Easy to make pencil vase

On Wednesday I shared with you 20 teacher appreciation gifts that you could make today. Today, I want to show you a simple pencil vase that I whipped up in under an hour. This would make the perfect gift for teacher appreciation week.

I am obsessed with fresh flowers and thankfully can find some pretty amazing lilacs on the side of the road. {tip: always carry pruning sheers in your car just in case!}.  I used some easy to find supplies {my vase came from a garage sale for fifty cents} and made a pretty awesome looking vase any teacher would love.

You will need:

Vase {like this one}

 yellow number 2 pencils

ribbon {like this}

hot glue gun

I don't have any pictures of the process because it was literally make a strip of glue on your pencil {way easier than on the vase} and press.  

I will share some tips

Keep your vase flat on your table so that the pencils are all the same height. If you want the writing on the pencil to show forward, be mindful of where you are putting the glue.  And finally, don't stress out that the inside doesn't look pretty from the glue lines.  Your vase will be filled with flowers, it won't matter!

There you have it!  A beautiful vase for your favorite teacher! Snip some flowers on your walk to school and you have a fun gift to give during teacher appreciation week.

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20 Teacher appreciation gifts you can make today!

I don't know about you, but teacher appreciation week sneaks right up on me every.single.year.I sort of work best at the last minute, so I put together a list of 20 teacher appreciation gifts that you can make TODAY! Some of the ideas may require a quick trip to the store, but all of them can be made and packaged in under an hour.

1. My daughter is obsessed with EOS lip balm.  I got my first EOS this past weekend and I can see why! This adorable printable from wine and glue will take you no time at all to put together. It's even available in a silhouette print and cut file if you have one or download it as a normal PDF.

2. There is also this really cute EOS printable from the Country Chic Cottage.

3. Or this butterfly shaped one from The Dating Divas.

4. Heck, while you are at it, buy the Costco multi pack and make some for the whole staff! Thanks to I Should be Mopping the Floor for making sure we didn't leave anyone out!

5. I know when I substitute teach my painted fingernails get noticed a lot when I use the overhead projector.  Why not treat the teacher to some toe-tally awesome nail polish for her fingers  {or feet}? This free printable is from eighteen25 and can even be customized for Mother's day too.

6. This next one isn't a free printable, but an idea of something that you could easily put together with items that you have on hand and with a quick trip to the hardware store to get a succulent and a terra cotta jar. Succulents are hot right now. Any teacher would love to have these easy to maintain plant.

Thanks for the idea Life Made Lovely!

7. I know it's hard to believe for some students, but teachers have a life outside of school.  This popular teacher tag would be great to add to a redbox rental or Netflix subscription or it could be on the top of a bag of popcorn.  The possibilities are endless! Thanks to Digi Scrapping Queen via Keeping My Cents for this one.

8. It's nearing the end of the year and believe it or not those 23 dozen sharpened pencils you sent in with your child at the beginning of school are starting to run low. Part of what I do as a sub is sharpen pencils. The Ticonderoga brand is by far superior and would make any teacher happy to find a cup full of them. Everyday Me even added a little flag to the cup, but you could add your own sentiment...

9.  like these free printables from Lisa Storms.  Instead of pencils, you can fill your cup with ice tea and lemonade.  Trust me, these are fun for teachers to have on hand for one of those days when they need a pick me up.

10. Let's be honest, there are a lot of germs in the classroom. Why not make it fun for your teacher to wash her hands.  Thanks to eighteen25 for these printables.

11. One of the first things I think of when I think of teachers is chalkboards. Why not make a fun mason jar with chalkboard paint. Fill the jar with sharpies, or pencils or flowers for a pretty sweet gift.  Thanks Blue i Style for the tutorial.

12. Who doesn't love ice cream? With warmer weather coming, any teacher would love this ice cream gift card printable from I Heart Naptime.

13. While we are talking about gift cards, this one from Target is pretty awesome.  Because who doesn't love Target? You can find it on Landeelu.

14. Or you can download this free printable and pair it with an Apple gift card from My Sister's Suitcase via Everything Etsy.

15. It's as simple as grabbing a kit kat in the check out line. Eighteen25 does it again!

16. While you are at the grocery store, you can pick up some Simply orange juice and print off the tag that The Fickle Pickle created. 

17. You don't have to get all fancy like Skip to my Lou did and make paper strawberries {though it's awesome if you do!}.  You can grab a berry box like this and add candy or treats you know your teacher would like.

18.  If you have a good relationship with you child's teacher, you can head in after school and slip this to her. I probably wouldn't let me kiddo bring it to class though. This printable label from Soho Sonnet is bound to get a laugh.

19. This handmade fabric key chains won't take you long and they come with a free printable and tutorial from A Girl and a Glue Gun.

20.  These free printables from Sweet Metal Moments can be printed up quickly and contain a sweet {inexpensive} gift for your teacher.

BONUS! 

This free printable donut tag from Happiness is Homemade would be a great treat to bring in to the teachers lounge for everyone to enjoy. 

I hope you have gotten an idea or two to make for your kiddos teachers next week during teacher appreciation week.  A sweet handwritten note is always welcome too. Teachers are the best! Make sure they feel appreciated!

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Take a peek inside my sub bag

I started the school year with a new job.I decided to start substitute teaching at my kids school this year.I only want to work two or three days a week and subbing provides a very flexible schedule for me to be able to do that.
I have really enjoyed being in the classroom and working with kids.Each day is different.
One day I could be in PE, another day I could be teaching third grade.I have to be prepared for anything so I have a sub bag that I have put together with essentials for whatever may get thrown my way.

 Want to take a peek inside my bag?

Inside my bag I have a book to read during silent reading time or when the kids have a specialist.I have a notebook and my favorite pen {a sharpie fine line} for leaving notes for the teacher.I always have a box full of candy.  Nothing motivates the kids like a secret stash of candy.I usually pass it out to the kids showing good behavior and shockingly good behavior from the rowdy ones usually follows.I also have a bag with BandAids, {holy cow these kids want to go to the nurse for just about anything!}a nail file, some chapstick and lipstick and of course some headache medicine because let's be honest, not every day is a good day.And of course, I always travel with my Puffs SoftPack. There is a reason I'm subbing in a classroom and it's usually because the teacher is out sick.Cram a classroom full of sniffly, snot-nosed kids together and it's a germ fest!
I have to make sure I'm prepared and I love that the new Puffs SoftPack can easily fit in my sub bag and it's water resistant!  So when I put my sweaty water bottle in the bag I don't have to worry.I think it's genius that the Puffs that we know and love now come in a SoftPack that can fit anywhere!Where do you take your SoftPack?Share how the new SoftPack fits into your life on the Facebook page.Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Puffs through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Puffs, all opinions are my own.

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