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.
I am a retired teacher and I so appreciated my thoughtful parents. Folks that don’t teach seldom realize that a teacher’s day is more than the school day. There are papers to grade, phone calls to make each night to parents, lesson plans, plus making bulletins boards and gathering needed supplies for student projects.
Like you Christy, I am also interested in keeping families together. I have a small project. I work with folk to document their family stories. I help individuals research their genealogy, write down the family stories that have been passed to them and the events they remember.
the-one-room-schoolhouse.blogspot.com
I have published my own genealogy by creating a “blog book” on the internet.
southard-stokesancestors.blogspot.com/ It includes my maternal grandmother’s recipes: bessiesrecipes.blogspot.com/
Great idea! I’m a teacher and would have loved a sweet little gift like these.
I’m going to use it for my room moms and fellow teachers this year. What a cute, inexpensive way to say Thank you. 🙂
so as soon as I read this I was off to the pantry:) I only had small jelly jar sized ones, but I did find a cute reusable coffee cup that had come with a cooler I got I had never used it so the wheels started turning:)
I printing the bar quote and used it on a nature valley bar, I also had some Yummy Lindor chocolates like you showed so I put them in there also, and since I had stocked up on Crystal light mixes I threw a few in there also. I then wrote her a note saying how excited I was for the new year and hoped she would enjoy the back to school pick me ups:)
Thanks Christy! It’s an old trick, but new ideas for new moms are always great. I did this for all the holidays, and filled them with holiday-appropriate candy and if I had time, hot-glued matching ribbon around the jar lid. Candy kisses and M&Ms or small wrapped hard candies were always appreciated – teachers can get awfully dry-mouthed during the day, and most always love to have a small hard candy to pop in their mouth!
I would also cut out the material circles with pinking shears, for an added “fluff”
Wonderful idea thanks,, my granddaughter is going to start her student teaching next month and then graduate in Dec. with her Masters in teaching for Special Ed. students.. I am so proud of her… I have printed these out and can surprise her and some others with them..
Thanks for all the help you give us all1
hugs jo in Oklahoma
These are adorable! I did something similar with these plastic index card holders I found on sale. It’s not as cute but they made handy emergency kits that fit into a purse or backpack nicely.
OOH I love it school starts tomorrow here also and my big kid is gonna be a 3rd grader I can not believe it! I just got some jelly jars the other day I may go see what I can fit in one. thanks for the idea