Inexpensive valentine idea

So of course since this is what I do for a living, I feel a lot of pressure to be "over the top" like a super out of the box Christmas card, or a spectacular teacher gift at the end of the year, etc.

Valentine's is no exception. Of course the kids in my sons' classes probably won't appreciate my artistic "vision" when they open their cards, but of course I imagine their parents looking through all their cards and saying, "Now THAT one, THAT one was really, really cool and different. I think I'll go out right now buy thousands of dollars worth of stationery from that kid's mom" LOL!!!

All kidding aside, I LOVE to be able to use my creativity on things not just printed, so here is what I am doing for my sons' classes this year. I like to think it would be super easy for anyone to do, so I am sharing the idea with you. (P.S. Super cheap to make!)

I took some coloring book sheets and printed them on cardstock (I drew these coloring sheets, but you can find free ones online all over the place like here.) I slipped those into cellophane self sealing envelopes, added some coloring pencils and few thin pieces of candy. Then I adapted one of our Valentine's cards (the wagon for my 3 yo and the baseball for my 6 yo) into a sticker and adhered it to the outside

Here is the finished product :)

Front

Back

And for the teachers....

Since they have to put up with my boys, I thought they deserved a little more than a couple of swizel sticks, so I got them each a gift certificate to take their families out to eat from http://www.birminghammenus.com

P.S. Please excuse my photography! That's more my partner's thang!

P.P.S. Ever since my older son's first Valentine's cards years ago, we've always used the verse I John 4:19 "We love because He first loved us." Isn't that what it is really all about!?!