Inexpensive Monogrammed Apple Teacher Gift Idea

Hey, y'all!  Today I have a quick, easy, inexpensive teacher gift idea that would be perfect for Teacher Appreciation Day/Week.  Last week I shared 10 Teacher Gift Ideas from Teachers Themselves, and this gift actually covers two of those ideas.  I'm calling it my Monogrammed Apple Teacher Gift, and it's both a personalized AND useful gift.

  To begin the project, you need hand sanitizer.

 I bought the hand sanitizer I used from the dollar store.  You can get a large bottle for a dollar or three small bottles for a dollar if you want to really stretch your money.

I peeled off the labels from the bottle and used Goo Gone to remove any residue left over.

Then I designed the monogrammed apple using my Silhouette program.  If you need an apple to use, you can download a free file I created {HERE}.  To create my monogram, I used a free monogram app on my phone and then emailed the monogram to myself.  I traced the monogram using my Silhouette program and centered it in the middle of the apple.  (In the screen shot above, I have filled all the pieces of the monogrammed apple with color.  I often do that when I'm going to cut a design with vinyl so that I can quickly decide what colors go well together.)  Group all the pieces together and then size the monogrammed apple to fit the hand sanitizer bottle you're using.

Then ungroup all the shapes.  You can cut each shape one at a time from vinyl, but I like to spread all the pieces out on the carrier sheet so I can cut once.  You can see what I mean below.

After the pieces of the design are cut, it's time to weed the vinyl.

Tip: I don't have a weeding tool, so I often use a straight pin or the end of a craft knife to weed my designs.  Once the pieces are weeded, cut a piece of transfer tape or contact paper the size of the apple.  I used contact paper so that I can see my vinyl as I'm layering it.

Center the apple on the bottle and use contact paper to adhere it to the bottle.

Center the monogram on the apple and adhere it to the bottle.  Then add the stem and leaf.  Note: I used the same piece of contact paper to transfer all the pieces of my design.  Also, I hinged the contact paper when applying the monogram to make sure that I had the vinyl centered before adhering it to the apple.

And that's all there is to creating a cute, inexpensive, personalized teacher gift.  I'm not sure how much the small amount of vinyl I used cost because I didn't do the math, but I would guesstimate this gift costs less than $2 to make.  It's the perfect gift to show a teacher that you care without spending a lot of money.

Related Posts:

 Glittered Dollar Store Stapler

 String Art Apple Chalkboard Frame

Monogram a T-Shirt with Your Silhouette

10 Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas from Teachers

Hey, y'all!  If you've been a follower of my blog for a while, you probably know already that I'm a teacher.  If you're new to the blog, well, I have a day job, and it's teaching English to high schoolers.  ;)  It's the time of year when bloggers start sharing Teacher Appreciation ideas, so I thought it would be fun to ask some of my fellow teachers what they'd like to receive for Teacher Appreciation Day, which is May 5th this year.  I compiled their answers into a short list to share with y'all today.

Now let me preface this list by saying that this is not an online plea for gifts for Teacher Appreciation Day/Week.  Honestly, in my nine years of teaching, I don't remember ever getting anything from a student for Teacher Appreciation Day, and I'm completely okay with that.  Since I teach high schoolers, that's not really something on their radars.  I'm lucky enough to work at a school that shows appreciation for teachers through small little gifts or treats each day of Teacher Appreciation Week.  With that being said, if I or my fellow teachers were to receive a little something from a student on Teacher Appreciation Day, here are ten gifts we would be excited about receiving.

1.  Gum or Mints

If you've ever had to help a student one-on-one right after lunch, you know how much this gift would be appreciated!

2.  Candy

During a rough day, something as simple as a small piece of chocolate can make a teacher feel a little better, so an emergency stash of candy or chocolate is a great thing to have.

3.  School Supplies

Most teachers buy pencils, pens, notebook paper, crayons, construction paper, glue, markers, etc. for their classrooms using their own money.  Yes, technically those items are for the students, but if a teacher doesn't have to buy one of those items with his or her own money, that's definitely a plus.

4.  Personalized Items

I think a scientific study should be done to figure out why teachers love personalized items so much.  Give us a coffee cup, tote bag, or notepad with our name or initials on it, and we get super excited!

5.  Lotion or Hand Sanitizer

Germs are rampant in a school no matter how clean it is, so hand sanitizer is always a good choice as a gift for teachers.  And hand sanitizer and hand washing, which teachers do frequently, is not exactly gentle on the skin, so lotion would be a great gift too. 6.  Cleaning Supplies Yes, schools have some cleaning supplies on hand, but these are still things that teachers often buy using their own money.  Disinfecting wipes and other cleaning supplies would be a very useful gift, and one more item a teacher doesn't have to buy himself or herself.

7.  Gift Card

A $5 gift card to Walmart, Target, Subway, Starbucks, etc. would be a great gift.

8.  Summer Items

Since Teacher Appreciation Day comes at the end of the school year, teachers are starting to get excited about summer.  A packet of flower seeds, a hummingbird feeder, a beach towel, or a beach bag would be a great gift.

9.  Breakfast or Lunch

If you're able, taking a teacher a Bojangles biscuit for breakfast or a Subway sandwich for lunch would seriously make his or her day.  Something besides school breakfast/lunch or a sandwich is always exciting! 10.  A Simple Note of Appreciation I think I saved the best for last.  You honestly don't have to spend a dime to show your appreciation to a teacher.  You or your child writing a simple note of appreciation to a teacher would probably mean more to a teacher than any of the ideas above.  Most teachers became teachers to help students learn and become productive citizens.  Sometimes teachers fall into the trap of wondering if they're making a difference.  A note telling them that they are indeed making a difference would mean more than you can even imagine.

If you're a parent who always tries to do something for Teacher Appreciation Day/Week, I hope this list gives you some ideas.  And since y'all are so awesome (and may even be teachers yourselves), what are some ideas you have for Teacher Appreciation gifts that I might not have included? Related Posts:

 Free Teacher's Note Printables

 Helpful Advice for First Year Teachers

Apple Chalkboard Frame

{Back to School Week: Teacher's Note Printables}

Hey, y'all!  It's day two of Back to School Week here at Pitter and Glink.

As a teacher, I love school supplies.  When I get a new notebook, notepad, or a nice set of pencils, I am on cloud nine.  Yes, this may be a bit nerdy, but, hey, I'm a teacher.  I'm allowed to be nerdy.  Today I'm sharing two printable teacher's notes so that other teachers can "nerd out" a little with me over some new classroom supplies.

If you're not a teacher, you can print a few of these to give your child's teacher as a beginning of the year gift.  It's a little gesture that would let your child's teacher know that you care.  

Being a teacher--as with many other professions--is becoming a more difficult job every year.  Salaries are being cut all over the country, yet teachers are expected to perform at an even higher level than ever before.  I'm not moaning and groaning by any means.  I just don't know if parents realize how far a little appreciation can go when it comes to teachers.  We do our job for your children and knowing that you recognize that gives us an extra little push that keeps us doing our jobs day after day. You can download the printables below.

These printables are for personal use only--you may not claim them as your own, resell, or redistribute them.  (You may give the printed version as a gift to someone, though.)  To download them, simply click on the arrow with a line under it.  Before printing, remember that the images are sized to 4x6.  Last year I also shared a printable for teachers, or anyone for that matter, with my readers.  You can find my desktop note holder printables {HERE}.  Enjoy the printables and don't forget to come back around lunchtime today for another freebie--this time for the students.