Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Gifts Worth Holding Onto

For many years I've given end-of-the-year gifts to my kids that were sweet and given with love but not long-lasting.  I've been wanting to make an upgrade to something more sentimental and worthy of keeping for years and years to come.  I think I found it.  I merged two great ideas from fellow bloggers to create these.




I found 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" tiles at Home Depot for 16 cents a piece.  (Um, wow!)  I used profile pictures, scrapbook paper, Mod Podge, and a Sharpie marker.  There you have it.  Simple, cheap, cute, and sentimental.

Like I said, I merged two ideas from blogland.  K. Mo makes profile pictures for Mother's Day, and Natalie gives picture tiles to her kids at the end of the year.  Thanks gals for inspiring me!

K. Mo at Flamingo Fabulous in Second Grade

Natalia at Teachery Tidbits

 I hope my little ones hold onto these little gifts for a long time.

Thanks Tara!  Lovin' your linky as always.
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34 comments:

  1. LoriMay 8, 2013 at 5:08 PM

    These are sooo sweet! A definite keepsake!
    Lori
    Conversations in Literacy

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    1. TammyMay 8, 2013 at 6:59 PM

      Lori, thank you. I sure hope they turn into keepsakes.

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  2. The Math ManiacMay 8, 2013 at 5:17 PM

    Oh my goodness! What an awesome idea! I am going to make these with my own kids!!!

    Thanks for inspiring me!
    Tara
    The Math Maniac

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    1. TammyMay 8, 2013 at 7:00 PM

      Tara, I'm glad you like them enough to make them with your very own.

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  3. NatalieMay 8, 2013 at 5:40 PM

    Oh my, those look awesome!!! I really love those! Thanks for the shout-out :) Guess I better get going on my gifts!

    Natalie
    Teachery Tidbits

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    1. TammyMay 8, 2013 at 7:01 PM

      Natalie, thank you for inspiring me. I would have never come up with the idea on my own.

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  4. First Grade BuddiesMay 8, 2013 at 5:46 PM

    Those are so darling!

    :) Tamra and Sarah
    First Grade Buddies

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    1. TammyMay 8, 2013 at 7:01 PM

      Tamra and Sarah, I'm so very glad you think so!

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  5. BarbaraMay 8, 2013 at 8:28 PM

    Those are fabulous, Tammy!
    ❀Barbara❀
    Grade ONEderful
    Ruby Slippers Blog Designs

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    1. TammyMay 9, 2013 at 5:18 PM

      Barb, thank you! I'm happy with how they turned out.

      Delete
  6. AnonymousMay 8, 2013 at 8:32 PM

    Love it!How about giving more explicit instructions for the art challenged???
    Thanks,

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    1. TammyMay 9, 2013 at 5:19 PM

      Owling it in First, I took pictures of the kids, copied the pictures onto card stock, cut them out, traced them on to black paper, cut them out, glued them onto scrapbook paper, and used Mod Podge to attach and seal them to the tiles. I hope that helps! :)

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  7. LaurieMay 9, 2013 at 2:56 AM

    So creative and cute!! Did you draw each profile pic?

    Laurie
    First Grade Lyons' Den

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    1. TammyMay 9, 2013 at 5:20 PM

      Laurie, actually I took pictures of the kids. :)

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  8. AnonymousMay 9, 2013 at 2:30 PM

    Love love love these! I would also love to know how you drew the profiles!

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    1. TammyMay 9, 2013 at 5:22 PM

      Ms. Smith, thank you! I took pictures of the kids' profiles. :)

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  9. Primary ParadiseMay 9, 2013 at 5:15 PM

    Love these. They would be great gifts.
    Tammy
    Primary Paradise

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    1. TammyMay 9, 2013 at 5:23 PM

      Tammy, thank you! I think the kids will indeed enjoy them!

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  10. Sara at schoolMay 12, 2013 at 5:21 AM

    Just adorable!
    Sara

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  11. Clara beasleyJune 1, 2013 at 5:53 PM

    I love this idea. I want to do this next year. Thanks for sharing your creativity:) Clara

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    1. TammyJune 1, 2013 at 10:26 PM

      Clara, I'm so glad you love this idea. I think your kids will too!

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  12. The Polished TeacherJune 17, 2013 at 8:26 AM

    I use those tiles for everything! They are so cheap! Thanks for sharing another great use for them!

    The Polished Teacher

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    1. TammyJune 17, 2013 at 9:02 AM

      Polished Teacher, I was surprised how cheap they were. I'm glad you found another great use for them today.

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  13. Collaboration CutiesJune 17, 2013 at 10:42 AM

    Very very cute! I do something sort of similar at the beginning of the year but I love the idea of the tiles!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

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    1. TammyJune 17, 2013 at 10:57 AM

      Amanda, the tiles ended up working so well. I'm glad you like the idea too.

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  14. Heather TemskeJune 17, 2013 at 8:33 PM

    Those are precious.

    Heather
    room 4 imagination

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    1. TammyJune 17, 2013 at 8:52 PM

      Thank you so much Heather. I was hoping that's what my first graders and their families would think.

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  15. Learning with Mrs. LangleyJune 17, 2013 at 9:54 PM

    What a great idea! I've been wondering what I could do with those 16 cent tiles! I show them to my husband every time we are there! Thanks for sharing! Heather @ Learning with MrsLangley

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    1. TammyJune 17, 2013 at 10:20 PM

      Heather, I'm glad you have now found something useful to do with those tiles. Next time you're at Home Depot, you'll have a reason to buy some.

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  16. Julie DiBenedettoJune 18, 2013 at 12:39 AM

    Tammy,
    You know I adore this project!
    The only tough part is having to go back to Home Depot AGAIN this week! (insert laughter!) I am pretty sure they are getting to know me very well there!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Julie
    Ms. Marciniak's First Grade Critter Cafe

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    1. TammyJune 18, 2013 at 6:44 AM

      Julie, after looking at your Monday Made-It post, I see what you mean! The good news is that the tiles will still be there next year. :)

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  17. UnknownJune 18, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    These are absolutely precious! What a heart-felt keepsake for the kids. Just found you today through the linky and am a new follower! :0)

    Smiles,
    Sarah @ Hoots N Hollers

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    1. TammyJune 18, 2013 at 5:19 PM

      Sarah, thank you much. It was fun making these little guys for my kids. Thanks for finding me. :)

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