Inexpensive Classy Coaster Gift $2.00 (ANY OCCASION)

I have to show you how I made Christmas gifts for just a couple of dollars and they were great for friends, parents, teachers, aunts and uncles... anyone really.

So for $0.14 cents per tile (I bought five 4x4 tiles for this project),
and 5 printed photos size 4x6 at $0.13 cents each! (We will be cutting to 4x4) and now, all you need is a little Modge Podge!  Cut your photos to size 4x4 and have them ready

This was SO super easy!

On a paper plate, pour out a small amount of your Modge Podge (MP glossy or not),
with a foam brush, paint Modge Podge down on the 4x4 tile, stick on the 4x4 cut Photo and press it down all over.
Give this a couple minutes to set and dry to prevent bubbling.
Once dry, now go ahead and place a top coat of Modge Podge on top of the photograph & tile edges.

Let that top coat dry, hot glue felt pads on the bottom 4 tile corners. (If you don't have felt pads, safely cut up slices of a wine cork or a felt sheet)

And lastly (if you choose to), spray with a top coat of polyurethane spray to prevent possible damage from frosted sweating mugs.
The Polyurethane spray may cost an extra $3-4 but you can use it for multiple gifts, thus it cost me just under $2.00

Above photography taken by Tracy Swanborough Photography in Oregon http://www.flickr.com/photos/swanboroughphotography

Each set of coasters costs around $2.00 and is a very special sentimental gift.

Tip: Gifts for someone you may have photographs, just use cute scrapbooking paper, cut to 4x4 and place on 4 tiles, stamp with first letter of their last name. :)

Tip: Tie with ribbon for a complete look.

Gifts for Teachers on the First Day of School $1.25

So officially as my second post, this post has basically the same makeup as my first post.  Only because as I only had 3 hours of my evening to prepare for my son's first day of Preschool, I had to get creative pretty quick!

So I was standing in the candy aisle for 20 minutes staring at candy that I could come up with some type of catchy phrase (Mind you, a few of our grocery stores in the Phoenix area have children's play areas. Thank God for these. My 2 boys were checked in), and eventually finally I looked over at the Swedish Fish on SALE for 2 for $2.50, and voila...
Teacher Gifts!!

It said "OF ALL schools of FISH in the SEA, I'm happy to be in YOURS"

So at $1.25 per bag of Swedish fish and some leftover poster board, remember it cost me only $.59 cents (from when I cut out my sons double-bubble Preschool sign), and using WHITE CRAYON this time... it was a breeze, AND CHEAP!

Back to School 'Chalkboard' $1.58

So the day before school begins I had about 3 hours to have all of my sons needed items purchased and get him out the door ready to go first thing in the morning!
I happened upon this large black poster board for $.59 cents and an entire box of chalk (which I will reuse later), for $.99 cents
I already had a decent ruler at home which I hot glued)  for him to hold it up and voila...
A 'Chalkboard'

It took me 45 minutes to draw on the lettering in a 'somewhat' creative design. (It was all I could muster up).

Tips: spray with aerosol hairspray at a 3 foot distance (test first on a small area) to keep chalk from rubbing off.
T-bone 2 rulers on the back for better structure.

Actually cost me far less than $1.58 because I didn't use up all of the $.99 cent boxed chalk!