Easy, Inexpensive, Unique Teacher's Gift

Well friends, it's that time of year again.  The pressure is on.  Are YOU ready?

That's right.  The incredibly difficult task of finding your child's teacher THE PERFECT Christmas gift.  What if you choose wrong?  What will the other mothers say?  Will your child become the outcast of their class?  Will the teachers think you're cheap/uncreative/a spawn of The Grinch?

Ok, so MAYBE I'm exaggerating.  However, I do put a lot of thought into teachers' gifts.  Afterall, they are totally worth doing something special for.  This year I combined an idea I got from Pinterest (original idea here) with my own little added touches, and now I am sharing it with you!

They are personalized notepads, and I'm hoping the 3 teachers I made them for love them!

Here's what you'll need:

• fun scrapbook paper and stickers (optional)
• 15 pieces white printer paper
• thin cardboard (I used the back of a spiral notebook I had)
• 2 large binder clips
• paper cutter
• Exacto knife
• special fonts* to use in Microsoft Word (or equivalent)

*My new favorite thing to do is download pretty fonts.  I've been using dafont.com.  The lettering is School Script Dashed and the apples are from MTF Sweet Dings. 


Step 1:
Create a Word document and separate it into 4 equal sections, with your writing at the top.  I wish I could give you tips on how to easily do this, but I always have to do a lot of trial and error.  My best tip is to go to Format > Columns, and select 2 columns.  Then if you're like me the space bar becomes you're best friend.


Step 2:
Once you've got your Word document perfected, print out 15 copies.  Then use your paper cutter to cut out each piece EXACTLY the same.  This shouldn't be too difficult if your paper cutter has measurements.  It's important so each piece lines up perfectly for your pad of paper. 

Step 3:

Then stack the pages so they line up as perfectly as possible, especially at the top.  Clip the top of the sides with binder clips.  Run several 5-6 thin layers of rubber cement along the top of the pad.  (Don't worry about extra glue running down...the back piece will be glued to the cardboard backing, and the front page you will tear off once the glue is dried.

 

Step 4:
While glue dries, make your cover for the pad.  It's a simple rectangle, but make sure you allow for edges and extra paper at the top.  Cut paper just slightly wider than note paper, and longer than the height of the not paper by about an inch and a half.  Decorate it however you want!

Step 5:
Get an approximate measurement of the thickness of the pad once glue is dried.

Step 6:
On notepad cover, measure the line that will be the binding.  (remember, you just measured it in step 5)

(Am I the only one that still has my Roller Ruler from 7th grade?  I swear I don't still have my TI-85 from 9th grade.)

Step 7:

VERY gently  run the Exacto knife around the 2 lines to make a precise fold for your binding.

Step 8:

Glue the back piece of paper to the cardboard backing.  Be sure to leave a bit of an edge as shown in 2nd picture.  And as close to the top edge as shown in the bottom picture.

Step 9:

Assemble your masterpiece.  Sorry, forgot to take a picture...but there will be about a 1" piece of your scrapbook paper cover you will glue onto the back of the cardboard.  Then the scrapbook will easily fold over your binding and create a nice cover over the notepad.

Yep, I made 3 'cause I needed to, they were easy, and I already had all the supplies!  Have fun if you make any, and drop me a comment if you do!