Crafty!

Hey y'all!

I've been searching my brain, the mall, online, etc. for great, meaningful end-of-year gifts for my co-workers. I bought them fancy "#1 Teacher" Rocky Mountain apples, but I thought that I should find something that would be longer-lasting. However, as you may know, teacher salaries are seriously slightly a joke...so I started wracking my brain for inexpensive, DIY projects for my friends.
And so...
I got crafty this weekend!

After tutoring and Qdoba lunch with Benjamin, I headed over to my pal Alyssa's house for an afternoon of creativity and girl-time.
We drove to Michael's craft store, and spent a solid hour perusing the aisles, hoping to be inspired. I wandered through the scrap booking aisles, as I do love to "scrap" on occasion...but it was when I turned the corner into the first beading aisle that my brain went into over-drive, and I got really excited! I slowly walked through the 3 aisles of beads, pendants, wire, and accessories. Soon, my basket was full and my eyes were glazed over, as I tried to distinguish the difference between sizes of wires, types of clasps, and billions of colors of beads.  Alyssa got sucked into the beading aisles, too! :)
Eventually, we pulled ourselves out of Michael's and drove back to her house for a beading party!
My goods: 2 pre-stocked boxes of beads, an organizer that I filled with beads, pendants, clasps, and wires, a pair of wire cutters, and stretchy plastic cord! My old Steve Madden boot box is the perfect "beading stuff box"!

the inside of the organizer! 

I decided to create beaded lanyards for my friends, which they can use to clip their school ID badges on next year. These type of beaded lanyard/necklaces are available at teacher stores, but are quite expensive. These homemade lanyards were inexpensive, and individualized for each friend!

the pair!

close up- for my school's speech therapist

close up- for the other E.C. teacher at my school

I am LOVING those little silver beads with words on them. They are adorable, and were the perfect size to add to these necklaces.
Can't wait to get more serious with jewelry making...I've got plans for earrings, an anklet, and a lanyard of my own! :)