{Rag Quilt Teacher Gift Set}

I actually made this several months ago, and now plan to give it to my daughter's teacher for Christmas. I saw the fabric on clearance one afternoon and picked up some without knowing what I would use it for. This is a nice little carry-all bag, and I love the studious owls!

I cut all the squares for both the inside and outside of the bag with my Cuttlebug, using my Stampin' Up Scallop Square Die. I love the rag quilt look that it creates. You can check out some of my other scallop projects by looking under Scallop Square Die in my sidebar.

This is a very soft and squishy bag, but also boxey. I lined the bottom with 2 pieces of cereal box cardboard (adhered together), then made a matching sleeve to go over it. (If Vera Bradley can put cardboard in the base of her bags, so can I - hee, hee.) 

I added the little wallet/pouch much later. It's extremely simple and very handy. I have one myself that I don't use for money, but I keep it in my purse just to house my craft store coupons! (I was tired of fishing them out, and since I'm at the craft store A LOT, it really comes in handy. Can I get an amen?!)

The top just folds down...over your coupons. :)

Then I just recently added this little coffee cozy, after seeing the tutorial over at Skip to my Lou . It was VERY easy to follow, and it used up the remaining small pieces of owl fabric I had left over. I'm not sure my daughter's amazing teacher even drinks coffee, but it's too cute to not add in!

Cute, no? My "button" on the cozy is actually a cloth covered brad. It was the only thing I had lying around that matched! :)

So here's the final set....

We will probably add some scrapbooking supplies to the bag (she loves to scrapbook, just like I do!), and possibly a small gift card in the pouch. I hope she loves it!

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the web!

Made with Love Monday at Sew Chatty

Sew Cute Tuesday at Creative Itch

Making the World Cuter
 

{Teacher Gift: First Day of First Grade!}

My baby is heading off to first grade in just a few days, and to say I'm beside myself is putting it lightly. I've been home for 7 years, centering my world around her, and it seems unreal that she is suddenly going to be in someone else's care for the entire day, every day. I was a teacher for several years, I always held myself to the highest standards in educating my students, but now...as a parent...it seems absolutely ludicrous that we put all this energy, thought, and time into giving our kiddos the very best start in the early years..........all to just send them away, essentially with strangers, masses of influences that I have not pre-screened, and the stresses of a standardized education. Ugh. I know there are others who feel my pain. 

But on a positive note, we have an absolutely wonderful teacher this year, which is a relief to my heart needless to say. Her classroom reminds me of my own, and for that I'm grateful. Engaging, positive, and brain compatible. So we're going to soak up that joy this year and I know that my kiddo will grow in all aspects as a result.

So I wanted to share the "little something" I made for her teacher for the first day of school. Inexpensive, very simple, and a positive gesture. There are tons of super cute back-to-school ideas out there in blogland, that's for sure, but here's what we did!

You need:

a plastic container from your recycling bin (mine is a Hillshire Farms deli turkey tub)

scrapbook paper or card stock

supplies to fill your tub

Here's what we chose to give Mrs. B:

hand sanitizer, rubber bands, band-aids (kid-friendly of course), Chapstick, candy, sticky note pads, hand lotion, & Crystal Light To-Go lemonade packets

First you need to trace the inside of your lid. It took me a few tries to get it just right. I used heavier scrapbook paper. I considered using mod podge to adhere it to the lid, but honestly, it's recessed into the lid a bit and I just didn't see the need. I used Sticky Strip instead. Then embellish any way you want! I printed the sentiment on cardstock and distressed the edges, then die cut the scallop with my Nesties. (I used smiley monster for my font).

I added a small note card that we put on the inside.

 

Really cute and simple I think! 

I'm taking Kleenex donations for the first day of school (for ME, of course!). I just have to make it out the door without tears, then I plan to cry the entire day! (Us Mama's are like that, aren't we?)

For those of you in a milestone year, how will you be coping on the first day of school?

Have a good one, regardless!

 

{Quick Teacher Appreciation}

Sooooo many cute teacher appreciation gift ideas out there in blogland! How to choose? Time and materials is sometimes the only way to do it, :)! I haven't been as involved with teacher appreciation as I have in the past. :( School issues this year, and quite honestly, my heart hasn't been in it with our experiences in our first year at this school. I'm a teacher, so I really can't imagine why anyone would be teaching if they didn't love it, can you?? But we won't go there.  My daughter asked to make a little something for her teachers, and I was delighted that she thought of it. So...I whipped up these little "wallets". I have one myself that I keep in my purse strictly for my craft store coupons! I was never able to find them and this is the perfect solution. Very quick, and I used fabric I've had for FOREVAH! I'm trying to use stash and not buy new every 3 days, which I have a habit of. I'm sure I'm the ONLY one like that of course

This little pouch started out as 11.5 x 6.5, including seam allowance. I also added a piece of fusible interface. Basically, put right sides together, so 3 sides, and top stitch the rest. I didn't add a snap to these, because mine doesn't have one and I actually prefer it that way.

We added a travel lotion, a couple of chocolate bars, and a handwritten card from my kiddo.

I made one for the teacher as well as the assistant, to be delivered tomorrow. I hope they can put them to good use!

On another note...hubby and I were married 13 years in March..YAY! But the weather and other weekend plans kept us from actually celebrating until this past weekend. We had a BALL!! We saw "Spamalot" Thursday evening (best show I've seen and I've seen a lot!!), and then spent the weekend hiking together at a nearby state park. (Our fave thing to do.) We enjoyed every minute of it, and were thrilled that somehow we managed to work in our hikes in the ONLY 2 days in what seems like forever that it didn't rain!

I'm such a lucky girl! It's an amazing thing to be married to your best friend on Earth and the love of your life.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Catch ya later!

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