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I read someone wanted to make a card folio for a teacher gift...what is that ? Also, anyone want to share some ideas for end of the year teacher or babysitter gifts ? Thanks.
That was me. Another splitcoaststamper member, Juddaca Heater suggested making card folios which is a folder the same size as a card that holds two handmade cards for the recipient to give out. Juddaca also told me to go to Monicastockton's site & then click on C & then click on Chi Nyguen's demonstrator website & you will see the sample of a card folio (adorable). I just posted a request to anyone that has the card folio pattern; can't find it anywhere!
Every time I just have $5 to spend to finish a show, since I already have all my pads, I buy those lovely little gift enclosure card & envelope packs. I looked at Chi's folio & made a pattern to fit those gift enclosure cards for all the teachers. They're so small & sweet! I started w/ 7" square to fit those sized cards; folded in half; unfolded this and folded up the bottom maybe 2 1/2"; cut a "V" in this pocket; closed w/ a ribbon. Does that help? Juddaca
This is another idea that I was inspired to make up from reading a couple of stamp magazine articles: I call it "A Spa at Home". This is a nice gift that costs under $8 for teachers, bus drivers, etc. Do you know how to lick an envelope & stick it to the bottom of another one, & keep doing this for 5 envelopes & then they will fold up to the size of one puffy envelope & can be closed w/ ribbon? I've been decorating them in the hip color scheme of pinks & black w/ It's a Girl Thing & some of the ones from SAB, A Little Love (hat, flipflops, pocketbook, perfume bottle, etc) & the cool set we got from regionals w/ circles & rings. ANYWAY, I fill them w/ face masks, foot scrubs, bath soaks, etc. They're little flat-one-time-use-packets that they sell at Wal-Mart for 84 or 94cents & I put one in each envelope; fold it up; tie w/ a big sheer bow, & from the font CD from SU! adhere "A Spa at Home"
Has anyone else made these? They're a blast to think up flat things to put in! We came up w/ birthday ones: balloon, stickers, stick of gum, flat small candy pack, & toy store $10 gift card. For teens, one lady did only 4 LARGE envelopes: 2 candybars, pack of microwave popcorn & video store gift card. Hey! Teachers would like that last one too! Sorry so long. I'd love to hear how y'all do these envelope thingies. Juddaca
I was afraid someone would ask this...I am not up to speed on camera/computer stuff. I figure there are a lot of creative gals on here & my post was more like a reminder of a good idea & someone else could post what I'm talking about.
What else do you have to have besides a digital camera in order to post a project? Surely, it can't be sooo complicated....there are so many people doing it...& so professionally looking too. My husband's been bugging me about this exact topic. He wants me to post kid photos to family. Juddaca
If you have a scanner, it's very simple to upload flat things such as cards and scrapbook pages up to 8 1/2 x 11 inches. You scan the item, save it as a jpg. file then, on this site's Home Page, just click on "Upload Photo" and click "Browse". Then click on the file, hit "submit", fill in all the appropriate boxes, and hit "submit" again. Let us know how you make out.
I have to thank you for your instructions for uploading pics on this website. I could never figure it out; computer idiot! Now, I've been posting like a maniac!
As a teacher, I think your ideas sound great-but don't forget the most important thing to many of us-a letter!! I love getting letters from parents that let me know how I helped their child-so sweet and don't cost a thing but time and thought!!
I really love the video night kit listed above by Juddaca-right up the summertime realxing alley!! Gift cards are always good-once a parent gave me a card with "Have Dinner On Us" and it was a gift card to a supermarket-so useful!!!
I would love to get all occasion cards and the card holders sound awesome!!!, (but not only with the "teacher" themes of apples/school)
I think it is so nice of parents to think about the end of the year gifts their teachers might like-you guys are sweet!!
Camsmom--You are so right. I'm a former h.s. Spanish teacher, and the things I treasure most, and still do, to this day, are those precious letters.
I've long since sold the apple mugs and magnets, and "school" related gift items I received at garage sales . . .
But those letters were my saving grace, on those days when I wanted to quit teaching . . . I kept them in a file to pull out and re-read when I was at the end of my rope.
I STILL have that file and I finally did quit teaching 7 years ago when my son turned a year old because I so desperately wanted to be a SAHM.
I know that of all the work I've ever done, that contribution--teaching--will have been the best thing. Those letters will be a forever-precious reminder to me.
OK, I digress!
How about a coffee break gable gift box? I donated it for the Teacher Appreciation week daily door prize drawing! I just haven't had a chance to upload it yet . . .
I've done notecards + envies (I think teacher's would just love having a stash of cute cards so they could wish every student in their class happy birthday or to send a note home to parents about something positive they've noticed about a child, etc.)
I've done gift certificate for pedicure tucked inside a noteable. (sorry no photo yet)
I've done gift card inside those envy thingies (I don't know they've ever been given an official name?) one of those is on my gallery in the Little Hellos Album.
Stamped Tote bag, for hauling the endless stream of paperwork to and from school . . . (sorry, no photo--years ago)
What about a paint can, filled with teacher related stickers for classroom use, and other useful items that teachers are ALWAYS spending out of their own pocket to provide because there's never enough $$$ in the budget???? I think I'll do that one this year, as I haven't done it before!!!! The outside could be decorated with magnets!!! Ooooh, I'm lovin' this one already!
One thing a few elem. teachers have mentioned to me: they really don't need another mug, or anything with the traditional "apple" or school theme . . . SO, if possible, try to find out what OTHER things/themes interest your child's teacher and try to incorporate that in whatever you put together . . .
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Hi! I am also a teacher- 1st grade. I agree with the other teachers in that
the greatest gift a teacher can get is a note/letter/card stating how I made a difference in their child's lives. Teachers very rarely get a pat on the back and it's just nice to know that we ARE making a positive impact! PLEASE no coffee mugs (unless they're on a card :lol: ) You are all so sweet to be thinking of us during these trying times in education.
I agree with what the others have mentioned above: it is the heartfelt notes, and thoughtful gestures that matter! I have a group of teachers I get together with pretty regularly, and one thing they have mentioned, with Julie said also, is that all the apple and kiddy stuff gets shoved to the side, given away, and sold in garage sales, if not just tossed, at the end of the school year.
Focus on things that they like to do as individuals! Give them gift certificates to go out to eat, to rent movies, to pamper themselves! Mostly, I think, they appreciate that you have thought of them as a person, and not just a teacher. I appreciate the time my son's teacher spends at school with my son and other children, and want to thank her by giving gift certificates that she can use on her own, with her own family. The class is getting together and pooling $ to give a visa gift card to the teacher, as well as letters from all the kids, and recipes from each family. Love that idea!
Anyway - love the idea with the envelopes. Have to try that for the daycare teachers, librarian, neighbor, coworker. . . .
I third or fourth or how many ever times it's been said... I was a 1st and 2nd grade teacher before I became a SAHM and the gift certificates were my favorite. Handmade sets of cards would have been wonderful too. I don't have any of the apple things anymore. Teachers do so much of the "kiddie" stuff, the grown-up themed gifts were so nice. If you can figure out what their other interests are, gifts related to those interests would be great.
I just made "Cookie Mix in a Jar" gifts for the leaders I worked with at Awana. The leaders were both moms and teenage girls so the cookie mixes were perfect for both. I did "Cowboy Cookie Mix." Here's link for the recipe: http://cookie.allrecipes.com/az/Cowb...eMixinaJar.asp
All Recipes.com has lots of cookie mix in a jar recipes but I picked this one because I found a reviewer who wrote the instructions up in a Western way. I changed them a bit, like this:
Cowboy Cookie Mix
Howdy Partner, here�s what to do to make yer cookies.
Preheat your campfire to 350 and spray a flat piece �o metal with cookin� spray. You're in for a real sweet treat!
Dump this jar into the biggest bowl ya got.
Put the nuts on in if ya got a fancy fer nuts.
Mix it around real good.
Add 1 stick of melted butter and 1 whipped up egg.
(Put in 1 teaspoon of vanilla if ya got some in the chuck wagon.)
Mix with your five cleanest fingers till it looks like cookie dough ought to. Shape into smallish balls (the size of walnuts will do nicely) and set on yer piece �o metal.
Bake for 11-13 minutes.
Makes 18 big 'ol cookies, or 2 dozen cowgirl-sized.
I used a western theme to decorate the instruction card and tied it on with raffia.
For all of these that have nuts, I put the nuts in a snack size ziplock bag in the top of the jar. That way if they are allergic to or don't like nuts, they don't have to use them. Anita
I have three boys, one still in kindergarten. Anyway, I have given many teacher thank you gifts and I refuse to buy anything with an apple! I always feel they have enough of those so I try to find something more personal. Does the teacher have a collection of some sort, we have had teachers who collect snowmen, teddy bears, they always seem to like something to add to their collection. I try also to get my kids involved, we painted flower pots and put flowers in them. Teachers also seem to enjoy food! My friend every Christmas makes a loaf of homemade bread and gives it with apple butter. One year my son and I made jam, and he decorated the label with "Alex's best homemade Strawberry jam". I made a gift bag of homemade salsa, chips and a salsa server. I have also done the "movie night", with a large plastic bowl I wrote the teachers name, we put inside microwave popcorn, a gift certificate for blockbuster, movie candy in the big boxes (dots, snowcaps, milkduds, etc.). But, I always, always, always put a note of thanks inside because my childrens teachers have done so much for them. And because you are thinking of them it must mean they are doing the same for your children too. Teachers do so much for so many, and they deserve all the thanks we can give. I could go on forever....but my eyes are welling up!
My daughter has 2 teachers and I did 2 teacher gifts. I got metal paint cans at Home Depot and stamped onto white butcher paper. I wrapped the stamped paper around the can (I decorated them with various flower sets). I filled them with various flower seed packets, gloves, potting tools, other cute gardening items, and a gift certificate to a local nursery for them to go and pick out flowers to plant. They LOVED them, and of course the note attached to each paint can was a handwritten note from my daughter telling them how they helped make her a better student.
__________________ Barb Coughlin
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall never be bent out of shape!
I made my daughters' teacher a package of 12- 15 thank you cards, all kinds of themes and for both kids and adults, everyone was different. I didn't spend any time on the package to put it in, my daughter wrapped it up for her, which was more important to her than anything I could have made! She also made a few cards herself. Her teacher loved it!
For all the specialists (who often get left out of the gift giving!) I bought old-fashioned jiffy pop popcorn and made a card stock cover to completely cover the top of it (just lift up the foil to put it on). Then I cut out a half sheet of card stock to go on top of the full circle, used decorative scissors to trim it, stamped up both the pieces to match the theme of the time of year (whether it be Christmas, their birthday, thank you), and put the half sheet on top of th full sheet (both are stamped by now). Then I bought a Blockbuster gift card (any amount you can afford) and decorated a small envelope to place it in and put it in to the pocket made by the second half sheet of cardstock. This is a more inexpensive gift you can give to those specialists (librarians, music teacher, PE, speech therapist, orhestra instructor, enrichment teacher, etc. etc.) who sometimes gets left out. My daughter is old enough now to do all the decorating of the popcorn things herself!
My daughter also suggested Starbucks (or other latte gift certificates) for her teachers and they have been a huge hit, too! I just gave one to her orchestra teacher after a big concert in a homemade card and she said she had never received a homemade card before, imagine!
As an occasional college teacher myself, I have never received any gifts of any kind, except verbal and sometimes a written note from my students, and I admit that is the best gift of all!
Laurie FW
I ended up making the Jiffy Pop project and put movie passes in them. My DD said the teachers loved them and even passed it around so the kids could see "how creative it was".
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing them! And thanks to the teachers on board who give real insight to what they want...beyond apples, blackboard/ABC stuff!!!
Teacher's gifts
