Last day of school .... teacher gift day

Hooray, finished the teacher gifts. Bit miffed as I think DS nicked two of the cookies. Coupled with the fact that the cookies I did failed (thankfully the ones the girls did were a big success). However, this meant that one person had to be 'knocked' off the list (not a person who actually teaches either of my girls). A bit disappointed but it was 2am when I realised and I wasn't about to start baking again then!

Anyhow, we handed the gifts out this morning, they were well received, the boxes looked pretty but I think the fact that the girls did the baking last night after coming back late from the school trip was the thing the teachers liked the best. Hope they enjoy them with their cuppas at break/lunch time!

I spent ages trying to perfect the template. It still could have done with tweaking a bit, but time was marching on and it folded up fine. The flaps at the bottom were not strong enough to hold the box shut with the weight of the cookies. I didn't think they would be, but I'm not skilled enough of a paper engineer to have figured out how to do the closing at the top. I think the twine tied at the top into a bow looks pretty though and it did give the tags somewhere to go (NB photos taken before the girls had written on the tags, but after they were written, they were tied into the bow on the top of each house).

I used Hero Arts stamps - scallop border and scallop 'for you' stamps from the dolls cleardesign set, the thanks sentiment from the thoughtful messages set and the little bird and you're special sentiment from the hello birdie set.
Butterflies were stamped using Conversation Dots then punched out.
The little row of hearts is from a Studio G stamp set.
Patterned paper is a mix from Around the Block, Scenic Route, Cloud 9, Papermania, Imaginesce, Dream Street and Tinkering Ink.
Chipboard bird Maya Road (used as template)
Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder

How to:

Draw around template on reverse of stiff patterned cardstock.

Cut out and fold.

Use circle compass scissors to cut out the circle aperture.

Stamp sentiment onto acetate (I gently heat set with embossing heat gun for speed) and attach behind aperture.

Stamp same sentiment onto co-ordinating plain cardstock. Punch centre portion out with circle punch and then use a larger scallop circle punch to punch around the scallop. Adhere the scalloped frame to the front of the birdhouse using a glue pen.

Fold birdhouse together, using strong double sided tape to hold in position.

Cut out rectangle for roof. Use scalloped edge scissors at either end. Fold in half and adhere to roof.

Stamp the scalloped border multiple times onto co-ordinating cardstock (I staggered the design and stamped the border three times either side of a centre point).

Fold and attach to top of roof.

Use Maya Road bird as template to cut chipboard bird, emboss using embossing folder. Swipe/edge with ink for definintion. Add small gem for eye. Attach to front of birdhouse using foam pad for dimension.

Cut 'grass' from green cardstock and attach to bottom of birdhouse. Add gemstone flower to bottom corner.

Stamp script design onto cardstock and punch out butterflies, attach above the aperture and add pearls to finish.

Cut tag from chipboard, shape, add hole reinforcer sticker and punch out hole.

Stamp with sentiment, bird and hearts. Colour in hearts.

Add small strip of patterned paper cut with scallop scissors, define bottom edge with black pen.

Write message on reverse of tag.

Insert cookies into cello bags.

Punch large scalloped circle, fold in half, stamp with bird and sentiment.

Staple to top of bag.

Put cookies into birdhouse.

Secure with twine, tying into a bow at the top catching in the tag using a jump ring.