Appreciate Your Teachers!

Let's Appreciate Our Teachers!

It is getting close to teacher appreciation week~ 1st full week in May. My boys have 4 teachers between them. Their home room teacher, and the teacher who brings them out to me after school.

I love all 4 of these ladies! A lot of my friends are teachers, and I am so thankful for all they do and endure. I only have 2 little boys -I can't even imagine 15-20 kiddos! Teachers are truly angels on Earth.

So...for teacher appreciation week I decided to make them a little something. What I came up with (after hours of tutorial videos) was to make them:

beaded pen, coaster booklet, and a mini coaster clipboard

I think I will also make Ian's teacher a little something extra. I am the room mom for her class and take pictures of the class for her. I am thinking...maybe a photo book for the pictures. The wheels are turning. *note to self...find perfect paper and stamps for project*

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Ok. Here is the pen.

It was actually really easy. I have seen my sister make them before, but have never attempted to do it myself. But, I bit the bullet and did it myself and you know, it was really easy!

What you need:

Pen (I prefer Pentel's RSVP)

Double sided tape

Tiny Glass Marbles

Crafters Heating Tool

Decorative Paper

What to do:

Tape the pen, with the double sided tape, where you want the beads to be.

Use your heat tool to heat the tape just a little.

Roll the pen in the Tiny Glass Marbles.

Once covered with beads, roll between your hands to press on the beads to the pen.

For a little extra something, you can also add decorative paper inside the pen.

Tie on a ribbon and you are done!

Now for the Coaster Post It note booklet...

I watched a couple of tutorials on http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/ She has the best website! I love everything she does- thanks for your help Angie!

What you need:

Coasters (of course)

Decorative Paper

Post Its

Zutters Bind It All and 1/2 inch Wires

First cut a straight edge on your coasters. Use your post it notes to make the measurements so that you don't cut off too much. Then cut the decorative paper with the coaster template.

Next, just glue the decorative paper to the coasters. Just a little tip, if you are using paper that has a "top" and a "bottom"- make sure to put the paper in order to how you want your booklet to open. I am glad I double checked myself...nobody wants to see a book cover that is upside down. Use a fine sand paper to brush the edges so that they are smooth.

To make sure the coasters look more finished and the paper is protected, brush coasters with Mod Podge. Let the coasters dry completely. What is Mod Podge? Well, it is basically a glue. It dries very quickly and adds a protective coating to your crafty creations.

Now the fun begins! You get to use the bind it all!

Ahhhh, the wonderful bind it all~ This is the first time I have used it, and it certainly won't be the last! This jewel of the crafting world does what it's name implies...it binds. The ideas are just buzzing around in my head! I should write these ideas down.

ok, ok...where was I? Oh, using the bind it all. Take the covered coasters and place them together in the order you want your book. Place the flat side down -centered-inside the bind it all and pull the lever. That's right, that is all there was too it!

After the holes are punched into the coasters, it is time to use the binding wire and assemble the book. I hope I explain this next part right... Take your coasters and put the wire through the holes. To put the binded section on the inside of the book, turn your book inside-out. Basically you do the reverse of how you want your book to look. Does that make sense? The bind it all website has all the instructions from professionals in their video library section...worth a check out! http://www.binditall.com/

After you bind the book, just decorate the front cover, tie with ribbon, insert post its, and add a little embellishment and you are set.

Finally, the coaster mini clipboard.

What you need:

Decorative Paper

Coaster

Clip

Small Notebook-one that has the binding at the top

What to do:

First, using the coaster as a template, cut out two pieces of decorative paper.

As with the Post It booklet:

Glue the decorative paper to the coaster.

Decorate back cover of clipboard.

Brush with Mod Podge and let dry completely.

Gently tear about 15 - 20 pages from the top binded notebook. Using the coaster as a guide, cut some of the top portion of the paper so that it can be clipped onto the coaster. Finally clip paper to coaster and tie clip with ribbon. You can also put decorative paper on the clipboard- mine had an apple stamped onto it. And TaDa~ can you believe it was this easy?

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