the hybrid chick

Yesterday was Teacher Appreciation Day and for our family, our teachers are very important people!  I seem to always be short on time and sometimes gifts come at the last minute.   I think that using gift cards is a great way to show teachers that you care without adding to their mug collection (of which they probably have cupboards full!).

I knew that our teachers would appreciate gift cards to be able to choose something for themselves.  But, I wanted the gift cards to still be personalized and pretty!  Are you looking for a last-minute way to dress up those teacher gift cards? Here’s what I did…

First, I looked in my stash to see what thank you cards I had already made!  You could even skip the card and add a handwritten note on the inside of the gift card enclosure, or tie a tag to the ribbon once it’s wrapped up.  Then I made some coordinating gift card holders using Jan Hosford’s Hybrid Helpers and two gorgeous kits: Sweet Memories by Nicole and Dani and Calm and Content by Kellie Mize.

I opened up all my files in Photoshop Elements and copied over the gift card template twice onto a new document:

I then chose a digital paper from each kit to clip over the enclosures.

Next, I opened a second new document and fill half with a coordinated paper from each kit to print as the backside.

I used Red River Paper’s Polar Matte Double Sided paper to print, which is a great paper for hybrid projects. 

The only tricky part here was making sure I had put the paper back into the printer the right way, so the correct coordinated paper would print in the right place (ask me how I know!!). 

I trimmed out each gift card and scored each using my Scor-Pal and they were ready!

The great part about this style of enclosure is that you don’t need to add any adhesive if you don’t want, as the top flap folds in to keep it closed.

I added my gift cards and tied a ribbon around each. Easy-peasy!

This enclosure is sized perfectly for gift cards and makes a beautiful presentation, and I love that the inside is matched for a pretty surprise when you open it!

And here’s the finished project:

Other Articles by melissaj17:

• Card Caravan Challenge #8 - "Two" - December 11th, 2011
• Card Caravan Challenge #3- Autumn - October 2nd, 2011
• Desktop Organizer - August 31st, 2011
• Hybrid Coffee Mug and Card - July 18th, 2011
• Summer Passport - June 8th, 2011