Personalized Christmas gift for teachers.

If you’re the typical mom, you struggle each year finding the right Christmas gift for your children’s teather.  Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it can be difficult to find a gift that is economical, functional, and shows that you actually put some thought into it.  Last year we made 6″ decorative tiles using vinyl lettering, with a quote about teachers.  This year, however, we made customized pencil holders that turned out to be really cute!

What you need:

• Small Glass Jar (I got these at Walmart)
• Some ribbon (I chose red because it’s a Christmas gift)
• Some pencils (Got these at the dollar store)
• Custom Vinyl Lettering (available at wallstamps.net)

First, you have to get your glass jars, so you know what size of vinyl lettering to get.  I got glass jars that were about 4×4″ square.  Next, you need to get your custom vinyl letters to put the design on the glass. If you email anna@wallstamps.net, she can make the lettering to fit whichever glass container size you select (but it’s better not to go smaller than 4×4).

After you have your vinyl, you simply affix it to the glass jar.  Tie the ribbon around the top, and fill it full of pencils.  Now, you have a gift that was economical, thoughtful, and sure to get lots of use and attention by your child’s teacher.

Mother's Day Gifts Made with Vinyl Lettering

Once again, Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and with economic conditions as they are many are scrambling to find the right gift for mom, without breaking the bank.  One thing that is important to consider is the gesture of gift giving.  It’s often the thoughtfulness that goes into a gift that makes is special, not neccessarily the cost of the gift itself.  Many people “cop out” by choosing to give flowers, which can be expensive, or a gift card, which says to mom “I put no thought into this gift.”  Rest assured, you can get a Mother’s Day gift that is both thoughtful, and inexpensive by using vinyl lettering, or wall words to create your own custom gift.

One option is to create a custom gift for mom on her special day.  Rather than choosing a “one size fits all” gift off of the shelf, put something together that is custom for your mother.  This is easily done by using hand made crafts and home decor products.  By utilizing vinyl letters (sometimes called wall letters), you can make an amazing personalized gift for mom without breaking your budget.  Here are a few options:

Etched Pyrex

Using vinyl lettering kits as a stencil allows you to apply the stencil to glass, such as Pyrex baking dishes, apply an etching creme to the exposed area, and create  a beautifully custom etched gift for mom.  Last year we did many of these for mothers by etching the words “From the kitchen of Rebecca Holdaway – Worlds Best Mother.”  A personalized gift like this mean a lot because it’s personalized, shows a lot of thought went into it, and can be used for years and years.

Home Decor Sign

A personalized home decor sign is another great Mother’s Day gift.  You can either customize a vinyl lettering kit, or choose a pre-designed one that highlights how special mothers are.  Either way, with a simple board, some paint, and a vinyl letters kit, you can make a decorative home decor sign that mom will cherish for years to come.

One of the things I love about vinyl lettering is that with a little creativity you can use it to make some very unique gifts that may look very expensive, but are in reality very affordable.  Custom vinyl lettering offers so many choices in creating unique gifts that we couldn’t possibly mention them all.  However, here are some of our favorite gift ideas using vinyl letters:

Decorative Sign

Decorative Signs

It’s amazing what a little bit of acryllic paint, and some cusotm vinyl lettering will do to a plain 6×24x1″ wooden board.  Paint the board with acryllic paint, distress the edges, and apply some vinyl lettering made specifically to fit the board (available at Wall Stamps), and you’ve got the makings of a beautiful wooden sign.  One of the favorite gift ideas we give for weddings, or christmas is a decorative sign with a couple’s name and est. date.  Use your imagination to choose the fonts and colors that will truly make your sign stand out.

Etched Pyrex Baking Dishes

Etched Pyrex Dish

Just about everyone has glass baking dishes, whether their Pyrex, or another brand (my favorite is Ikea, only $7.99 for a large) you can turn an ordinary glass baking dish into a truly unique gift with a reverse lettering kit and some glass etching creme (available at almost any craft or hobby store).  Use the reverse lettering kit as a stencil, brushing the etching creme onto the exposed glass, which will etch the lettering into the baking dish.  We have often etched the phrase “Baked With Love from the Holdaway House” into the bottom of our pyrex dishes.  This sure does beat using a sharpie or masking tape…and you usally get your dishes back after loaning them out, or cooking dinner for the neighbors.

Decorative Tiles

Decorative Tile

Decorative tiles are a great gift.  They are great to display on a mantle, desk, dresser, or entry way table.  With a little bit of customization, you can create a truly unique, one of a kind gift that will show that special someone just how much you care…and how much thought went into their gift.  Decorative tiles make great gifts for young women, friends, teachers, and grandparents. A 6″ tile is inexpensive to buy, and the lettering kits from Wall Stamps are also very reasonably priced.

While there are numerous ways to use vinyl lettering to create unique gifts, these are some of our favorites.  We’d love to hear what your favorite vinyl lettering gifts are.  You can either comment on our blog, or email me at anna@wallstamps.net

Teacher appreciation gift created using a vinyl lettering kit from Wall Stamps, and a 6" ceramic tile.

If your kids have ever had a really rotten teacher (yes, there are plenty of them out there), then you know how wonderful it is when your kids have a really exceptional teacher.  Someone who goes the extra mile, above and beyond their job duties to help children learn and prepare for life.  The sad thing is that these exceptional teachers don’t typically get any better compensation or recognition than the apathetic, lousy, and detached teacher does.  That’s why it’s important to show appreciation for those exceptional teachers out there. A little recognition from parents of their students goes a long way to help a teacher feel that their extra efforts don’t go unnoticed.  Here’s where we as parents come in, by showing them appreciation with small token that will be treasured for a lifetime.  One such token that I’ve found to be exceptional is a decorative tile (6″, 8″ or 12″) that can be created into a decor piece, or momento for the teachers desk.  Something with a quote of gratitude, or teachers is usually appropriate.

In the sample tile in this photo, we took a 6″ tile, and using some vinyl lettering from wall stamps, we transformed an ordinary tile into a beautiful work of art – something that almost any teacher would love.  The vinyl letters are pre-spaced, easy to install, and come packaged with installation instructions if purchased from Wall Stamps.  Also, if you can’ t find a standard item you like, custom vinyl lettering is also always an option.

Create a Unique Picture Frame with Vinyl Lettering

One things for certain, we parents love to show off our kids.   I don’t know a dad at work who doesn’t love to have a picture of his kids on his desk, or a mom who doesn’t carry pictures of her kids in her purse or on her cell phone so she can show people her children.  Whether we’re dispalying our family photos at home, at work, or sending them to grandparents and distant family members, a custom picture frame can add value and give your pictures a sentimental touch.  Furthermore, a custom picture frame is easy to make using some custom vinyl lettering from Wall Stamps.

If you’re looking for a unique way to give pictures to those you love, try making a custom picture frame to send the images in.  It’s easier, and less expensive that you might think.  Just take a plain wooden frame, paint it with some acryllic paint, and then affix some vinyl letters to it to create a personlized message.  This makes a great gift for mothersday, fathersday, or christmas.

Vinyl Lettering Can Help You Spruce Up Your Valentines Day Gifts.

There are so many things you can do with vinyl lettering, but did you ever think that it could help make a valentines gift a little more special?  There are a lot of directions you could go with this, here are a few different ideas for using vinyl letters in a valentines day gift.

Gift Box Decoration

Just like in the picture here, you can use vinyl lettering to decorate a tin or small mailbox with hearts and even the recipients name.  While it may be quite simple, the fact that it’s custom will show your special someone that you put a lot of thought into your valentines day gift…and that it wasn’t simply something you grabbed off of a store shelf.

Picture Frames

Another great valentines day gift is to give your special someone a picture frame that has spaces for 2 5×7 pictures.  Fill one of the 5×7 slots with your favorite picture together, and fill the other side with a nice piece of decorative paper, like a velum or light paisley, etc.  Then, on top of the glass (paper side) stick some vinyl lettering that shows the date you were married, etc. Once again, not your standard gift, which will show your honey that you spent some time thinking about what to get them.

Etched Glass

Another thing you can do with vinyl lettering is to make a stencil from the vinyl. Instead of sticking the letters on, you take the vinyl letters out, and use the surrounding vinyl as a stencil.  Stick the stencil to a glass box, vase, etc, and then brush over the vinyl with some etching creme, available at most craft stores.  The exposed area of the stencil will etch the glass, leaving the exposed area etched.