Teacher Gifts for Christmas

crafts & activities, Pretty Packages



Yesterday’s peek at my flower embellished paper clips and the chalkboard painted tags came together last night to make these little Christmas teacher gifts.


It’s really a simple gift so I needed to do something to make the presentation great.  I cut this shape using my Epic six machine (that has sat in its box forever) to make large tags.  I played with it to arrange the gifts on the paper.  For the paper clips I cut two small slits with a razor blade and inserted them.


I sanded the edges of the chalkboard tags and added a ribbon to each.  I then sewed a piece of elastic to the paper to hold two tags in place.  Then I stapled a piece of ribbon to the tag to tie a piece of white chalk on.

Super simple, but I feel like I put it together in a really cute way.  I hope our Elementary school teachers like them, or at least find them useful.


Lastly I stamped a little Christmas greeting on a decorative tag and slipped it inside the elastic.  I wrote the name of my child at the very bottom.


The entire gift fit perfectly in a 5×7 inch envelope.  Simple but cute.  My son’s kindergarten teacher raved about it when I picked him up this morning.  I was thinking this would also be a cute end-of-year gift for teachers.  All you would need to do is change the color of the paper tag it’s placed on.  I added up my costs and these gifts came in under $2 each.  I already had the chalkboard paint on hand.


So they’re done and delivered.  Hooray!

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Today

Christmas, Musings on Life and Beauty

Today I am feeling absolutely frantic.  Frantic and yet more confident than I was a few days ago.  It’s really strange to have these two opposing feelings gripping my heart (and throat).

I feel more confident because I’ve accomplished just enough to think I might pull it all off, and far enough behind to feel terrified that I won’t.

I’m trying very hard to focus on what’s in front of me, to breathe, and not to worry about what’s three or four items down the list.

My desk is currently covered with three different projects.  Not the best strategy, but somehow I have to get them all done simultaneously, so there they are.

There are, however, a few highlights:

This week I learned how to do hair in bows, meaning to put a girl’s hair up in the shape of a bow.  Every one of my daughters has had something like this in their hair this week:


The above picture was at the end of the day when the left side had started to come out just a bit.  Below is a mini version in piggy tails.  So cute!  And I’ll even admit to doing my own hair like this in a half ponytail.  It’s so much fun to learn something new.


Today I had an hour’s notice that my daughter needed to be at an activity this afternoon with a dozen cookies to take caroling.  I decided to make a batch of E-Doodles to test the recipe and because I’ve been craving them.  They turned out great, and made enough for me to bundle up a few to give to a friend whose birthday is today.


I figure it’s better to be remembered with something small and simple than not at all.  It’s the best I can do today.  It also reminds me that I’d better get to work on the birthday we’re celebrating at our house on Tuesday!


My Christmas cards are almost done.  Relief.   BUT they still need me to put letters inside them (which I have yet to write and copy) and the envelopes all need addresses on them.  Stress.  I have a package I still need to put together and mail.  And a long drive to pick some things up.  And I’m supposed to be at the school to help with a Christmas party tomorrow.   More stress.

Look what I made last night!


They’re so cute I can hardly stand it.  I’m using them as part of some Christmas gifts that have to be put together by tonight.  I’m also doing something with chalkboard paint:


More on all that tomorrow.  I might be up all night long tonight but I have to get it done.

Tonight my husband and I are going to a holiday dinner for a company he does contract work for.  I don’t have time to go but am really excited to enjoy an evening with him.  I hope we can both calm down and relax for a couple of hours.  And I hope my children are kind to each other while we’re gone.

And that’s where my day stands.  I’m off to the craft store to buy a new glue gun because my daughter borrowed mine for a project at school…. and didn’t bring it home.  It’s now nowhere to be found.  I’m sure she’ll be disappointed when her allowance reflects the purchase price of a new one but we have to learn these things somehow, right?

I hope your day is going well!

Jennifer

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Elsie’s Quilt

Quilting and Sewing

I finished this quilt for my niece back in October but forgot to share it.  I found the pictures today.


Most of these fabrics came from my stash.  I used all of the Marabella prints I had because I remembered my sister-in-law loved them and added a bunch of Joel Dewberry prints as well.  Then I just started adding some of this and that until I came up with a mix I liked.


The quilt is simple patchwork with the exception of one pink block the size of four blocks on which I appliqued an “E” and embroidered her name, Elsie.  I’m not the best at this kind of thing but I think it looks ok and I think it’s sturdy enough to survive many trips through the laundry.  What’s the point of a baby quilt you’re afraid to get dirty?


For the backing I pieced more squares and then framed them in white.  You can see that the quilting was done simply, sewing through the center of each square except the big E.  I was worried I’d want more quilting on it when it was done, but it turned out how I wanted it to.


For the binding I used a Joel Dewberry print in a dark pink.  I like the way it frames all the other shades of pink inside the quilt.


This quilt now lives in Mississippi with Elsie and her family.  We love them and miss them.  My two year old calls every baby she sees “Baby Elsie.”   We hope they like it!

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