Teachers are overworked and underpaid. Everyone knows that. These are the people who shape the minds of the future generation and make the entire world function in the most basic sense. Take some time to look for the right gift. This list will help you find the perfect match for the special teacher in your life, whether they’re looking out for your kid or they’re just a close friend or family member.
Chalkboard Crayon Wreath
This wreath made with school supplies is an adorable gift for teachers to decorate their door or classroom with. The chalkboard allows them to display messages or reminders for the class. You will need a bunch of crayons, some mini composition notebooks, and a wreath form to get started on this beautiful DIY project.
Teacher Swear Words Coloring Book
Adult coloring books are all the rage. With a long break ahead, teachers will love the opportunity to unwind with some mindless coloring. This book is filled with some of the best substitute words that teachers need to make it through a day. They’ll likely add a few words to their arsenal, too.
Paper Daisies
These paper daisies could make a great backdrop for end of year pictures in class. If you can coordinate with other students in the class, you could make these from the daily assignments. You may need to plan something like this for several weeks and communicate with several parents and students.
Crochet Apple
Teacher’s desks are made for decorating, and what better to decorate it with than this adorable crochet apple. The apple even has a little face to make it all the cuter. The crochet apple is actually similar to the size of a real apple and would look fantastic on any special teacher’s desk.
Personalized Teacher Tote
Here is a notebook tote to match the notebook tea cloths. It is a very cute and also functional gift for your child’s teacher. The best part is the personalization by adding the teacher’s name to the bag. Just pick up a white canvas bag, some blue and red embroidery floss, and heat transfer paper.
Little Black Book
Every teacher needs a little black book. It’s not the same as the one your college buddies had, but it is essential to keeping notes on students or just using it as a chance to vent or doodle during those useless faculty meetings. Most likely, you’ll be giving your teacher an escape from the droning on of some blowhard. They’ll hug you.
Last Day Blues (Book)
This is a great end of year gift. This is a small book that will help ease everyone’s sad feelings about going to the next grade. Most likely, this will be a book that will be treasured for many years as it becomes a last day of school tradition to help with the grieving process. Every teacher deals with it every year with a new group of beloved students.
Paper Plants
These wonderful plants can make a great desktop addition or general decor for the classroom. Teachers will love having a little life in the classroom and they’ll be even more excited that it doesn’t require any maintenance or create any mess. This tutorial includes everything you need to get your teacher rooted in happy ambience that little plants will bring to everyone.
Back to School Emergency Kit
This handmade back to school emergency kit is so adorable and a great gift for any teacher bringing in the school year. Decorate the box yourself and then throw whatever goodies you can think of into it to surprise your child’s teacher with. You will only need a wooden box, some paint, and vinyl.
Padfolio
A padfolio is a necessity for those awful trainings and professional development meetings that teacher are forced to participate in. Help your favorite teacher stand out in the crowd. These high quality padfolios can be personalized. This will be a real head turner and a conversation starter in the hours of boredom that can ensue at a training.
Today I Made a Difference (Book)
This little book is a great compilation of positive stories from the world of education. Teachers from all over the country share their feel good moment to inspire other teachers. This is a great reminder of why teachers do what they do. It’s not for the data, jargon, pressure, or low wages. Everything they do is about the kids.
Engraved Glass Jars for Desk
A clean desk is a clean life. Unfortunately, most of the time a teacher’s desk is not clean. These beautiful glass jars can help clear some space and keep things neat and tidy. Each item has it’s place. Pair these with some folder organizers or magazine holders and you can be part of the solution.
Great Job Stamper
Teachers love motivating students. This gives teachers a way to encourage students to do their best with a personal touch. Students will get the positive motivation they need and they’ll feel like their favorite teacher took an extra minute to look at what they were doing.
Notebook Tea Cloths
Any teacher could benefit from having a towel handy around the classroom, so gift them with a super cute classroom themed tea towel. For this simple sewing DIY project, you will need some soft linen, a ruler, and blue and red thread. No-sew tape is used for the hem to make this project extra easy.
Beaded Bookmark
Books are a huge part of teaching, and you can help teachers keep track of where they need to read from with these beaded bookmarks. This DIY project is very simple, and all you need are large and small beads and some beading cord. Make it in the teacher’s favorite color for a great gift.
Mini Zen Garden
Every teacher needs a calming gift to return their sanity after a stressful day of teaching. This adorable mini Zen garden gives your teacher something to relax with at their desk when the day gets difficult. Find a cute little dish, some sand, and some air plants, and you’ve got a mini Zen garden.
Polaroid Magnets
There are plenty of metal surfaces in a teacher’s classroom, so why not create Polaroid magnets for them to decorate with. These cute magnets each show off a picture, so you can personalize each one you make. Just pick up some wood veneer Polaroid frames and get started.
Mousepad
Give your favorite teacher a little boost every time she reaches for her mouse. It’s the gift that keeps on giving year after year. When was the last time you went out of your way to buy a mouse pad? Exactly. Never. So, give a gift that will make an impression for quite some time.
Personalized Classroom Rules
These eye-catching tag clouds make classroom rules more fun than the usual poster. This gives every teacher a chance to stand out and make their classroom look as fun as it actually is for every kid. These rules can be as personalized as you want. Make sure to get some input from the teacher before you order.
Personalized Planner
This planner is completely customizable. You can start the calendar when you want and end it when you want. You can also add a name to the cover so that if it’s ever misplaced, it’s returned to its rightful owner. Chances are, they won’t let it out of their sight long enough to be lost.
Hand Sanitizer Jacket
Schools are filled with germs, and that’s a fact. One way for teachers to combat all of those germs is to keep some hand sanitizer on them. This DIY project creates an adorable little jacket to fit a small bottle of hand sanitizer so a teacher can always carry one with them.
Teacher Name Plate
Every teacher needs a good name plate for their desk. This simple design is straightforward. Schools are so overwhelmed with testing and data tracking that they never think about buying name plates for their teachers. It’s not like the old days where teachers were given what they needed to succeed. Go out of your way to give a little recognition; it’ll go a long way.
Personal Fan
These fans can also be made out of assignments or hand written notes of appreciation. You could get as creative as you want. You could even use fancy craft papers with inspirational quotes to make an attractive fan that teachers will love to show off as wall art or to use as they walk around the classroom.
DIY Personalized Pens (4-Pack)
If you have multiple teachers to take care of, you’ll need to consider these pen packs. You can take the time to personalize them and you can have a special gift that will last for a few years. Every time they sign a bathroom pass or record attendance they’ll be reminded that they have some great students, and they’ll be inspired to survive another year.
Clipboard Command Center
Teachers have a lot of papers and notes to keep organized. This clipboard command center is a great place for teachers to keep important papers and jot down important notes on. All you need is a clipboard and some adhesive vinyl to get started on this great DIY teacher’s gift.
Flower Vases
These vases are a fantastic addition to any classroom or home. You could even pair these with the paper plants from above to make an even more beautiful assortment for the classroom. These will add to the ambience of the classroom and help students and teachers find a little more joy in their day.
To Do Clips
These little clips will help teachers stay organized. Sure, teachers already have plenty of systems in place to stay ahead of everything. There’s no teacher that will ever be unappreciative of new clips and gadgets to keep their desk and student work organized. There are more people in the world that hate puppies.
Nifty Notepads
These notepads give teachers a great way to communicate with students, parents, and other teachers. Instead of writing out detailed messages, they can use these to be a little fun and whimsical instead of giving bad news all the time.
Keep Calm Mug
This mug will quickly become your favorite teacher’s favorite mug. Lesson plans are usually just a massive abuse of jargon and junk. Teachers have to hide behind them and pretend that they actually make sense. This will likely become the talk of the entire school. Every faculty member will be jealous of her new caffeine delivery system (as the jargonistas might say).
Green Plan Book
Teachers love plan books. Years ago, teachers would get a plan book and record book from their principal on the first days of school. Now, teachers are left to fend for themselves while being hit with the onslaught of partial and inaccurate data while being told they aren’t doing a good job teaching kids.
Green Record Book
With these great books options, teachers will have what they need to make it through the year. The convenience of being able to write everything down is something that teachers love. In a world that is going digital, teachers still love to write everything down and see it for themselves instead of just following a strict schedule from a textbook.
Chalkboard Tags
These tags are a great way for teachers to organize their supplies or add their name to their classroom library books. Teachers love to put their personal touch on things in their classroom. Whether they use these to label thumbtack jars or get their classroom library properly labeled and numbered, they’ll appreciate the considerate gift.
Weekly Chalkboard Planner
Teachers love chalkboards. Back in the day, every teacher wanted one of those newfangled white erase boards. Now, every teacher wishes they could get rid of the dry erase boards and go back to chalk. This won’t replace the white board, but it will scratch an itch that all teachers have for that old school feel that education used to have.
Desk Calendar
Every teacher needs a desk calendar. This is yet another thing that teachers used to get from their principal or school board, but rarely get them these days. You may want to check with the teacher to see if a desk calendar is something they could use. Alternatively, just take a look at their desk the next time you’re in there.
Teacher's Note Cube
This personalized cube is an essential part of every desk in America, none more than a teacher’s desk. Whether it’s a way to label a stack of papers, a bathroom pass, or a quick note of which page number the class left of on, these notes are part of the everyday function of the classroom.
Fancy Teacher Quote Clipboard
This clipboard comes with one of four teacher quotes. It’s also personalized so this can’t be taken. Clipboards are already a precious commodity but with this level of customization and a touch of class, they will be the envy of every teacher in the tri-county area.
Notepad
This custom notepad is another desktop essential that teachers will be happy to advertise. They’ll find any reason to send their new custom stationery with a student just to ask a simple question about when the announcements start. This will be a memorable gift as long as it lasts.
Motivation Stickers
These custom stickers will be a hit with students for the entire next year. Teachers will love to give out motivation with their name emblazoned right there on the sticker. It gives a personal touch to the motivational aspect of teaching. This gift is for the teacher and her students.
Magazine Racks and Pencil Holders
These DIY racks and holders can go with other desktop organizational gifts to make the perfect desk set for your favorite teacher. You can personalize these or label them according to the teacher’s needs. You may need to do a little research to see their preferences and how their systems work.
Origami Boxes
These boxes are another great organizational trick. The best part is that you can use assignments from the school year to make them into these little boxes. You may want to use some of the more permanent materials rather than notebook paper. Look for things like construction paper or something colorful that will add some pop and durability.
Photo Coasters
Help keep your child’s teacher’s desk neat and free from water rings with these cute and functional photo coasters. You can use whatever photo will mean a lot to the teacher you’re gifting it to. With some mod podge, cork, and laminate sheets, you can easily make this heartfelt and personalized gift.
Chalkboard with Clothespins
This DIY project makes a cute space for teachers to hang artwork or classwork made by their students. The chalkboard provides a space to label what the clothespins are holding beneath. This very simple DIY only requires a chalkboard, some chunky clothespins, and glue. You can even take some craft paint to decorate the clothespins.
Chalkboard Mason Jars
Chalkboards go hand in hand with teachers, even though a lot of classrooms opt for whiteboards now-a-days. These mason jars that are painted with chalkboard paint make a great teacher’s gift. They can label the jars with chalk and fill them with whatever they want to. Tie a piece of chalk on for easy access.
Apple Earrings
Like chalkboards, apples are synonymous with teachers. These apple earrings are a super cute DIY gift to give any special teacher in your child’s life. You will need some heavy duty paper or vinyl for these earrings and some mod podge, as well as earring hooks. This really is a fairly simple DIY project.
(Read this next: 39 Perfect Gifts for Good Teachers)
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