At the end of every school year, it's nice to give your children's teachers a little sumthin' sumthin' to let them know how much you appreciate them teaching your children. Teachers work hard and we all know they don't get rich doing it, but we can certainly make their lives richer with some thoughtfulness. With that in mind, we've put together some wonderful DIY teacher gift ideas.
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DIY gifts are lovely for so many reasons. Not only are they one-of-a-kind, they also show that you care enough to invest the time to create something unique, and they can be personalized to fit the individual. Even when you are giving a store-bought gift or a gift card, it's nice to add a DIY element to the gift to make it more personal.
Oh, and don't try to use that "I'm not crafty" excuse because we're not buying it. We're all crafty–it's in our nature. Some of us just haven't been using our crafty muscles much, but now is the perfect time to give them a workout. And we've got all the inspiration you need right here.
Every teacher needs an emergency stash.
A container for small craft items or construction materials like nails or screws is perfect to stash treats. Even smaller children can help make it.
It can be used later for stickers, clips, or staples. Check out how to make it on the blog EighteenTwentyfive.
Upcycle glass jars and give them a classroom makeover.
Grab some glass jars from your recycling bin, give them a good wash, and decorate them with multi-surface paint. You can decorate them any way you want, but if you want to go with a classroom theme think ruler, lined paper, or even a chalkboard.
A creative way to showcase a teacher's initial is a sweet idea.
The best part is that it can be made with any kind of pencils, including the ones your kid used throughout the school year.
It's a great project to involve children of any age.
Give 'em s'mores treats!
You could put together a s'mores kit or go ahead and make the s'mores. You can find the s'mores recipe and the printable tags at Meaningful Mama.
Hall passes that are too cute for words.
At a glance you can see what these hall passes are for. They would work great for kindergarten teachers. A bit of wood, some hooks, twine, paint, and creativity and you can make your own version.
Get your teacher barbecue ready.
Our friends from the blog Driven by Decor created this cute cooler and I'm sure any teacher would love it. It's full of goodies that are perfect for summer barbecues or for camping.
All eyes on the teacher, please.
We love this googly eye craft. It's meant to be a candle holder, but it could so easily be a pencil holder.
Are you a hand-lettering wizard?
If you have hand-lettering skills, use them to personalize a plain clipboard. Or you could also just have your child paint something on the clipboard.
This wreath would look great in any classroom.
It's super easy to make and you would only need dollar-store items. Glue gun, crayons, a wreath form, and a small chalkboard. Color the teacher surprised at the sight of this fun gift.
These mini planters are made out of egg cups.
You could make a whole set of these DIY mini egg cup planters as a gift. They would look so pretty lined up against a window.
Bath salts are perfect for tired teachers.
Make some bath salts using this easy tutorial. A tired teacher will enjoy the at-home spa treatment.
These coasters rock!
Making these DIY rock coasters with your child will be fun. Once you get your kid started, they probably won't let you do much because they'll want to do it all.
A beautiful and personalized piece of art.
This project isn't only adorable, but you'll also get rid of all those crayons you have everywhere in your house. You can use a blow dryer to get the melted effect that you see here.
What would you write?
If you were to make this DIY wire necklace for a teacher, what would you have it say? It could be their name or you could even fashion an apple out of the wire.
Smart cookies give smart cookie kits
OK, this is clever. Create a cookie kit and include this clever smart cookie pun either on the card or use it to decorate a baking mitt.
Whether the teacher goes to the beach, the lake, or the pool, this is the gift.
I bet a huge smile will show up on the teacher's face. A nice towel, a good read, sunblock, and a cup for a cold drink can also fit in a cute bucket or straw bag.
It looks like a rose, but it's also something else.
It's a box. This DIY rose box can be used to hold any number of things.
Make a pretty trivet.
Aren't these DIY trivets beautiful? To take them to the next level you could add a little thank-you note on the bottom of them.
Thank you for helping me grow!
That's the perfect phrase to go with this plant. It's a moving message for any teacher. Get an inexpensive pot, paint it with chalkboard paint, and plant some pretty flowers in it for a cute and fun gift that looks great in the classroom.
Perfect for a teacher who can't live without coffee.
There are so many ways that you can personalize a DIY coffee mug. You could put the teacher's name on it, a funny saying, or something the teacher is known for saying.
This leather Mason jar sleeve is GORGEOUS!
It's hard to believe that this DIY Mason jar sleeve didn't come from a some kind of leather boutique. It's just stunning.
A cute detail for anybody in the school.
For less than $5, you can honor all the teachers who have helped your child during the school year. Visit Eighteen25 to find the graphic elements to make the tags.
Know a teacher with a sweet tooth for Mexican candy?
This DIY Mexican candy gift box can easily be adapted to have any kind of treats that a teacher loves. You could fill it with enough goodies to last them the whole summer.
Leather key chains for everyone!
You could make these DIY leather key chains for all of the teachers your child interacts with at school. Make a few extras because you know your friends will want some after you show them what you made.
A wood sign can be whimsical and original.
You and your child can write whatever you want on it. You can even ask your child what they appreciate the most about a particular teacher and write that on the board.
Use school photos to create a glass block photo keepsake.
You could use a class photo to decorate this DIY glass block photo keepsake. Fill it with candy or even something classroom-related, like paperclips, erasers, or pushpins.
Coffee time is always welcome.
Include a gift card and enjoy the teacher's thankful smile. A clever tag gives it a funny twist.
Hand-picked flowers in a pretty vase will never go out of style.
Store-bought or hand-picked flowers in a pretty vase with a thoughtful note are always a nice gift. It's a gift that never gets old because it is timeless.
Make a stunning planter out of concrete.
A small DIY concrete planter just looks sharp. It's so simple and yet so stylish.
Create a mini landscape in a terrarium.
A DIY terrarium is so fun to put together and a great way to teach kids about plants. You can visit a gardening store together and pick out what will go in the terrarium together.
Pin It!
Add these DIY teacher gift ideas to your Pinterest boards as a reference idea for your kids.
