Gift-giving is a great way to show your appreciation for someone, and it’s even more meaningful when the gift you give is handmade. Whether it’s for a teacher or parent, giving something made with love is always a good gift.
Making homemade gifts gives students an opportunity to get creative and express their gratitude in a unique way that doesn’t require spending lots of money. From cards to keychains, there are endless possibilities when it comes to creating thoughtful presents that teachers and parents alike can appreciate.
In this article, we’ll explore some simple yet heartfelt gifts students can make for teachers and parents.
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Gifts Teachers and Parents Will Love
Tile Coasters
Plain, white tiles are the perfect canvas for handmade gifts students can make for parents and teachers! Have them paint an intricate design or a picture of their choosing, or splatter paint the tiles for unique, one-of-a-kind looks!
Place a square of felt on the bottom of each tile to protect the surface and use ModPodge to seal the tile after painting.
Decorated Chocolate Bars
Looking for cute and tasty gifts students can make? Use a chocolate bar as your canvas!
Wrap white construction or copy paper around the bar to make a new wrapper (don’t take off the foil!) and decorate it to look like a snowman, reindeer, bouquet of flowers, and more! The sky is the limit!
Keychains
Handmade keychains make for a simple yet meaningful gift to give to parents and teachers. Not only are they easy to make with basic crafting materials, but they can also be personalized with special messages or images that reflect the recipient’s interests and passions.
From colorful beads and charms to personal photos, there are endless possibilities when it comes to customizing these easy and practical gifts.
Ornaments
Ornaments always hold a special place in a parent’s heart, so they make the perfect gift! You can even have students make them for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day if you want!
Here are three ornament ideas that we love that use clear ornaments that you can buy in bulk.
1 – Pom Pom Ornaments
Pom Pom ornaments are easy and fun to make. They’re also great fine motor skills practice!
Simply have students place different colored pom poms into a clear ornament, hot glue the lid on, and tie a ribbon on top.
The pom poms can be any color, so get ones for an upcoming holiday, a parent/teacher’s favorite color, or even the colors of a favorite sports team!
2 – Ribbon Ornaments
Ribbon ornaments take a record of how tall the child was when they made the ornament.
Use curling ribbon to measure the child’s height. Cut the length and place it in the clear ornament. Tie a ribbon on top and include a note about the ribbon being a reminder of how tall the child was when they made it.
3 – Fingerprint Ornaments
From fingerprint snowmen to fingerprint butterflies, ornaments that feature a child’s fingerprints are always super cute and have a ton of sentimental value.
4 – Puzzle Ornaments
Spray paint puzzle pieces green (before bringing them in for your class) and have students glue the pieces together to form a wreath or frame. Decorate with a tiny ribbon bow and write the year on the back.
Candy Cups
Have students make cups of candy goodness! Using a clear, plastic cup with a lid, fill the cup about 1/2 way with different types of wrapped candy and lollipops.
Put the lid on and, instead of a straw, put a pencil or pen in the top! It’s a cute gift that teachers and parents can use and will enjoy!
Cards
Creating handmade cards is a great way for students to express their appreciation for teachers and parents. With a few simple materials, crafty students can create cards that are both sentimental and unique.
Here are some ideas for heartfelt homemade cards.
1. Pop-up card: Students can make pop-up cards with a variety of images, such as flowers, animals, or even their own artwork.
2. Photo collage: Students can make a collage of photos of themselves and their teacher/parents to show how much they appreciate them.
3. Handwritten letter or poem: Students can write a heartfelt letter or poem expressing how much they appreciate their teachers and parents. Acrostic poems are always great for this because students aren’t as intimidated by the idea of writing them as they are other types of poetry.
Holiday Photos
Use a green screen as your backdrop and snap photos of your students during pajama day. Edit it to add a Christmas-y fireplace background to the photo. Print them out and have students create a cardstock frame around the picture that’s decorated with markers, stickers, and more.
Silhouette Images
Trace your students’ profiles and use a Cricut or a pair of sharp scissors to cut out the image on black cardstock. Add to an inexpensive frame and you have a beautiful silhouette image that families will cherish. Be sure to add the year!
Painted Rocks
Have students paint cartoon faces on small river rocks. They’re great for paperweights and just for decoration!
Handmade gifts are a great way to show your appreciation for teachers and parents. Not only do they make meaningful, lasting presents that demonstrate thoughtfulness, but they’re also creative outlets that allow students to express their individual personalities through art or craft projects.
Whether you opt to create something like keychains or personalized cards – there is no limit on the type of handmade gift ideas you can come up with! With just a little bit of time and effort, both teachers and parents will have a gift they love for years to come.
