Beaded bracelets: Easy handmade teacher gift

My formula for teacher gifts has seemingly developed like this:

Gift card + inexpensive handmade gift = Perfect teacher gift

I also have a couple of qualifiers: no ornaments, nothing with apples on it, and I try not to gift food (because I know how hard it is not to eat chocolate when someone gives you chocolate.) Honestly, I just try to give gifts I would like to get (even as a non-teacher).

This year, I wanted to get Elise involved in the making part of things, so we went with simple beaded bracelets. I am not a jewelry maker, but making these bracelets require no special knowledge or tools.

All you need are beads (glass or ceramic are nicer than plastic) and clear elastic (I use a brand called Stretch Magic). Each of these bracelets priced out around $2 (with all materials procured for 40 percent off at the craft store).

You'll need enough beads to cover approximately 8.5 inches of elastic. And cut your piece of elastic a few inches longer (11-12 inches) so you'll have enough space to tie the knots.

We used glass beads with a gray pearly finish, something I think most anyone would like. I bought two different sizes of beads and instructed Elise to string them big - little - big - little. She really got into it! We worked on one a day until they were all finished. All I did was tie the knots!

A note: When you're working with elastic, it's important to seal the knots with a little dab of clear nail polish to prevent the bracelets from coming apart.

Easy on, easy off. No clasps! Bracelets like these are the extent of jewelry I wear on a daily basis because they require nearly no effort.

See more handmade teacher gifts here >>

Easy end-of-year teacher thank you gifts: Decoupaged clipboards

With the school year wrapping up, it was time to make more thank you gifts for Elise's preschool teachers. I truly believe that gift cards are sometimes the most appreciated, but it doesn't hurt to pair them with a little something handmade.

Decoupaged clipboards are easy to make, and they're the perfect companion to a gift card. I found plain mini clipboards at my favorite well stocked Dollar Tree, but I've gotten similar half-size clipboards at office supply stores in the past.

This is a quick craft you can whip out in under half an hour. A coat of Mod Podge to stick down the card stock and another to seal it. Super easy.

It's also cheap! A dollar for the clipboard and even less for the card stock -- you're all in for under $2 each!

• See more decoupaged clipboards >>
• Also check out my coin purse gift card packaging >>

Coin purses: Cute gift card packaging

Sometimes giving gift cards can seem a little empty, but there are certain situations where they really are the best option. I wanted to give Elise's teachers gift cards for Christmas, so I decided to personalize the gift a bit by making some coin purses (similar to those I made for Elise's birthday party).

I used the same black and white striped fabric I used on my recent baby quilt and some pink cross-hatch fabric for the lining.

I had zippers on hand from my last go-around with coin purses and all the fabric as well, so these cost nothing to make. I think they'd price out between $1 and $2 each if you had to buy all the materials.

These really are so simple to make. I made them assembly-line style, but they probably only took around 20 minutes a piece. (Same as last time, I generally followed this tutorial at Noodlehead.) I even made an extra for myself!