Holiday Gift for your Favorite Teacher!

I know, I know, you have gotten more than distracted in all of the holiday flurry and almost forgot to add your favorite teacher to the gift list! Well, here is something you can start and finish in under 10 minutes that your teacher will be sure to use and enjoy.

 

Make a simple framed and monogrammed cork board with some spare materials some of you are bound to have lying around the craft room.

All you'll need are these simple supplies: old frame, cork board sheet or pieces, buttons and hot glue!

Cut the cork into pieces to fit the frame backing just right, and hot glue them into place. 

Once you have the backing and cork back into the frame, lay out your buttons in your desired color scheme and shape, I chose the last name initial, always a classic!

Pin a little tag on with a spare thumbtack and you are good to go! Something she'll be sure to use and love for years to come.

 

Have any last minute gift ideas to share with us? Leave us a comment and a link to your great gift ideas too!

Happy Wednesday!

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P is for Pirate Kit

I shared this gift idea on Kojo Designs two weeks ago during their Gifts for Guys series.  You have got to check out all the amazing ideas for the little or big guy in your life!  Love those girls over at Kojo!

                                                         

My little guy thinks Pirates are neat and loves to say, "Rrrrr, Matey" quite often so he inspired my newest kit - P is for Pirate.  He will find it under the tree Christmas morning and I can't wait!

Every pirate needs an eye patch, of course.  Preferably a soft one that won't irritate little eyes.

1.) Cut a little pattern out of paper the size and shape you wish your patch to be.  Use the pattern to cut out two eye patch pieces from black felt.

2.) Cut the bottom off of an old t-shirt.  Measure it on your little guy's head (in a sneaky kind of way) to ensure a good fit.

3.) Place the ends of the t-shirt band inside the two felt pieces and pin them together.

4.) Sew together using a machine or by hand.  Sew an X on the middle if you want.

Now you have a super tough (but soft) eye patch for your little pirate.

I purchased a thin canvas bag at a local craft store and used my iron-on fabric transfer paper to label the bag.

I typed my label on the computer and printed it as a mirror image.

I cut around the words and ironed it to my bag.

Then I added a mini unfinished wood treasure chest to the kit with some wooden checker pieces to serve as the treasure.  I left them unfinished so that the little pirate can have a special project to do later.

I also added a treasure map, a pirate book, and a black bandana.

There are so many other things that could be added to the pirate kit such as a compass, a hat, a sword, etc.  The options are endless with this gift and it can be personalized to suit the little guy in your life.

I just can't wait to see my little guy wearing his eye patch.  I tried it on but it's not quite as cute on me.  Ha.

If you would like other play kit gift ideas, you can find my restaurant kit HERE and movie theater kit HERE and Erin's pizza shop play kit HERE.

Happy Tuesday!

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A Simple Thank You {Silhouette Project}

About a month ago my sister-in-law and mother-in-law threw me the sweetest baby shower. I knew before we even had the shower how much time and effort they were putting in to make it perfect for me and the soon to be baby, so I needed the perfect simple way to thank them and this is what I came up with.

I love how the Silhouette can cut out simple messages to make such professional looking cards, so I turned to my Silhouette SD and its design studio to find just the right thing.

  

After I found the sweetest phrase, I combined it with the tag options I already had in my gallery to create quick thank you tags. 

 

I quickly glued the messages onto the tags I had cut out in varying scrapbook papers and tied them off with a ribbon. The result looked so 'finished' and I loved it! 

Using the Silhouette to make these tags was so quick and easy. I guess it's the job of the machine working at it's simplest? It got me thinking about how I need to start working ahead for personalized Christmas gift tags, how sweet would that be? Have you used your Silhouette to make any tags or cards recently? We'd love to have you link them to our Flickr sight!

Here are a couple of other simple thank you ideas I've used recently too. (I've been blessed with some sweet showers for baby Abbott, so I've gotten to make quite a few fun thank you's this year!)

These were created just using Microsoft word and an inkjet printer, though I did use the Silhouette to cut out one of my favorite scalloped circles too!

Happy Wednesday!

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Flower Pot Ribbon Tree

The project I have to share with you today is very quick and easy. Recently, while I was at a friend's baby shower they had the cutest table centerpieces. They told me that they had seen them in this cute boutique with a hefty price tag, so they had decided to tackle making them on their own.  It turned out to be such a great idea, I just had to share it with you!

 

This project is so simple I will let the pictures do most of the talking!

Maybe you can use this great idea for your own sweet girl, a gift opportunity, or an upcoming shower!

Happy Wednesday,

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Silhouette Project - Ballerina Shirt

My daughter had a plain white shirt that was older and mainly used to wear under sweaters so I thought it would be fun to spruce it up.  

I started playing around in the Silhouette Studio and found a ballerina silhouette image that I loved.  I had pink heat transfer from Silhouette in the closet waiting to be used for something.

The image came out perfectly even with those little dainty ballerina hands.  I peeled away the extra pink leaving only my image and then ironed it in place on the white shirt.

Next I cut out a rough shape of the skirt from cardstock to use as a pattern.

I used the pattern to cut out several layers of pink tulle that I had in my scrap basket.

I cut a piece of pink ribbon just the size to fit the top of the tulle layers.  I put craft glue on the ribbon and placed my tulle pieces on one by one.

After I layered the tulle pieces, I folded the ribbon over and held it down for a minute.  Now I had a little tutu for the ballerina.  I trimmed up the sides and roughly scalloped the edges of the tutu to give it more life and make it fit better.

To attach the tutu on the shirt, I used three small buttons and pink thread.

Now the ballerina has a "real" tutu.

I wanted the tutu silhouette to still show on the sides a little.  I was so excited about the results!

A plain white tee transformed into a fun pink ballerina shirt...

Can't wait to surprise my daughter with her new ballerina shirt when she gets home from school.  I just know she will love it!  

I'll be partying at these blogs this week.  Won't you join me?

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Fabric Memory Game

It all started with this photo from Pinterest.  It was love at first sight.  Are you kidding me?  Fabric Memory.  Why didn't I think of that?  A game for kids that involves beautiful fabric?  That is right up my alley.  I couldn't stop thinking about it.  Seriously.  I have issues.

photo from the Purl Bee via pinterest 

But, come on, look at the fabric they used.  Gorgeous.  Heavenly.  I couldn't get my hands on fabric that beautiful.  However, I did use up some pretty scraps so that is a good thing, right?

When we were invited to a two year old birthday party, I knew it was time.  Time to make the Fabric Memory Game I had been dreaming of.

I followed the tutorial found here.  It was a perfect tutorial.  Beautiful photos and so easy to understand.  

This was a time consuming project for me but totally worth every minute.  

Mine are not nearly as perfect as the ones you will see in the tutorial.  Yikes.  I dream of being that good one day.

I wrote my crooked stitching and lopsided squares off as "adding character".  Works for me.

I just stared at them for a long time.  Almost didn't give them away.  It was that kind of present, you know the kind.

I didn't want to just throw the game in a plastic baggie.  That is no fun.  So next in order was a felt holder for the game.  

I used the same color felt as the Memory squares.  I began with two pieces of felt approximately 9" x 11".  

I found some scrap ribbon for the button loop closure and to finish off the top of the bag.  I looped the smaller ribbon and then pinned a wider ribbon the length of the bag top.

I pinned a ribbon on the other side too.

Then I hit the sewing machine to straight stitch that ribbon to the top of the bag and I also stitched the two pieces of felt together to form the holder.

I folded over the top to make a pencil mark where the button should go.  I sewed the button in place.

Now I had a fabric bag to hold my Fabric Memory Game.  Woohoo!

And the button closure worked like a charm and looked cute too!

I tucked the game squares neatly in the bag.  I am pretty sure I had a huge smile on my face the whole time.  These things really do make me giddy.

Seriously though, how cute does that look when you peek into the bag?

I added a tag to the front hanging from the button so the momma of the birthday girl would know what the gift was.

You want to make one now, don't you???  

I even had a preschool teacher that was also a guest at the party come up to me afterwards and ask if I could make her one for her classroom.  Pretty cool.  Although, I had just finished them up and so the idea of starting a whole new set made me want to take a nap.  : )

Thanks for visiting Lemon Tree today!  I will be partying at these fabulous blogs this week!  

Happy Tuesday!

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