Teacher Appreciation Time

This week's blogger challenge theme is "alter it."  Since teacher appreciation week is coming up soon, I thought this would be a good time to put together a quick and useful teacher thank you project using an inexpensive clear photo frame and a pad of sticky notes. As I put together my project, I took photos for a basic step by step tutorial so you can whip one up for your favorite teacher.

Here's what you need to put this gift together:

• 4" x 6" clear picture frame

• 3" x 3" sticky note pad 

• stamps and ink (or patterned paper if you'd prefer!)

• cardstock to stamp on and to layer your stamped panel on

• double sided adhesive

• letter stickers

I started off by cutting a white cardstock panel just a little smaller than the size of the frame.  I stamped an apple image from the Reverse Confetti Class Act stamp set repeatedly on a white cardstock panel using pigment inks from Imagine Crafts.  You don't have to stamp a panel--a piece of patterned paper would work just fine here, too.

After I finished stamping, I matted the panel on a piece of kraft cardstock cut to fit inside the frame.  Of course, you can use any color that coordinates with your stamped or patterned paper panel.

I slipped the panel inside of the frame.  Make sure you set the frame so it slants down, not so that it sits up like you'd use it to display a photo.

I attached some strong double-sided adhesive strips to the back of the pad of sticky notes.

I peeled off the tape's backing, then attached it to the frame.

You can stop there, but to add a personal touch, I used foam letter stickers to add the teacher's name (mine!).  I'll be putting this on my desk when I go back to the classroom next year!

Materials Used:
Class Act stamp set (Reverse Confetti); Memento Luxe Love Letter, Toffee Crunch, and Pear Tart inks (Tsukineko); white cardstock (Michaels); Desert Storm cardstock (Neenah); black foam letter stickers (American Crafts)