Teacher Gifts!

Aggh! it's almost the end of the school year. In my annual effort to save the teachers of the world from the gifts I used to get when I was in the classroom* here are a few links to great and not-too-spendy projects you can make (or your kiddos can!) to say thanks to favorite teachers or other adults who make their days. Remember the attendance office lady who looked the other way on the fifteenth time your child was late? or the bus driver who actually has sing-alongs with the kids? That is going above and beyond.

And if your children are home schooled (lucky-ducks!) then you can make gifties for the public library librarians who find them seventy four books about squirrels or medieval castles, or the cool girl at the coffee shop who spends twenty minutes teaching your budding engineer about the fluid dynamics of the espresso maker.
Seriously, lets all make a gift for someone who makes our parenting lives just that much easier.

The ideas:
Betz White has a pattern for great nest and egg brooches or barrettes to make. Very sweet and a nice take on the ubiquitous bird theme...these make up fast, too!

How about a quick Memory Frame pendant? Don't put a picture of your child, no matter how cute they are. Instead take a piece of their artwork and reduce it on a color copier to the appropriate size. That lopsided sheep in a boat will suddenly look very au courant when sealed behind glass and hung from a silk cord. Add a note on the back (also reduced!) that says thanks for being my teacher and you have the gift that will get worn AND shown off.

And finally, what about a beaded lanyard? If your child's teacher has to wear one of these, why not make it pretty? You can string up beads in the teacher's favorite color, or the school colors, and attach a badge clip hook to the end. This is a gift that will get used!

I am going to go raid my studio this weekend and see what we can come up with...the teachers and librarians in our lives are pretty great.

*Stuffed bears and University of Oklahoma coffee mugs. I was in Texas. Parents asked where I went to school and I said "OSU" so they bought me Oklahoma gear. Problem is, I am from Ohio, so "OSU" means Ohio State University!