Teacher Appreciation Craft Ideas for Kids

Shouldn’t teacher appreciation day be every day?  Since the greatest appreciation is paying attention in class, then yes, it should be!  But every once in a while, it is a wonderful idea to give the special teachers in your children’s lives a reminder of how much you appreciate their efforts, their hard work, their patience, and their support.  Teachers know that special gifts don’t have to cost a fortune; in fact, they don’t have to cost much more than a bit of your time. Here are some great teacher appreciation craft ideas for kids who love their teachers.

A Picture Says a Thousand “Thank You’s”

A special class photo can be a great gift for a teacher.  But since they get one of the standard yearbook-type photos each year, up the ante and do something different.

Parents could arrange to have a photo taken of the children in which they arrange themselves to spell “THANK YOU” or, if there are more students, they could spell the teacher’s name.

The picture is taken from overhead, perhaps on a ladder or from a balcony.

A Sudsy Sentiment

This idea for personalized hand soap comes from the GiversLog blog.  You need:

• A bottle of hand soap. Look for a bottle that has a clear blank area.  This blog recommends Lavata, which is available at Target, but any bottle with a blank area will be fine. Use non-foaming soap.
• A picture your child has drawn.
• Transparency.

Make sure the drawing is a size that will fit on the bottle.  Transfer your child’s drawing or even a handwritten poem onto a transparency.  If you can get this printed at a Kinkos, that will work best.  You can add color with blue or green Sharpies as well.  Cut out the image, roll it up, and put it through the bottle neck.  It will unroll, and you fix it into position by putting the soap pump behind it.  You can check out the tutorial here for more information and a look at the finished product.

Have a Pencil?

There are never enough pencils!  Your teacher is the perpetual supplier of pencils, so why not give her some of her own?

Buy a few boxes of yellow pencils at the dollar store or box store (at the beginning of the school year, there are great deals) and hot glue them to a straight flower-pot or vase.

Tie a ribbon around the container and hang a cute sign with a saying of appreciation or just a big “Thank you!”  Add some straw or fabric flowers, a plant, or cut flowers.

Teacher, You Put the Pieces Together

If you have some old puzzles lying around, or if you go to a yard sale and score some for a dollar or so, put them to good use with this idea from FamilyCorner.

You’ll need:

• A class photo or one of your child.
• A piece of cardboard that is a bit bigger than the photo.
• 4 popsicle or craft sticks.
• 15 or so puzzle pieces, depending on the size of the pieces.
• Craft paint.
• Craft glue.
• Buttons, paperclips, and other little doodads.

To Make:

1. Glue the photo onto the cardboard.  Glue the craft sticks around the photo like a frame. Trim the cardboard if necessary, and let the glue dry.
2. Paint the puzzle pieces.  Use different colors, bright primaries, or whatever you like. You may need to do a few coats to get the color bright and bold enough to hide the picture underneath.  Let the pieces dry completely.
3. Use hot glue (this is the parent’s part of the project) to attach the puzzle pieces to the craft sticks. Overlap pieces so there are no gaps.  Let the glue dry and set.
4. Use the hot glue again to put on the small buttons and other knickknacks.
5. Glue a piece of string, yarn, twine, or raffia to the cardboard for a hanger.

There are so many ways to show your teacher how much you appreciate his/her efforts with handmade teacher gifts.  In this case, it really is the thought that counts!

Pinkchic18 has a passion for crafts, baking, and party planning. Follow her on Twitter for updates on her newest work.