This post was sponsored by Simon Says Stamp. Thanks, Simon!
Hi friends! I am back today with a project that is perfect for back to school using some new and some old goodies from Simon Says Stamp! Flashback to August of 2019, when I was preparing to send my older set of twins to full-day kindergarten after two years of half-day preschool. I was mentally preparing all of the work that I would get done, the shopping that I would enjoy without having to drag kiddos in and out of stores, the naps I could take and the shows I could enjoy in peace… and then I found out three days in that I was pregnant. Two weeks later, we found out we were pregnant with twins, again. All of those plans went right out the window as I dealt with morning sickness and general pregnancy discomfort, and then… Covid happened, and life turned completely, utterly upside down while I had newborn twins and 6 year old twins for which I had to assist with online school. Fast forward to this morning, when I dropped my Big Kids off at their first real day of junior high (say WHAT?!) and the Little Boys off at their first full day of kindergarten… it was an odd feeling. I rejoiced in the idea of the freedom that I’ve waited so long for (I was very unhappy when I realized “I’m going to be almost FORTY when they are all in school full time!”) but I confess… I feel like I’m drifting aimlessly with no kiddo chaos surrounding me while I attempt to work.
While I’m sure I will find my sea-legs in the next few days, I wanted to share this back-to-school teacher gift that I created the new Big Bus die from the Simon Says Stamp Happy Camper release in honor of those teachers who are also heading back to school for a new year full of learning, giggles, crying, germs, and hopefully, lots of fun! Let’s get started on the details for my project!
*I have gathered links to all of the products used at the bottom of the post for your convenience, using affiliate links. Thank you for shopping with my links! I truly appreciate your support for my work!*
I bought a large selection of colorful canvas zippered pouches a few months ago with the intention of embellishing them with felt die cut shapes, and I am absolutely in love with how this sweet zippered pouch turned out! I chose a vibrant cherry red pouch, a perfect contrast with the bright yellow felt for the bus, I think. I began by stamping the older School Supplies cling stamp on the corner of the pouch with Simon Says Stamp White Pigment Ink, which works beautifully on so many different surfaces, including fabric! I did touch it up a bit with my white paint pen; if I created this project again, I would have put a foam pad inside the pouch to give a little cushion, hopefully helping create a crisp stamped impression.
Next, I worked on assembling the Big Bus die cuts. I used the typical felt colors to create this school bus, embellishing with some shining foil felt from my stash for the stop sign and the chrome parts on the wheels. I also die cut some white holographic glitter felt stars using the smallest Nested Star Die as well as a black foil felt Fancy Teachers die cut. I used felt glue to adhere all of the components together for the bus, then used the glue to adhere the felt bus, stars, and teacher die cuts to the stamped red pouch. To keep everything nice and flat while drying, I like to place a glass paperweight over the top, especially on larger die cuts like the bus.
After I had created all of the components for the pouch, I used some Red and White Baker’s Twine from Simon Says Stamp to create a tassel for the zipper. I think adding this one last detail really made a big difference in how “finished” the pouch feels! Wouldn’t think be so cute for a teacher to hold her pencils and highlighters??
Well, that’s all for my project today. Whether you’re a teacher, student, parent, or grandparent, cheers to a wonderful school year! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!
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