Right about now, many of you are scrambling to shop for those last few piece of clothing to complete the back to school wardrobe. You’re also most likely running from store to store trying to locate those last few pesky-to-find supplies as your children prepare for another year of learning. But, have you given thought to how you’ll gift the teacher?

Right about now, many of you are scrambling to shop for those last few piece of clothing to complete the back to school wardrobe. You’re also most likely running from store to store trying to locate those last few pesky-to-find supplies as your children prepare for another year of learning. But, have you given thought to how you’ll gift the teacher?

I’m a mama of two school-agers myself and have a busy schedule I like to refer to as something akin to an organized chaos, or a beautiful mess, but I still like to make time to start the year off right and properly thank their teachers for the role they play educating my children day in and day out. Don’t you?

Only problem is the beginning of the year teacher gifts always leave me stumped. I never quite know what to give to these teachers that we haven’t yet formed a relationship with. So I put on my thinking cap and decided that I would give the gift that keeps on giving and keep them stocked up throughout the year with a fresh supply of handmade cards that they could use to reward or encourage their students during the course of the school year. The power of positive reinforcement is such an amazing thing.

By keeping the cards in the same color palette you’ll have a gift that is perfectly coordinated, very pleasing to the eye, and not needing much in the way of gift wrapping. Placing them in a basket along with coordinating envelopes all tying them up in a bow, along with a pen, will not only make a beautiful presentation, but the basket also doubles as a storage solution for the teacher.

Does making a bundle of cards seem like a daunting task with all the other back-to-school errands that need done? Possibly, but, I’m here to show you it doesn’t have to be. By sticking with coordinating patterns and duplicating simple designs---assembly line style---you’ll have enough cards cranked out in no time.

How, you ask? Put your tools to work for you! Let’s take a closer look at how your tools can help you make beautifully handmade cards in multiples.

Layering and embellishing punched pieces in a simple way adds lots of interest. Try adding dimensional foam tape between layers of punched shapes to add depth to your project like I’ve done on this award ribbon constructed from just a few punched shapes.

To help speed up the assembly process even more and make your ribbon more durable, use your hot glue gun in place of an alternative adhesive. The quick drying glue is perfect for assembling the award ribbon.

The award ribbon becomes even more functional if you attach a pinback to the ribbon before attaching it to the card front. The recipient can easily remove the ribbon and wear it proudly for their outstanding academic achievements.

This is a quick-to-assemble card that looks deceivingly difficult to create in multiples. I can’t reiterate enough how beneficial it is to adopt an assembly-line style of crafting for projects such as these.

Another fantastic way to cut multiple pieces quickly is to use the Ultra ShapeXpress™ Cutter along with the Cupcakes & More shape templates. Boring cardstock quickly becomes interesting when cut to resemble a sweet treat, yes? Take it a step further by running your cardstock shape through the Paper Crimper which adds more interest and realistic detailing on the cupcake wrappers.

Who says all cards have to be a standard size or shape? These little “you did it!” cards are the perfect size for the teacher to use to acknowledge a student overcoming a hurdle or sending to a co-worker to congratulate them on achieving a goal they’ve been working toward.

Glitter and paint really go a long way when creating assembly-line style. Watered down paint in a coordinating color splattered over the layered and embellished punched stars using a cheap watercolor paintbrush really helps pull the patterns and colors together from all three sets of cards. You can splatter all the finished cards at once in a matter of seconds by laying them side-by-side on your work surface.

Once your cards are assembled and dry, gather them up along with some coordinating envelopes, and pretty them up with some ribbon before putting them in your basket. Then, breathe a sigh of relief knowing you’re prepared to celebrate the teachers in your student’s life with a basket full of happiness!