Teacher Gifts - Phase 1

I'm back! (I hope). It's been very hectic this year with two children who have end of the year school activities. I'm anxious for them both to be at the same school. But today marked my daughter's last day of preschool.

This means... teacher gifts! I spend a lot of time making a special banner for one of the teachers at the school how has decided to stop teaching for a bit to spend more time with her kids. We had the kids decorate flowers and some parents and kids signed the bottom (dirt). I didn't make it to the presentation of this gift so I only have before pictures... and no after pictures. It was a really fun project. Each flower is made from a scrap piece of cotton on top of a tshirt scrap. I finished the edges of the tshirt to give each flower a wavy, petal look.

For my daughter's teachers, we made garden markers. I needed a project that she could help with... and she's still too young to help with sewing. And she LOVES to paint. So I had my husband drill some holes into wood disks, had her paint them and I them sealed them. We hung them from some bent wire. She was so proud of them and happy with the way they turned out. She chose some seed packets to go with them.

I have a tutorial for a similar garden marker in the works. I hope to have it done by the end of the week.

I'm thankful that my son's last day of school isn't for another two weeks. So I have a week or so to figure out what I'll be doing for his teacher. The ideas I've given so far have not been well received with my son. But I think it's important to give handmade gifts... I really think it shows my appreciation for the time they spend with my kids. Not that I haven't gone and bought a gift certificate in the past when I didn't have time to make something... but I am trying to make a rule that teachers get a little more thought put into their gifts. After all, where would we be without them?