Need an idea to thank great preschool teacher...

[JSchmith]

Hi all!

Does anyone have any ideas of something simple my son could make for his preschool/speech therapist teacher? She's been really great. The last day they meet is May 7 (this Tuesday).

Thanks,
Jenny

[Diane]

3x5" Recipe Card Holder

What You Need

· 35 Popsicle sticks
· School glue or tacky glue
· Wax paper or plastic grocery bags
· White satin ribbon
· Rubber stamp (small simple design such as star or heart)
· Stamp pad
· Silk flower
· 3x5" Index cards, lined


How To Make It

Protect your surface by using wax paper or plastic grocery bags. You can use newspaper, but I find that the project tends to stick to it and the newspaper print transfers to the Popsicle sticks.
Glue 11 Popsicle sticks long sides together in a row. (see Photo 1)
Glue 6 Popsicle sticks long sides together in a row. (see Photo 1)
Glue 2 Popsicle sticks long sides together in a row. (see Photo 1)
Stack and glue 8 Popsicle sticks on top of each other. (see Photo 2)
Create another stack of 8 Popsicle sticks.
Take one stack of 8 Popsicle sticks and glue to the (11 stick) longest row, along the longest side. (see Photo 3)
Repeat with other stack of 8 Popsicle sticks.
Glue the row of 2 Popsicle sticks at one end of the recipe holder to create the bottom. (see Photo 4)
Glue the row of 6 Popsicle sticks on top of the stacks of 8 Popsicle sticks, and adhering to the bottom edge of the recipe holder. (see Photo 5)
Turn recipe holder over. Glue 2 Popsicle sticks together to create a V shape and attach to the top of the recipe holder to create a hanger. (see Photo 6)
Let dry completely.
Rubber stamp design on ribbon and at the top of the recipe cards. Add a silk flower if desired.
Give this useful present to your mother, aunt, grandmother, or anyone who likes to cook!


Crayon Candles

What You Need

· Wicks
· White wax
· Glass jars
· Wax boil bags
· Old broken crayons


How To Make It

Use clear jars that are generally laying about the house. Pickles and jelly jars are excellent for this type of project.
We picked up the boil bags, wicks, and wax at a local craft store. Sydney gathered all her broken crayons and separated them into color schemes. (We used red and green for Christmas and then topped them with gold and silver.) Sydney used a butter knife to tear apart the old crayons. I used a sharp knife that worked much better, but she had no problem breaking the crayons! She was the one to break them in the first place!
The hard part of this project was getting the wicks to stand up straight while we poured the wax. If the wick is not straight, the candle will not burn well, so we tied it to the top of the jar with twist ties. We got the twist ties to work by crossing them over in the middle in an "X" shape with the wick in the center.
After the jars were ready, we melted the white wax in a boil bag. As I poured the wax, a little at a time, Sydney added her broken crayons to the mix. Since the wax is hot, the crayons melt, and the effect is very artistic! When I poured the jar full, Sydney would top it off with a handful of some interesting color. The hot wax caused the colors to "run" into the candles.


Flower Pot Recipe Holder:

This project is very EASY to do.
What You Need

· 3" Flower pot
· Moss
· Small flowers, 5-8 for each
· 1 Plastic fork for each
· Plaster of Paris


How To Make It

Spray paint the pot, or leave it plain.
Mix the plaster according to the directions on the box. Let it set for a bit and cover the table ( if your plaster is to runny it will leak out of the hole in the bottom).
When it's stiff (but still runny enough ) pour into the pot.
Put in a small batch of moss and poke in the flowers.
Then put the fork in the middle of this.
Let the plaster dry for about 6-12 hours.