It’s been a while since I’ve experienced the joy of receiving special teacher gifts from my students! Cara & Co has become my new “classroom”, where I’ve been learning so much about running a business while also constantly being inspired by the most incredible teammates here along the journey with me!
But every now and then, I do get a little nostalgic remembering my former classrooms, full of bright-eyed, eager students. I miss the days of little teacher notes, muddy recess boots, colorful bulletin boards and all the bursts of cheerful laughter! Mostly, I miss the rewarding feeling that came from seeing a student suddenly “get it”! Above all, my joy as a teacher came from watching my students rise to challenges and glow with the success of achievement - regardless of how big or small that achievement was.
Now that I am out of the classroom, it’s fun to think of creative and crafty ideas that use our very own Cara & Co supplies to help you treat the special teachers in your lives! I’ll never forget the hand-made gift that my students in New Zealand gave to me at the end of a school year - the beautiful, hand-bound memento album still sits on my living room table. What made their gift so special was the personal touches that went into each part of it - handwritten notes, pictures, and crafted accessories.
Your teacher gifts don’t have to be expensive or flamboyant. Based on experience, I can promise you that there is only ONE special element to a teacher gift that will always deliver extra warm and fuzzy feelings to the special teacher in your child’s life. That special element is simply a personal, heart-felt part to the gift.
Here are a few ideas we made using some of our Cara & Co supplies. We hope they help inspire you so that your gifts make an impact and show how much you appreciate everything the teachers do for your child(ren)!
None of these DIY teacher gifts are super complicated - we know how busy it is near the end of the school year, so we didn’t want them to feel daunting. We promise that their simplicity and personal touches will bring a bright smile to every teacher’s face:)!
DIY Beadable Pens
Our new beadable pens let you personally customize a key classroom essential for your favorite teacher. Your teacher will never lose this special pen!
Simply take your beadable pen and add a variety of round silicone beads, silicone accent beads or even add some extra glam with our gorgeous, high quality, gemstone bead spacers! Finish it off with a cute little notepad, and your gift suddenly becomes transformed into a beautiful stationary package of personalized and practical essentials!
Planter and Plant Tag
Remember wooden rulers?! It’s hard to find anything that says “school” more than these classic rulers. You can still find them at your local craft stores or on Amazon!
By simply using glue and a few wood rulers, you can make this adorable succulent/plant pot cover (we recommend 6-10 wood rulers, depending on how deep you want your planter to be). Carefully cut the rulers with an exacto knife, glue the pieces together and let it dry! You can either slip your original planter pot into your new ruler pot, or you can line your ruler pot with a plastic, ziploc bag, and then hand-fill it with soil and plants of your choice.
For an extra personal touch, make your own special plant tag! Check out our DIY tutorial here. Did you know these plant tags work great for herb pots too? Why? Because herbs are often used in food, and our cookie scribes are stainless steel, our silicone beads are made from non-toxic, food-grade silicone and our wood beads are naturally antibacterial! This makes all of the supplies needed for your plant tag a perfectly safe option!
Silicone Beaded Keychain and Lanyard
You can never go wrong with a personalized keychain and lanyard for your teacher gifts! Deck out your clips with their favorite colors or with our silicone shaped accent beads that you know will match their personality and interests!! Check out our keychain tutorial here and our lanyard tutorial here!
The possibilities are endless - and sometimes school lanyards also seem to be endless. I remember teachers often getting standard lanyards confused with their colleagues! We promise that every teacher will love an original lanyard that won’t get lost or confused with anyone else’s - plus the personalized lanyard will remind them constantly that they are very loved!
Personalized Silicone Keychain Wristlet
Silicone beaded wristlets are so popular and also very functional! We use ours all the time, and we know that the special teachers in your life will also appreciate this gift.
Similar to the keychains and lanyards, you can personalize your silicone beaded wristlets - don’t forget to also add a special charm to the wristlet for some extra love! We even have teacher charms that are perfect for your wristlet accessory! No more lost teacher keys! You can find our wristlet tutorial here!
Easy Hand-Made Felt Ball Coaster
This simple gift speaks so much love and warmth to us! We know your children’s teachers will appreciate it as well!
It’s so easy - the only craft supply you need is our felt balls. Simply string the felt balls into a coil (we find a sewing needle and some regular sewing thread work best for this part), and then glue them onto a felt base. Voila! It’s the perfect spot for your teacher’s morning coffee.
We hope these creative and crafty gifts have inspired you to make your own personalized ideas for the special teachers in your life! Happy crafting, and be sure to tag us on Instagram #createdwithcarasupply!
Xo
Cara