DIY Appreciation Gifts for School, Work, or Friends
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My kids start school on Monday. ~takes a deep breath~ and while it will be a big day for them (and me!) it is also a big day for their teacher’s as well. Did you realize that when our kids are in school, their teachers spend more time with them during their waking hours than we do? I know we all appreciate the love and dedication they put into their jobs. I really like to bake things, but with a lot of schools no longer allowing that, I thought I’d bring you a few inexpensive thank you gifts just to show your appreciation.
These gifts are great year round, for a holiday, teacher appreciation week, first day of school, or my favorite : the no-special-reason gift. They are also great for coworkers, friends, or just anytime someone you know could use a little perking up.
Lets start with the easiest, and the only printable I’m offering that is teacher specific:
This is an updated spin on the apple (but apples are still great!). I think this one is my new favorite and of course, the least expensive. While you’re out shopping for school supplies, pick up a box of breakfast bars and print out this sheet to be ready with thoughtful little gifts to make that first day a little easier for your child’s teacher. This wrapper fits perfectly on a breakfast, granola, or snack bar. Just print the label, trim the ends a bit, and tape around your bar. See the end of this post to print these wrapper labels.
Jar Gifts
In this post I’m doing two different things with pint jars but you are limited only by your own imagination! I also have two labels to print that will work with a multitude of jar fillings and are great to use for any recipient.
Survival Kit
I asked the teachers on the Southern Plate Facebook page what they’d like to have for a welcome back gift and many of them said things like breakfast bars, drink mixes, etc, because they get so busy with the kids that they forget or simply don’t have time to eat. This is an all in one survival kit that you can easily customize.
My jar includes a granola type bar, breakfast bar, two drink mixes for bottled water, and a few peppermints. I’ve got two sets of labels to choose from below, if you’d like to print the ones I am using.
Who doesn’t need chocolate?
This is another cute little idea. Fill a jar with chocolates and attach one of the labels below to the inside of the lid. You can use any type of chocolate you like, or even their favorite candy. This is also a great “Thinking of you” gift for co-workers, moms, anyone you can think of!
For the fabric, I just traced a saucer onto some fabric and then cut out the circle.
Print my labels by clicking below. Place the jar ring around the label and trace a circle as a cutting guide.
Click here for “Sanity Preserves” Labels
Click here for “In Case Of Emergency” Labels
Click here for Teacher Bar Wrapper Labels
No matter what you decide to do or who you decide to give a “thinking of you” gift to, give it with a warm heart and it will be well received!
“What we do for ourselves dies with us.
What we do for others and the world remains.”
~Albert Pine. Submit your quote here.
As a teacher, I would love to get one of these little gifts. So much nicer than another pen or coffe mug! I wil be using this for my girls’ teachers as well. Thanks for all that you put into this site. I LOVE Southern Plate!!!!
Oops! That should be “coffee” mug! Don’t tell my principal, please!
That is a wonderful idea.
Wow your kiddos are going back early. We still have three weeks until we start back. I love these ideas and will use them. It is always important to get off to a good start with your kids teachers. I was shocked last year at the number of parents in my daughter’s second grade class that never got involved in anything going on up there. I work too but I think it is still important to show your kids and the teachers that you want to be part of the process. So even if you can only volunteer at a couple of events throughout the year… it is so worth it.
I am a teacher and would LOVE one of these. I am making one right now for my daughter’s teacher! School starts Monday for us!
What a cute idea! I’m thinking I should make up a batch of these survival kits to pass out at orientation this year.
did you understand that I taped the pictures to the inside of the lid? typing too fast
Christy-
Does Katie starts kindergarten on Monday???? Our daugher, Anna Jane, started yesterday….I’m still a little misty. I was one of “those Moms” who cried! Only 1/2 of the class was there on Friday and the other half go on Monday with everyone on Tuesday–staggered entry, they call it. Anyway, here’s a cute idea I did for AJ. She picked out a Hello Kitty metal lunch box. I taped photos of her with her friends, pets, Daddy, etc. When she opened it at lunchtime, she had a great surprise and an easy ice-breaker to make conversation with her new classmates! I thought I was pretty clever!! : ) I think I’ll make a batch of these jars to give out to the office staff on Tuesday–never too early to make “brownie points!!”
Love the lunchbox idea, Nancy. My oldest is starting 3rd grade this year and it seems like yesterday that she was a Kindergartener. She just looked so small at that big ol’ school. I have a little one that will be starting school in two more years so I am definitly stealing your idea for that one.