Teacher Gifts

I wanted to get this post up earlier to perhaps be of help to some people, but time and technology were against me.  So today I am sharing with you what I did this year for Christmas gifts for my daughter’s teachers…and perhaps it will help you for end of the year gifts. 😉

Caitlyn has three teachers, so everything you see is this times three.  I needed gift ideas that were handmade without being sewing.  I just couldn’t do sewing this year. Actually, I think I’m finally admitting to myself that I don’t really care for sewing in December because I want to make all kinds of crafts for Christmas.  I’m in craft mode!  So a craftin’ I went!

I once again employed the numerous ideas of both Instagram input and Pinterest.  Between the two sources I found enough inspiration for this year.  Through Instagram, because I had asked about gift ideas, someone prompted me to the oh so cute idea that Vanessa Christenson of V and Co. came up with this year for her children’s teachers.  The tote bags that are hand painted and lettered. I happily clicked her link to amazon to order a convenient pack of three tote bags (just the number I needed!) and used some paint pens I already had plus a sharpie and an old acrylic ruler to mark out these bags in about a half hour.  Super cute idea and VERY doable.  Dashed lines and calligraphy? That I can do.

Then for another part of the gift, the mug, I found inspiration from pinterest.  I saw soooo many cute hand drawn mug ideas there and had intended to something completely different (the dotted initial style mugs if you are wondering).  But I wasn’t happy with how mine were turning out.  Ever the perfectionist, or at least the “I want to not be embarrassed to give these to my daughter’s teachers” mother, I found a design that was a little more “me” friendly.  And so I ended up with snowmen and googly letters like I used to make in 7th grade. Perfect for the winter and preschool teachers.

Here is my inspiration picture and I read tons of tutorials online for the best way to make painted mugs.  Personally I ended up using sharpie oil based paint markers, letting them dry for 24 hours and then baking them at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.

I stuffed the mugs with chocolate, wrapped them in tissue paper, and placed them in personalized tote bags.  I made the cards as well (I blogged about those earlier this month) and had Caitlyn write “Merry Christmas! Love, Caitlyn”.  And I wish I had thought to grab a photo of that because her writing is comically and endearingly imperfect.  Let’s just say that the concept of spacing her lettering is not one we agree on right now.  She told me that she is doing it “her way”.