It’s June. I know.

I KNOW.

We are heading into the end of the school year around here – which means Cole is finishing up pre-K4 (::sob::), and Adam graduated with his THIRD Master’s this month. I have gone into crazy Class Mom overdrive – we finished the yearbook last week, put the finishing touches on a graduation project this morning, and generally live at the school. Poor Lulu just gets dragged along wherever I’m going!

May saw some action on my hot glue gun, and I wanted to share a few Pinterest triumphs. (Oh, how I love Pinterest.) It’s too late to use these for your own teacher appreciation/Mother’s Day gifts this year, but posting them early would have ruined the surprise – so maybe you can try one next year if you’re so inclined? Or an end of year teacher gift?  Each of these projects cost well under $10, and most took less than 20 minutes to put together. Inexpensive and easy for the win!  Where I can, I’ll be putting affiliate links in here. So I can start making my millions off the blog. You know.

Rainbow Cakes in a Jar

These came out delicious and super cute – I was a little worried after finding a BUNCH of different failed versions online. Because really? If anyone can take a simple craft and mess it up? That’d be me. ESPECIALLY if there’s anything resembling cooking involved.  Elena over at Craftibilities has the full directions AND a free printable for the cute tag.  I used a copycat Magnolia Bakery recipe for thecake and the frosting, but most of the rest was as she instructed.

• Jars – I found my cute little jars in the wedding section of AC Moore (on sale! with a coupon! That NEVER happens.), but these would work well.
• Gel Food Coloring – Make sure you use the gel kind to get the nice, vibrant colors.
• Spoons – So your lucky gift getter can dig right in. Get them at the dollar store.

Flower Pen Bouquet in Mini Mason Jar Vase

It is kind of embarrassing how simple these were. I managed not to bookmark the original site I saw these on, but really they are everywhere. If you really need some directions, a simple search will get them for you.  Faux flowers + stick pen + floral tape = Easy, adorable gift.  I found the tiny Mason jar mugs at AC Moore, but almost any small container would work.  I found directions after I had already given my bouquets that recommended using a layer of Mod Podge to seal the “stem,” so I think I might do that next time.

Mini Key Fobs

Grammy Boo bought me a sewing machine this winter, and I really want to learn how to use it – Lulu will be SWIMMING in pillow case dresses! I found this project on She’s Kinda Crafty, and it seemed like something I could handle. Throw in cheesy pun gift tag and this was DEFINITELY a craft for me! My sewing lines might not be the straightest, but I as pleased with how the fobs came out – I will definitely be making these again in the future.

• Hardware<– Not an affiliate link, I <3 Etsy.
• Ribbon – so many pretty colors and patterns!
• Pliars – I just used regular pliars with fabric wrapped around the tips.

Nail Files & Nail Polish

This does not even count as a craft because really, it was just a matter of cute presentation. I picked up a few bottles of bright nail polish, and coordinating nail files. This was another She’s Kinda Crafty inspiration, and I mostly copied her punny gift tag, but I used my own background/colors.  This is a foolproof last minute gift.

Orange You Glad It’s Summer?

I saw these BPA free insulated cups at Christmas Tree Shop, and thought they’d be great – especially once I popped a mini bottle of margarita mix inside! Keri at Shaken Together inspired the “orange you glad” tagline, and it was pretty easy to Google image search an orange slice clip art…

• Insulated Cup – As I said, my cups were from Christmas Tree Shops, but any orange cup would do. I love this wine tumbler, too.

Mother’s Day Boot Planter

I am positive I am not the only one to have ever thought of this, but it was not a Pinterest find. I saw an actual ceramic planter made to look like rain boots, and an idea was born. I took the outgrown yellow rain boots that both kids wore and transformed them into presents for Grandma and Grammy Boo. I drilled half a dozen holes in the bottom for drainage, filled them halfway with aquarium gravel and stuck some plant sale flowers in the top. I also printed out photos of the kids wearing the boots, attached them to skewers, and stuck them in, too. (Grandmas always like pictures, right?)