! "Tick-Tock-Tick...")

Ideas from the Dollar Stretcher
Ideas from FlyLady.net
Ideas via SassySites blog

Pin It

End of School Gifts {2010}

At the end of the school year I like to give the kids' teachers a big Thank You for all they did during the year. Our kids did really well because they had some amazing teachers!

I just filled a basket with some homemade love. I made an ABC sign board with vinyl, some jam & syrup, a keychain charm and the (BEST) hot chocolate(Abuelita-found with the Mexican foods at Walmart or Winco).
Simple but from the Heart. Pin It

Teacher {Appreciation} Gifts

I didn't have much time this week but I wanted to do something for our girls' teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. I know I have probably already said this but . . . In my opinion teachers do not get paid enough for what they do! I take the many opportunities to let them know how much they are loved. So for this special week's gift I made Hall Passes for their classrooms.


Personalized Hall Passes.


Must have Chocolate Bar with a thank you note from each child.


Blank wooden letter.


I traced, cut out & then glued some felt to the back of the letter. When I cut the wood it split many times and I didn't want the kids to get splinters. If you were to buy your letter in the store you probably could skip this step.


I spray painted it and stuck a shower curtain ring in the drilled hole for hanging. I wanted to make these a little bit cuter with beads and more fabric but today it just wasn't to be. I think they'll still do their job. Pin It

Valentine {School} Traditions

Here are just a few of the every year Valentine {school} traditions we do. . .

Every year for Valentine's day (I did it today, due to no school tomorrow, because this year it falls on a Sunday) I buy these mini heart candy boxes. I place a small note under each candy and put it in their lunch as their "treat".


Teacher Valentine- (I coated them with coconut, nuts, toffee, and mini choco chips)YUMMY!


Classmate Valentine- I LOVE this years!(these are by far the coolest idea. ITs like a real scratch off card. I did 3 coats of paint though. Now I'm trying to think of other projects and use this same concept.)
We also like to paint our nails red and I facepaint hearts on their cheeks.

Pin It

Sympathy Gift for the Teacher

My daughter's 1st grade teacher's father passed away recently and had to take a week off to go be with her family. So a few other moms and I put our heads together to think of something we could do, from her class, that could help lift her spirits.

We thought of the most popular gift that is given when someone loses a loved one- FLOWERS, and Dawn M. one of the other moms, came up with the most clever idea to make a bouquet of "Healing Hands"!! So we made arrangements with the substitute to come in for an hour during class time and help the kids make this special gift. We brought in a bunch of different colored cardstock and traced the kids' hands, then let them cut them out and write a little message to their teacher on them. Then Dawn took all the hands home, attached them to tung compressors, and put them into a jar filled with Hershey kisses.

She also grabbed a few other things and put them all together in a basket for the teacher. It was such an easy project, and surely will be treasured forever by Ms. M.
Pin It

Easy & Inexpensive Last-Minute Neighbor Gifts

Are you still in need of a last minute neighbor gift? The clock is ticking, so hurry over to Sam's club (I'm guessing Costco too) and pick up a case of hot chocolate! Slap a sticky bow on top and a "to/from" sticker and you are good to go, easy-peasy... and inexpensive as well! (This is a package of 7 boxes, assorted flavors.)

Another great idea (something a friend brought over last night, as well as one of my kids' teachers gave me as a "thank you for helping in the classroom" gift)... Sparkling Cider!

Or if you've already done all your shopping and the store is the last place you want to be, look in your pantry. Do you have a brownie mix or two in there? Make a little tag that says "Roses are Red, Chocolate is Sweet, We're too stressed out to make your treat!"

Here is what I made for my kids' teacher gifts this year...

These are rice sacks, but you can use dried corn as well. I used some fleece fabric scraps that I already had on hand (which can be fleece, flannel or another strong fabric) and regular white rice from my pantry (which you can buy at Walmart for way cheap). Just fold the material in half and cut a rectangle, any size (mine are all different). Sew a tight zig-zag stitch (I did 6/8") all the way around it, leaving the top open to fill. Don't forget to back-stitch!

Then fill with rice or dried corn, leaving a little room at the top.

Stitch across the top to close, again make sure you back-stitch on both ends!
Now just snip around the sides, being careful not to cut too close to the stitching.

Done! Throw into a gift sack with a handful of chocolates and some tissue and off you go!

Some variations for the sacks: You can throw in pieces of cinnamon stick OR dried lavender for aroma.

Oh, and don't forget to type up a little instruction tag with the rice sack. Here's what mine says...

Warm Sack: Place sack in microwave and nuke on high for 2-3 min (rice) OR 4-5 min (corn). *Sack may be hot to the touch when taking out of micro. Will also feel a little moist. Do not overnuke.

Cold Sack: Place sack in freezer until cold.

Good luck with your last-minute holiday preps, and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Pin It