Alright, alright. I know I’m more than a little late to the game with this. I meant to post a teacher gift DIY weeks ago, but life happened to get in the way. I didn’t figure out our gift idea until this week (thank you Pinterest and Camp Slop) and we didn’t get to making it until yesterday.
So, yeah. I’m late. A lot of kids have been on summer vacation for weeks now. But take this idea and put it in your pocket (or, you know, your Pinterest gift ideas board) until next year. And it doesn’t just have to be an idea for teachers! You can adapt this for going away gifts or retirement presents, or just about anything really.
What on earth is this adorableness, you ask? Well I’m glad you wondered because I was about to launch into that anyway.
I took to Facebook a couple of weeks ago to ask my teacher friends what kind of gift they actually want at the end of the year. The overwhelming majority of them said gift cards of some sort. But I have issues and didn’t want to leave it at just that.
Sam loves getting crafty and I wanted to work that in somehow. When I saw this super cute idea of creating a little book with gift cards inside that your teacher could use to do different things over the summer, I knew we had to make our own version.
I had to consult my boss lady first, of course. Luckily she loved the idea and she helped me come up with some things her teacher might like to do. We settled on four and got $5 gift cards for each little activity. Then my girl got to work.
She drew pictures of each of our four ideas: reading a good book, eating ice cream, taking her daughter shopping (which was her absolute favorite page to illustrate. I love her little shopping cart and all the stickers she used to fill the shelves), and going back to school shopping.
I realize $5 doesn’t buy you much, but it’s something, right?
On the last page she wrote a cute little note. Couldn’t you just squeeze her?
I think the most important thing to remember with gifts like this is to step back and let your kid do it. You may have grand ideas of professional looking amazingness, but it really will mean more if they do it themselves. Plus, they’re so proud of themselves at the end of it. Control your perfectionist twitch and let your kid do the work.
When it comes to teacher gifts, do you go homemade or do you head straight to the store?
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Hi! I'm Jen, a freelance writer and girl mom who loves reading the newest children’s books as much as I love a good psychological thriller. I believe fiercely in the power of kindness, empathy, and really good quality chocolate. When I'm not knee-deep in glittery crafts and girl talk, you can probably find me sprawled out on my couch in the middle of a Netflix marathon with dark chocolate smeared on my face. The struggle is real. 
this is so cute! gift cards may be useful, but they’re so impersonal – putting a personal touch makes them way more awesome!
Agreed! I totally get that they’re probably what teachers will actually USE the most, but I hate that it’s so fast and impersonal. That little bit of effort makes all the difference in the world, don’t you think?
Plus it kept my girl busy (and quiet) for a little while! 😉
Very cute Jen! Make sure you make copies for yourself – they grow up too fast!