Tatertots and Jello

COLORFUL HAPPY HOME -- Daily DIY, Decor, Craft and Recipe Tutorial

  • My Home
    • 1905 Cottage
    • Daybreak House
  • DIY
    • DIY Projects and Ideas
    • Organizing
    • Tutorials
    • Printables
  • Decor
    • Spring Projects
    • Summer Projects
    • Fall Projects
  • Crafts
    • Kids Crafts
    • Painting Projects
    • Paper Projects
    • Sewing
    • Wreaths
  • Holidays
    • Valentines Day
    • Easter
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • HAPPY Holidays Series!
  • Recipes

Explore

  • my home
  • diy
  • decor
  • crafts
  • holiday
  • printables
  • recipes

Connect

Home » gift ideas » Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea — Make Personalized Tote Bags!!

gift ideas, silhouette · May 2, 2011

Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea — Make Personalized Tote Bags!!

Tatertots & Jello is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
teacher appreciation face bag ella
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!! 
I’d love to share what we are giving our wonderful teachers this year.
I recently saw some cute pillows on Freshly Picked and thought they were so funny and whimsical.
freshly picked his and hers pillows
{Freshly Picked}
I thought I would take that concept and make some tote bags for my kids’ teachers this year.
teacher appreciation totes two

I designed the face on my Silhouette machine and printed it off using heat transfer material.
{If you do this, remember to mirror your image before you print it out}
before ironing on the heat transfer
We added the teacher’s name and a little apple popping up for a whimsical touch!!

Once the image was printed out, I took off the excess heat transfer tape, leaving only the images I wanted to use. Then I ironed the image onto plain tote bags. I found a four pack of tote bags at Hobby Lobby for $6.99. So each tote bag is less than $2. Such a good deal!!

hobby lobby bags
My kids had a great time designing the tote bags with me. They think the bags are so fun! We thought it was cute to have the apples popping up from the bottom of the bag.
teacher appreciation tote blue
teacher appreciation totes on an angle
The last thing I did was make some cute little bows with each teacher’s favorite colors.

I made a 6 inch wide by 8 inch long piece of material. I sewed it inside out on three sides and then turned it right side out and sewed the last side shut.

Then I took a button cover and covered it with some coordinating fabric and glued it in the middle of the fabric with fabric glue. 


So now I have a fun bag that their teachers can use as a beach bag or to carry things in. 

Plus, I am going to fill the bag with some goodies, depending on what the teacher likes. 
Some ideas that would be fun are a beach towel and some flip flops. Or even a  
gift certificateto their favorite store or restaurant.
girls with teacher appreciation totes
Now if you want to make this and don’t have a craft cutter like Silhouette, there are two other ways you can make these totes.

  • The first is use heat transfer material and trace the image on with a pencil and cut it out. 
  • The second is you can paint the face and name on your bag —  use some paint medium along with regular craft paint.
deco art painting medium
Be sure to check out all of the great Teacher Appreciation Ideas at Skip to My Lou!! 

I also had a reader who saw this post and made her own version of teacher appreciation tote bags:

Check them out at 36th Avenue!!

xoxo 

Posted By: Jen · In: gift ideas, silhouette

Great Ideas — Handmade Mother’s Day Gifts to Make!
A pretty wedding gift idea — Etched Chevron Glasses and Pitcher {Tutorial}

You’ll Also Love

Year round interchangeable wreathYear-Round Interchangeable Wreath
Rose Body Polish RecipeEasy 3-Ingredient Body Polish Scrub
eos lip balm elvesDIY eos Holiday Gnomes Craft!

Comments

  1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VancxtUe5-k, says

    October 4, 2013 at 4:30 AM

    I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your website. It’s a very easy on the eyes
    which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and
    visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme?
    Exceptional work!

  2. Miracle says

    July 2, 2011 at 4:04 AM

    It's a good post on Personalized Gifts.We love our miracle babies! Here’s a $5 off coupon from My Miracle Baby.com to celebrate! $5 off your purchase of $30 or more.Use coupon code: COUPON05.I did come across a blog http://www.mymiraclebaby.com/keepsakes_and_gifts.shtml.

  3. Amanda says

    May 6, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    Those are the sweetest!!

  4. Amy {The Idea Room} says

    May 4, 2011 at 5:33 AM

    These are absolutely darling! What a fun and clever idea. Sharing with my FB fans!

  5. FemminaDaVinci says

    May 3, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    I wish I had a student in my class with a mom as crafty as you. I would have loved for one of them to come in with one of these adorable totes for me 😀 Great project!

  6. me35 says

    May 3, 2011 at 8:07 PM

    Man, these are FABULOUS !!!!Wish we had Teacher Appreciation in the UK ( instead most days seem to be teacher bashing – sometimes literally… 🙁 )

    Would it be too sad to make one of these for myself ???!

    Thansk Jen !!

  7. Sue (Someone's Mom) says

    May 3, 2011 at 3:15 AM

    Those are going to be very happy teachers! How cute and so unique…I love these!

  8. Jennifer says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:12 AM

    These are so cute Jen! Totally creative – I would never have looked at that bag and had that idea!! Thanks for sharing the tutorial!

    – Jenn @ Social Salutations

  9. Rhonda says

    May 2, 2011 at 10:52 PM

    Jen those are just adorable! I would love to receive such a great gift from my students! 😉

  10. Prudently Painted Vintage says

    May 2, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    So adorable! Love this!

    I keep trying to copy and paste your Weekend party button and it's not working for some reason. The button I have now on my blog is broken. Could you email me the code so I can fix it on my party links. Thank you so much 🙂

  11. Nike says

    May 2, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    So cute Jen! Love this idea!

  12. MiMi says

    May 2, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    CUTE!!!

  13. Jennifer says

    May 2, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I love these!!!
    I will be featuring them on my blog on Wed.
    Jennifer
    http://craftyhair.blogspot.com

  14. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    May 2, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    You are a teacher's dream come true. Every once in a while, my mom will have a really great class that will recognize her hard work, but it is rare. You must be a treat!

    I would love it if you could bottle up some of your creativity and send it my way via FedEx. I will pay for shipping. 😉 😉

  15. Erin says

    May 2, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    As a former teacher I loved getting a tote for teacher appreciation, and this one is super cute. I had plenty of school supplies but a tote is a gift I could really use.

  16. Liz @ Sugarplum Creations says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    Those are so cute!!! Such a great idea for a special teacher 🙂

  17. Connie the crafterbug says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    These are fabulous!
    Connie

  18. Lindsay says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:07 PM

    Ahh those pillows are SO great!! Love those! I have a ton of teacher clients and I love hearing all the fun unique gifts they have received 🙂

    -Lindsay
    Delighted momma

  19. laurie says

    May 2, 2011 at 12:50 PM

    these are super cute, I've never saw anything like this,,(kids are cute too!)

  20. Amanda says

    May 2, 2011 at 12:04 PM

    These are darling!! Thanks for the idea.

  21. JDaniel4's Mom says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    I would have loved to have received one of these.

  22. Cheryl says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:53 AM

    Oh My Goodness! Those are ADORABLE!! Those teachers are going to love them! What a great idea. 🙂
    ~cheryl

  23. Misty says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:49 AM

    What a fun way to show the teacher's how appreciated they are. Very thoughtful, functional and cute! 🙂

  24. gigi says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    Very cute!

  25. Great flower lady says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:26 AM

    I would love to have a couple of theses what would you charge me??

  26. Paula says

    May 2, 2011 at 10:20 AM

    I would be tickled pink if I got a cute gift like this from a student. The teachers who receive these are going to be thrilled!

Hi! I'm Jen Hadfield. I'm a mom of 5 restoring an 1891 home in the heart of Salt Lake City. I love being creative and sharing simple ideas to make your life easier and more beautiful!

Receive the Latest Crafts, DIY, Recipes and More in your INBOX!

Follow us on Pinterest! It's awesome!

Top Posts & Pages

Copycat Panera Spinach and Artichoke Egg Soufflés - SO good!
DIY Black Painted Window Frames
How to Change a Recessed Can Light into a Pendant Light with No Remodeling!
DIY Secret: How to Print on Post-It Notes (and Free Printable Template)
How to Make a Simple Garden Planter Box
12 Must-Have Items to Pack on an Alaskan Cruise!

 

Popular Posts

  • Copycat Panera Spinach and Artichoke Egg Soufflés - SO good!
    Copycat Panera Spinach and Artichoke Egg Soufflés - SO good!
  • DIY Black Painted Window Frames
    DIY Black Painted Window Frames
  • How to Change a Recessed Can Light into a Pendant Light with No Remodeling!
    How to Change a Recessed Can Light into a Pendant Light with No Remodeling!
  • DIY Secret: How to Print on Post-It Notes (and Free Printable Template)
    DIY Secret: How to Print on Post-It Notes (and Free Printable Template)
  • How to Make a Simple Garden Planter Box
    How to Make a Simple Garden Planter Box
  • 12 Must-Have Items to Pack on an Alaskan Cruise!
    12 Must-Have Items to Pack on an Alaskan Cruise!
  • Spruce up Your Outdoor Space with a DIY Recirculating Fountain! (tutorial)
    Spruce up Your Outdoor Space with a DIY Recirculating Fountain! (tutorial)

As seen in





Amazon Affiliate

Tatertots & Jello is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
  • About Me
  • Advertising
  • Get Featured

Copyright © 2023 Tatertots and Jello · Privacy
This site is a place for positive discussion and ideas. Negative talk, comments that disparage others, and similar are not welcome and may be removed.