The Best DIY Teacher Gifts (From a Teacher)

Looking for ideas of handmade teacher gifts? You’re in the right place. DIY gifts are often the best kind.

I worked as a teacher for 10 years and I still cherish the thought that many families put into picking out and making gifts for me. While I didn’t expect them, they were touching to receive, and reminded me that my work was appreciated and had had a positive impact on their child.

There are many handmade teacher gift ideas out there, but as someone who worked as a teacher for many years and received many gifts – I believe most teachers prefer DIY gifts that are:

I am certain that your child’s teacher will appreciate any gift your child gives them, because its not about the gift itself – its about showing the teacher that you appreciate their work, (which we love to hear from time to time.)

At the same time, I want to give you the best ideas from a teacher’s perspective of things that we can actually use, as opposed to things that we will just think is nice, but can’t really do anything with and will just pile up over the years.

As a creative person, and a teacher – I have some ideas of great handmade gifts for your child’s teacher that are simple, easy and cheap for you to make – but are also very useful for your child’s teacher too.

Not only does this gesture really touch the teacher, but it is fun for you and your child to make together. They are gifts that aren’t exclusively for teachers, but that anyone would appreciate – and that is often the best kind of gift!

So, let’s jump in!

Handmade Teacher Gift Ideas

Here are the best teacher gifts that you can make from home

1. A heartfelt letter or card

The best gifts were handmade cards or handwritten letters from students or parents telling me how they appreciated my work, and the positive impact that it had on them.

These are the kinds of gifts your child’s teacher will cherish forever – I can promise you that.

Give your child some markers, stickers and a blank sheet of paper, and let them write a note. They can mention things like their favourite memory in class, what has stuck out to them the most, why they like being in the teacher’s class.

Tip: You could even draft a ‘rough’ copy together before starting on the final copy

2. Hot chocolate bombs

Hot chocolate bombs make a really nice treat, as a holiday or end of year gift.

Chocolate bombs have gotten pricy. So although I love them, its not something that I often buy for myself.

There are kits you can buy that can make hot chocolate bombs pretty easily. The best part is that you can use them year after year – for teacher gifts, and for yourself too.

I recommend grabbing a set of molds like these ones, and then following this recipe for easy, delicious and simple hot chocolate bombs that will make a nice gift.

Pro Tip: Before making hot chocolate bombs, it might be worth it to verify that your child’s teacher is ok with dairy. If they’re not, I find that its pretty easy to swap out milk chocolate for dark.

3. Dry soup in a mason jar

Dry soups in a mason jar are perfect, because they are non-perishable, and consumable. Plus, the teacher can use the mason jar for lots of things after they’re done with the soup.

To make a dry soup mix in a mason jar, you simply need to add dry (uncooked) ingredients on top of each other.

Not only does it look cool – but it prepares an easy and healthy meal that the teacher could use for themselves only, or to feed their whole family.

This website has six different soup types to choose from.

Side note: As a vegetarian, I recommend double checking to make sure your child’s teacher is ok meat before making any meat-based soups (such as chicken noodle, or beef barley.)

4. Bath bombs

Bath bombs are one of the best gifts. They’re useful, consumable and they’re also a good self care gift for teachers.

I received a few bath bombs as teacher gifts over the years, and they are always a nice treat – something I enjoy, but rarely buy for myself.

I also found out that they’re pretty easy to make.

To make your own bath bombs, all you need a bath bomb mold, and several ingredients – most of which you likely already have at home:

Here is are easy step by step instructions on how to make bath bombs at home with the above ingredients.

Afterwards, you can wrap them in tissue and put them in a small gift bag and include a handmade card.

5. Decorated vase or pencil holder

Get a tin, vase or wooden holder and decorate it.

You can decorate it with burlap (like in the picture below) for a rustic look, but and some people like to decorate with crayons or pencil crayons as a teacher gift.

Here are instructions for a crayon-decorated vase, or click here if you want to use burlap for a more natural look. (Both are adorable.)

Wrap some ribbon around it, or put a flower in it as a finishing touch!

6. A potted succulent

Succulents make great gifts, because:

a) they look good anywhere
b) they’re low maintenance
b) there are some health benefits associated with them. They cleanse toxins from the air, and are good for our mental health

How obviously, you don’t ‘make’ the plant – you buy it, but you and your child can make or decorate the pot.

There are so many different ideas of pots. You could buy a pot and have your child decorate it.

If you want more of a challenge or want to make it look less homemade, then here are some great ideas of different succulent planter options.

7. A bird feeder ornament

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love to see birds outside their window. Having a little slice of nature in your backyard or balcony is good for mental health and brings a bit of cheer too.

If the teacher doesn’t have a good place to hang it at home, they may also choose to hang it at school too.

It’s so easy to make a zero-waste bird feeder that the teacher can hang up at school or home.

All you need for the ingredients is:

Follow these simple instructions to make a bird feeder similar to the one above.

Pro Tip: These homemade bird feeders need to be kept in a cool place after they’re made, or they can rot. (I know from experience.) Store this gift in a cool place like the fridge or garage after you make it, and tell the gift recipient to do so as well until they’re ready to hang it up.

8. A wooden disc ornament

I love those wooden discs that can be made into ornaments. They’re perfect for the Christmas tree, but can be used anywhere.

You don’t have to cut down a tree to make these ornaments – you can buy the wooden slices already made and sanded down, and all you (or your child) has to to is decorate them.

There are tons of ways you could decorate them. You could do something Christmasy for the holidays, or write #1 Teacher or Best Teacher Ever on them. You could also paint them.

Here are dozens of really cute (and easy) ideas for wood slice ornaments.

Pro Tip: If you buy the wood slices, they often come in packages of several. However, these wood slice ornaments also make really nice gift toppers that you can use for several presents.

9. Cookie mix in a mason jar

Like soup in a jar, cookie mix in a jar is another cute homemade gift idea. The best part is that you can probably make one just using ingredients that you already have in your pantry.

You can use green and red M&Ms if its a Christmas gift, or regular chocolate (milk or dark) for any time of the year.

You could have your child decorate the outside of it, or a cute sticker to put on the lid.

Here’s a great and easy recipe for making cookie mix in a jar.

10. A self-printed T-shirt

A lot of people have access to a Cricut these days, and if you’re one of those people, then you might be able to print a nice T-shirt for your child’s teacher.

I wouldn’t make a T-shirt that they would be expected to wear at work, but something larger, and cozy and mention in the card that its something they can throw on at home while they’re relaxing.

You could imprint the words “Best Teacher Ever” or “#1 Teacher,” or something like that. They’re sure to feel like a million bucks every time they throw it on.

11. A heating pad

One of the best teacher gifts I ever received was a heating pad to put older tense shoulders and neck.

To this day, that handmade heat pad I received from a student (his mom was a teacher too) is the only heat pad I use.

Heat pads pretty easy to make at home using only rice, and some fabric. (You can do some sewing but you don’t need to – they can be made with socks!)

The best part about making your own heating pad is that you can choose the colours and designs.

This Youtube video teaches you how to make heating pads using socks.

12. Teacher survival kit

Another great idea for a handmade teacher gift is it put together a small homemade ‘teacher care kit’ that they can keep in their desk at work, and use to destress during the day.

If you decide to go with this idea, I would keep it very simple and not too personal. Just include essentials that anyone can use, such as:

Read my post on teacher survival kit essentials for more ideas of things you could add.

Handmade Teacher Gifts to Reconsider

I want to stress that us teachers are more than grateful for any effort or time you put into gifts – especially handmade ones! We don’t expect them. However, if you want to make a gift that you can be sure your child’s teacher can use, then here are a few things to consider.

❌ Baked goods

I received lots of baked goods as teacher gifts during my time as a teacher, and I always appreciated the time and effort that the students and their families put into them.

The only problem with baked goods as a teacher gift is that if the teacher can’t eat it for any reason (ie: there’s an ingredient they’re intolerant or allergic to) then its very hard for them to repurpose baked goods.

Make a cookie mixture in a mason jar instead -that way they can make them themselves, (making modifications if necessary) or they have time to regift it if they can’t eat it themselves.

❌ Anything to drink out of

I received my first hand-printed teacher cup almost a decade into my career. (It also had my name printed on the side of it.) I loved it!

If you know that your child’s teacher is ‘newer’ to the career, then I’m sure they will love something like this.

If they’ve been teaching for a long time however, then it’s very likely that they have lots of them from over the years. It’s still a sweet and caring gift, but it can create clutter if they have more of them than they can use.

DIY Teacher Gifts FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about gifts for teachers

What can be a good gift for a teacher?

A good teacher gift is something that they can use; ideally consumable and doesn’t take up too much space. I recommend gift cards, handmade gifts, or supplies for the classroom. Of course, it’s the thought that counts!

How do I make a homemade teacher gift?

There are lots of ways to make a homemade teacher gift. First of all, it doesn’t need to be a gift exclusively for teachers. Think about what kind of gift you’d like someone to make you. Use that to guide which gift you make for your child’s teacher.

Final Thoughts on Handmade Teacher Gifts

I hope that this has given you lots of ideas of homemade and DIY gifts to make for your child’s teacher.

I’ve tried to focus on gifts that are affordable and easy enough to make, but also eco-friendly and consumable. I know from experience that this is what teachers will get the most use out of.

Having said that, I’m sure whatever you choose will be something that they will appreciate it. In all my years of teaching and being good friends with other teachers, I’ve never heard a teacher complain about any of their gifts.