Christmas Gifts to Give to One and All
/As December descends upon us, it is the time of giving gifts which means that you have to come up with said gift. For me beyond budget, beyond finding time, sometimes the hardest part for me is coming up with that idea. You know the idea of what to get to give that the person will really appreciate, that they don't have a million of, and that they will remember past the 5 seconds when they open it.
Well, over the next few weeks, we will be sharing great ideas for gifts for all the people in your life. Today we are starting with an amazing gift for Teachers - notebook covers! I'll let Lisa take it over from here!!!
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Hi, Lisa here in Australia, where Christmas also marks the end of the school year and the start of our summer holidays, so teacher gifts are both in celebration of the season and a way to say thank you as our kids transition to the next year.
Two years ago, not long after I first started sewing, I picked up a covered notebook pattern in a PDF bundle, and decided I wanted to make them as gifts for the teachers at my kids’ pre-school. I knew immediately that I wanted to make them in “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” fabric - one of my favourite books from my childhood, and one that my kids enjoy too. So I bought the fabric, notebooks, and all the bits and pieces I needed, and then things got a little crazy as they always do at this time of the year. I shopped for some gifts for the teachers instead, but they just weren’t as lovely as the notebook covers I had in my head.
Even though I know notebook covers are fairly simple, and I’ve come a long way since I bought those first patterns, I’m feeling delighted (and more than a little proud of myself) for finally having made these. I’ve also realized that simple doesn’t always mean easy - it’s a lot harder than I’d thought to cut and sew in perfectly straight lines, and I did have to go back to the shop for the right kind of (lovely soft cotton) batting, rather than using the awful scratchy polyester stuff I bought the first time around.
So, these are my Christmas gifts for some very special people. The teachers who have been part of our lives for many years now, taking our kids from toddlers to grown up little children who are ready to start school. Teachers who have reassured us as we left our little ones for the first time. Who cuddled and comforted them when they fell, and sat them on their knees when they were inconsolable. Teachers who have given them the foundations of reading and counting, encouraged them to explore the natural world, and to learn through the wonders of play. Who have praised their efforts at art, craft and sewing, and who have always treated them kindly, calmly and with respect.
I know they will be delighted to receive handmade gifts, but this is one of those occasions where the pleasure is truly in the giving. This is my way to thank them for everything they have done for our children, sharing in those important and wonderful early years.
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How cute are these!!!! If you want to include a few pens or other writing implements, use this free tutorial to whip up a great zipper pouch to match your new notebook covers.
