Teacher gifts for Christmas

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I try to get in to the flea market as often as I can, but with work and family, it is not always easy to find time.  I had stopped by not long ago, to check out my booth and see if it needed some attention.  It looked like a few things had sold, but it was still full of Fall and Christmas decor.  As I stood there, I wondered if I needed to create some more Christmas treasures or if it was time to figure out "what's next".  It was time to put my imagination to work again.




As I stood in the middle of the wood shop I wondered, "what needs to happen next"?    I had a stack of lumber scraps, chalk paint, and twine, all that I needed was to toss in a little creativity.    Then it came to me!  With Christmas so close, this would be a great time to make some gifts for our teachers and show them some love.  They spend so much time with our kiddos and have such influence over them.  They spend days teaching, growing and loving our children.  With compassion that leaves them exhausted at the end of the day, they go home and spend their evenings grading papers and reading essays.  They need to know how much we appreciate them.  I got so excited about the idea that I just had to get started.  


      So, I began cutting boards down to about 6" X 8" and then sanding and routing the edges.  I drilled a small hole in the back so I could place a dowel rod piece to help my future frames and signs stand up. 

 Several of the wooden pieces, were stained to give them more of a rustic look.  Some of them were taped off and painted with chalk paint. Then, it was time to play the waiting game until the paint and stain were dry.  



      


Once the pieces were dry enough to work with, I brought them down to the craft room and began matching scrapbook paper pieces to the frames.  I found some cute quotes and pretty laurel wreaths.  After painting the sayings on the signs and decoupaging the pretty paper on the frames, it was time to wait for them to dry again.  Eventually, I was able to add the twine, burlap flowers and clothespins to make completed frames.  

 I love the way these pieces turned out.  They make me so happy and I think they would make great gifts for friends, co-workers and especially teachers.  Let them know you appreciate all that they do and remember them this Christmas.  





(All of the signs and frames can be found at the ATC Downtown Flea Market in Bolivar.  If you're local, swing by and grab some of these today!)

 For pricing and options click here.




Here's to you on your path to happy, healthy, and whole
~Tracelaine

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