Teacher Gifts x 4

With four kids in school, it's certainly a challenge for me to come up with gifts for all their teachers without breaking the bank. If I could, I would by them all a weekend spa package; I know they've earned it after teaching my brood. But alas that's a little bit out of my price range. So instead I show my appreciation with a little creative effort instead of monetary effort.

This year I came across this cute subway sign printable from eighteen25 and decided that was the way to go. I personalized it for each of my kids' teachers in Photoshop by erasing the bottom line of the original and adding the teacher's name and a few apples instead of the line "practice makes perfect." I printed the sign out photo-quality on matte photo paper for a crisp, fade-resistant print. Two of the frames I was able to pick up at thrift stores for just $2-$3. The other two I got at Michaels for $5 (they're having a sale on frames this week!). I used 2 1/2 feet of red, polka-dotted ribbon -- of course it had to be polka-dotted -- for the hanger, cut in half, stapled to the back and then tied into a bow at the top. On the back of each frame I included a small note to each of the teachers letting them know how much our family loves and appreciates them.

Note about the thrift store frames: One of the frames I got a thrift store had some small denting in it from thrift store abuse. I decided to make it look intentional by taking a few of my husband's hammers, screwdrivers and other metal tools to dent it further to make the abuse look intentional. I also used a bit of sandpaper to sand away the edges to further add to the distressed look. It's a great way to make use of a less-than-perfect frame.

I finished off each of the gifts by wrapping them in brown paper and creating small tags for each of the packages with a couple of punches and some scrap paper and ribbon -- a great trick to dress up a gift if you're short on ribbon. I'm really happy with the end result and hope that my kids' teachers enjoy them too!

Comments

[greta]

Sheila, those are so, so cute! I love the bright colors and the apples and teacher names you added at the bottom are so perfect.
I remember getting some pretty awful teacher gifts, but that is one I would have loved!
Love from,
Greta

[Lynn P]

These are totally cute Sheila.. Love it!