Teachers do so much to build up our children is so many different ways. It’s nice when we can show them in some small way how much we appreciate all their hard work. It can be daunting sometimes to come up with great gift ideas, but we have made it easy on you! We’ve rounded up a list of the 20 best DIY teacher appreciation gifts, so get ready to get to inspired and create something special for your favorite teacher.
The other great thing about these DIY projects is they are all child friendly! All can be done with the help of your child and that will make the gift even more special. Win for bonding by doing the project together, and a win for the gift being made with love!
1.DIY Dry Erase Board and Chalkboard
If anyone has a list of things to keep up with, it’s teachers! Between grading papers, meetings, and lesson planning, teachers have plenty of items to keep organized. DIY Candy provides a step by step way to make the perfect dual purpose dry erase and chalkboard here.
You can customize the frame and and scrapbook paper to match the teachers room or simply use her favorite colors! Not only will they really appreciate the usefulness of the gift, but they will also love the fact that it was designed just for their classroom.
2. DIY Bucket List
t’s no secret that gift cards make great gifts. Gift cards take out the stress of trying to find the perfect item and also allows the teacher to buy EXACTLY what she wants. On the other hand, giving gift cards can also be a little blah because it feels impersonal to the giver. Landeelu gives us a great example of a way to make giving that gift card cute and more personal. The bucket list is the perfect way to add that creative spin!
3. DIY Pencil Vase
Teacher themed gifts are always super cute. This remains true for this creative pencil vase idea by Must Have Mom. This one is easy enough that even your child can help glue the pencils to the can! Plus fresh flowers are sure to brighten up anyone’s day.
4.DIY Chalkboard Hall Passes
This is a great gift that teachers can put to use right away. All teachers need hall passes for their students, and this just makes them more fun and customizable. The chalkboard option means they can use it for so many different things! Find all the instructions to easily make these hall passes yourself here.
5. Fun In The Sun Teacher Gift
We all know the teachers are looking forward to the summer off at the pool as much as the kids. This fun gift is easy to put together and they can use it all summer. Skip to my Lou lists all the details here and gives great examples of items to through in this summer bag!
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text: Ideas 6-11″ _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”1″ _address=”0.0.0.1″]
6. “Thank you for helping me GROW” gift
Succulents are so popular right now (maybe because they are so easy to keep alive for those of us who don’t have green thumbs). Reality Daydream gives us all the details for making a super cute potted plant gift that shows appreciation AND adds a little plant life to the teachers classroom. Plus everyone loves a good pun!
7. DIY Tickled Pink Gift
A little fun mixed with a little practical always makes a great gift. In this easy DIY Tickled Pink gift, you can simply add lots of cute pink items a teacher may like along with a few useful items she might need. You can even print out this exact “I’m Tickled Pink That You Are My Teacher” tag straight from their page.
8. DIY Teacher Clipboard
Teachers have all kinds of forms and papers to keep up with. Between papers to grade and to-do list they can use all kinds of help to keep those items organized or separated. A clipboard is a easy way to keep papers together and a little customization and it’s a great gift! See Vanessa Craft gives step by step instructions on how to create a super cute clipboard for your favorite teachers.
9. DIY Valentines Day Teacher Gift
We always need holiday themed ideas for our teachers! This is a classic idea with a personal touch. Here you will find the instructions for how to make a cute candy/valentine box . All the students trade cards and candy, but it’s such a nice idea to involve the teacher with her own box to collect sweets.
10. DIY Yarn Apple
If you want a gift that is sure to be unique look no further than this DIY yarn apple! This makes a great gift for the teacher to hang in her room and even the student’s will love it. Don’t worry, there is a video to help you learn how to make it!
11. DIY Personalized Canvas Tote Bag
Can you ever really have enough bags? This handy DIY tote bag is a great gift for a teacher planning all the cute projects and experiments. Click here to learn how to add a quote and a name to make it one of the best teacher gifts yet.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text: Gifts 12-21″ _builder_version=”3.27.4″ _i=”2″ _address=”0.0.0.2″]
12. DIY Mason Jar Gift
Mason jars can be used for anything! Giving this cute gift means they can enjoy the items inside, and even reuse the jar for whatever they may need. You can fill the jar with gift cards or candy or anything you think would make a great gift. Get more ideas and instructions here!
13. DIY Pencil Picture Frame
If you love to paint and have a touch for details, this is a great DIY gift to make for your kid’s teachers. Even if you don’t have a flair for painting, this article gives detailed step by step instructions that make it super easy to create this cute pencil picture frame.
14. Diet Coke Teacher Gift
Teachers need a little ( or maybe a lot) of caffeine to make it through the day. Learn how to make this this soda teacher gift here, and incorporate their favorite soda or drink! The crate can be repurposed for their classroom or at home.
15. DIY Picture Frame
Picture frames are another one of those gifts that you just really can’t have enough of, especially if it hand made just for you. This cute picture frame is a great idea for anyone who has a frame and some creativity laying around. Get the full instructions here, on how to make a similar teacher frame!
16. DIY Pencil Jar
A teacher’s desk can be hard to keep organized with all the papers, pencils, paperclips, and everything else. This pencil jar can be a simple gift that’s actually a big help! See the details here on how to craft your own pencil jar.
17. DIY “Apples for Teacher”
Having a theme makes it easy to throw together a sweet little basket gift. In this gift, the apple theme makes a great teacher gift. Look at all the items included here, to give you ideas on what you can put in your basket!
18. DIY “Sweetest Teacher” Gift
Don’t feel like baking anything? Here is a great idea of how to incorporate a treat into a gift without the trouble of cooking! A personalized kitchen towel will be such a nice touch in your teacher’s kitchen as well.
19. DIY “If you give a teacher a cookie…” gift
In contrast to the gift above, if you DO like to bake, this is a great gift to cook your teacher one of your favorite treats AND reference it to a popular book. A mason jar , a tag, and some fresh cookies are all you need. Click here to find the step by step instructions.
20. DIY Coffee Cup Gift
If you are trying to make a teacher gift on a budget, this coffee cup gift is a great idea. For under $10 you can give a cute and practical present. The article here shows us how to put together a coffee mug full of items to create a thoughtful teacher gift.
21. And lastly, our idea for great teacher gifts!
Printables are a super easy way to give a useful and helpful gift. Check out our printable Christmas coupon books for teachers here – they are super cute and easy to just print out at home when you’re short on time!
You can also check out all the other printables at the Hello Helpful printables shop, such as printable bullet journal pages and this monthly meal planner that would be beneficial to add to a gift bag as well! These printables are not only fun, but give the teacher a little bit of her time back, which might be the best gift of all!
If you still need more teacher gift ideas, be sure to check out these posts too:
Best Gifts For Teachers That They Actually Want
9 Easy Last-Minute Christmas Gifts For Teachers – these last-minute gifts work just as well for teacher appreciation week and end of the school year!