Soon, children everywhere will be getting out of school for the summer. It is also the time of year that parents start thinking about special gifts that they can give the teacher that guided and taught their children all year long.

I have heard often of the kind of gifts that teachers wish to receive. While some of the ideas are wonderful, they have not always fit my budget or my skills.

Last year, I began my search for ideas. I wanted something that I could do well, that would express my feelings I had towards my children's teachers, and that would be inexpensive. Then it dawned on me -- a framed and decorated poem. As a scrapbook artist, I had an endless supply of papers and cardstocks, not to mention other tools for using on paper, so the cost would be minimal, and with just the right poem, the teachers would know how much they have meant to my family and I during the past year.

Creating a decorated poem is extremely easy. The first step is printing out the poem. I did this by using my favorite word processing program, in which I use a delightful, yet readable, font. At the bottom of the poem, I was sure to input the "To" and "From" information, as well as the date and a short sentence or two thanking the teacher for a wonderful year.

The same techniques that a scrapper uses to mat photographs and create a layouts is used on the poem. I like simple designs, so after printing out the poem, I matted it several times and added it to a page in which I create an attractive border for. When it was complete, I simply placed it into a frame that I purchased at a local discount store. I wrapped the frame with a wide piece of tulle, that was tied on top into a bow.

Here is the poem that I used in creating my decorated poem gifts:

"Why God Created Teachers"

When God created teachers,
He gave us special friends
To help us understand His world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see,
And become a better person
With each discovery.

When God created teachers,
He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to grow
So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What's right instead of wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead
And learn how to be strong.

Why God created teachers,
In His wisdom and His grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place.
-Jill Wolf

Of course, decorated poems will work for just about any occasion -- new babies, weddings or anniversaries, birthday -- simply change the poem to fit the occasion.

Reprinted with permission.

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