Teacher Gifts

We have 5 teachers to give gifts to this year, so I had to do it on a budget. We came up with magnet boards.

I found white wooden frames at Walmart for $3.00 a piece and took the glass out. The I framed 8x10 pieces of sheet metal that the hubby cut for me. (You can get a pretty decent sized sheet at the Home Depot for around $6.00. It covered all of these and a previous 16x20 project.)

Made the magnets with stickers and scrapbook paper that I already had. I like to buy my "pebbles" at Target because they always have the larger size in stock and you can get a nice big bag for around $5.00. I buy my magnets in sets of 50 at Walmart where they are more affordable then even my local craft stores.

ABC's and 123's seemed appropriate! Too cliche? Oh well, cliche or not, everyone can use a magnet right?

Cork/ Magnet Board

I needed idea storage. Most people are probably thinking "Isn't that what your brain is for?'! Well, not mine. I don't know whether it was having 4 kids, or drinking too much diet Coke, but my brain doesn't work that way. Sure I can put the ideas in there, but retrieving them is a whole other story. :) I wanted a cork board,....and I wanted a magnet board,....but I didn't want two separate items. So I decided to create one. This was such a simple and fun project.

I bought a frame at Michaels for 50% off. I actually prefer to find frames at thrift stores or garage sales and paint them, but this one wanted to come home with me, so it worked out well. I bought some sheet metal at Home Depot and cut it with wire snips to fit my 16x20 frame. I bought a four pack of 12x12 cork pieces at Walmart for about $5.- (who knew??) I found one of my favorite pieces of scrap paper (just to spice it up), and got busy.

I used Tacky Glue to adhere the scrap paper to the sheet metal. I like to use a paint brush to smooth the glue out for a better finished product.

I trimmed the cork board about an inch all of the way around with a straight edge and a utility knife, so that the paper would provide a border. Then I used Tacky Glue to adhere the cork board to the paper.

I weighed it down and gave it a while to dry. (No mystery what my favorite magazine is, eh?)

When the husbands away the wife will play.:) I hunted down the hubby's hammer and used my super cute, tiny nails to fasten the sheet metal into the frame. Tip...if you can't hold the tiny nail and not hit your finger with the hammer then use some pliers to hold the nail.

I hung it in my favorite spot in the office and pinned up some of my crafty ideas. I am so excited that I won't have to dig my ideas out of a box any more. Or even scarier,... try to find them in the file folders of my brain. ;)

HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

 

I am going to link this to Frugal Friday at the Shabby Nest.

 

xoxox -Holls