Holiday Gift Bags with Megan Klauer

With the Holidays just around the corner and that list of to-dos growing by the day; I knew I needed to get a head start on a few things. 

Each year I am at a loss as to what to get my boys' teachers. This year I decided to decorate these fun little kraft gift bags I found at the Target dollar spot & I will be filling them with a variety of things like hot cocoa mix, chocolates, note pads, & pencils. I'll work on picking up those items once I start my shopping.

Getting these bags done ahead of time makes me excited! No last minute gift wrapping the night before the boys are to take them to school. I'm not the only one who does that right?

I pulled a variety of items from my stash including: dollies, vintage letter stencils, vintage buttons, and the following JBS products: Mini Bingo Cards - Christmas, Haven - Cherries Ripe paper, Chipboard Buttons - Vintage Christmas, Stick Pins - Garnet & Vintage German Foil Gold Trim from a past Antiquarian kit. 

Before attaching the Vintage Stencils to the music paper, I personalized them using my typewriter. Many of my vintage buttons in my stash came from my grandmother as well as flee markets. An old Ball jar full of vintage buttons is always a fun find. 

Get a head start on your gift giving this year by working on packaging now. These can be easily altered for any occasion!

How to Thank a Teacher

An old proverb compares teachers to candles, consuming themselves as they light the way for others. There are so many reasons to thank those who have chosen to dedicate their lives to teaching, yet finding ways to truly thank our teachers can be a challenge.

As a teacher, I can share with you that the most meaningful gifts that I receive from students are also the simplest ones.  There is great power in a thank-you note that is composed with sincerity.

These are a few of the thank-you cards that my daughter will share with her teachers this year. Within each trifold card is room for a heartfelt note of gratitude as well as a gift card -- because even as teachers consume themselves to light the way for their students, they also consume a heckuva lot of coffee!  (They also tend to appreciate bookstores, office supply stores, and donations made in their names to make the future bright for others.) 

To create these cards, I used the "Thanks" sentiment from the "Give Thanks" kit cuts by Lisa Dickinson for JBS Mercantile, and layered it over a gathering of vellum feathers as well as paper feathers cut from the new Christmas 2012 and Red and Black Extension V collections.  I like the idea of feathers being part of a gift for someone who helps my daughter not just to fly, but to soar. 

When it comes to letting the teachers in your life know just how much they are appreciated, just remember that the best gifts are given with gratitude.  Begin with two words -- thank you -- and let your heart take it from there.