Our favorite DIY teacher gifts from the class -Cool Mom Picks

We love teachers so much which is why we’re always excited to track down great ideas for teacher gifts from the class. After all, they give to our kids all day long without complaining (to us, anyway) about the runny noses they wipe, or the fifth round of lice to hit the school this year. With the school year wrapping up as we speak, if you haven’t started thinking about gifts from the class for your teacher yet we’ve got some great ideas, both new and from years past.

One thing we’ve learned from talking to dozens of teachers over the years: While those envelopes of cash and designer handbags are lovely gestures, what they really appreciate and remember most is something heartfelt from the class or an individual student that acknowledges the difference they may have made in a child’s life that year. Even if it’s just a thoughtful card.

Hope these ideas help.

Top image: Teacher appreciation scrapbook from Bee in Our Bonnet

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1. DIY Artwork From the Kids

This DIY teacher art from the class from Busy Kids Happy Mom is one of many artwork ideas for teachers we shared recently. It’s so terrific from a preschool or kindergarten class. It’s easy to do (especially if you can steal a half-hour with the kids while the teacher is out of the classroom somehow) and to make it even easier, cut the heart out first, then apply it to a larger piece of poster board. Unless you can trust the kids to do it right on the canvas (some masking tape to mark out the heart should help). The truth is though, even imperfections make it perfect.

2. A School Year Memory Book

A favorite go-to gift idea of ours and so easy! Ask each child to write and illustrate a flat notecard with a prompt like The best thing about Ms. K is ______ or My favorite memory of second grade is ______. Paste them all into a beautiful blank album like the ones from Rag & Bone Bindery. It’s simple, quick, and the kids will have the best time watching their teacher open it and read it out loud.

You can also compile a scrapbook of students drawings of the teacher (especially great for preschoolers) as seen in the photo at top via Bee in Our Bonnet. We love the way she added a photo of each child next to it, plus a note, if have time to put together something really impressive. And if you can wrangle the work from each kid!

3. A DIY Book Bag or Tote

We have always liked this DIY teacher tote bag idea from Sun Scholars (web archive link) which you can make yourself, or get each kid to draw a heart or his name on it. Fill it with books from her favorite author (we have one teacher who loves everything Roald Dahl) or just add a thoughtful gift card to a local bookstore.

4. A Video Message for the Teacher from the Class

Inspired by this thank a teacher photography project from Tutus and Turtles, have each kid hold up a single word on a card that represents how they describe their teacher — or that together, spell out a meaningful sentence. Then grab your mobile phone and shoot! You can even use an easy photo editing app like Animoto to edit it it professionally. Make a presentation to show it to your teacher on the last day of school, then email it, or upload it to a giftable wooden jump drive that they can keep forever.

Alternatively, you can record a simple video asking each child to share one favorite memory. It’s so easy to edit together because there’s no real order to follow — just use your gut. And Animoto lets you put in a few art cards if you want to punctuate the kids’ messages with your own.

5. A Classroom Memory Jar for the Teacher

One of the absolute easiest DIY teacher gifts is Steamy Kitchen’s memory jar craft project, which she designed for New Year’s — but it’s perfect for kids to make for their teachers as a DIY thank-you gift from the class. All it takes is some little colorful, non-sticky note cards that you pop into a pretty glass vase or even a mason jar. Teachers will appreciate that it doesn’t take up a lot of room in the classroom either.

6. A Ready For Summer Care Package

Putting together a gift basket based on your teacher’s hobbies or favorite things shows that kids really were listening all year. One way to go is with a thoughtful beach-themed gift basket. Start with a sea-grass basket or even a beachy tote like the cute one here. Include flip-flops and a fun beach towel, sunscreen, a blank journal, movie tickets, a pedicure coupon, a gift card to your local indie bookstore — you name it.

Be sure to include a card that all the kids sign, describing how hard the teacher has worked all year and how much they’ve all learned. Bonus: If any of the parents in your class have a vacation home, see if they’d be willing to donate a long weekend. Can you imagine the look on your teacher’s face?

7. Gift Cards…Dialed Up a Notch

Of course gift cards are always a top pick for classroom gifts for the teacher, and some schools even require them in lieu of spendy gifts or cash. To make it a little more special, grab a Target gift card, then search for free downloads to go with it, like this Target Gift Card printable at Landeelu

We also love the genius Starbucks gift card teacher gift printable from our friends at Alpha Mom–it’s actually a free printable sleeve that goes around a cup. Check off the teacher attributes (kind, smart, loved) then glue it around a cup and drop the card in. Fantastic!

-Kate + Liz

Thank you to all the wonderful teachers who have helped to shape our kids’ lives in so many wonderful ways. We appreciate you so much. And if you have an all-time favorite gift you’ve gotten from your students, please leave a comment. We’d love to hear it.