HOMEMADE GIFTS FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER SMALL GIFT IDEAS

Gifts for teachers need not be a stressor this year! Here’s a list of tried and true homemade gifts I’ve made for my children’s teachers for end of year gifts and Christmas gifts. Also, there are things in here that I have received as a teacher. If you are a mom with more than one child, with more than one teacher to boot, the expense of small gifts can grow to be pretty extensive. But don’t worry— just because we’re looking for inexpensive gifts does not mean we’re going for dollar store trash. Oh no… This list is loaded with quality gift ideas that will only require a little bit of your free time, a few bucks, and maybe a little creativity.

(Side note, if this is confusing for you because you know I homeschool, we have been a part of a co op for 9 years where other incredible ladies and I teach each other’s kids one day a week.)

This list is probably best suited for multiple gifts, if keeping the price-per-gift low is a priority for you. Regardless of if you’re making five jars of elderberry syrup or one, you have to buy the entire bag of dried elderberries. To make a pretty, colorful crocheted water bottle holder, you need at least 2-3 colors, meaning you’ll need 2-3 skeins of yarn. Might as well mix up the patterns and make a few!

ELDERBERRY SYRUP

I gave my children’s co op teachers homemade elderberry syrup for Christmas this last year, and they were all so grateful and commented on what a unique, helpful gift it was! With winter breaks often being hijacked by sickness, this is especially appreciated. The fact that this only takes a few (hands off) hours, and the ingredients are easy to find on amazon makes this a great, practical gift. This is my favorite recipe (but you know I add cardamom!). I put them in flip top bottles, which are a gift themselves because I can never have too many of those!

PLANTS YOU’VE STARTED

Are your pothos or philodendron plants getting a little long? Succulents multiplying? Plants are all on a massive growth mission in the spring— perfect time for an end of the year teacher gift! This requires a bit of forethought, especially if you want to be sure that they’ll be hardy. But if you’re on a tight budget, time can turn into gold! Even if it is rather last minute, buying a pretty beaker to put clippings in to sprout would be a welcome gift, I’m sure! Small plants that fit in cute little containers are always inexpensive at Home Depot, if you don’t have any multiplying plants at the moment! I have received plants in tin cans or quirky mugs and I love them all!

The thing I love about plants as gifts is that they are adding beauty to their home, without going out and trying to buy a decoration that suits their home. Plants look good in everyone’s home, especially if you go with a simple pot.

SOURDOUGH BREAD

Unless your child’s teacher is gluten-free, I can’t imagine ANYONE who wouldn’t be excited to receive a pretty loaf of sourdough bread! If that doesn’t feel like enough, you could pair it with some fancy/homemade jams, butters and cheese. Add a sweet handwritten note, wrap it up in some natural parchment paper with some twine… what a thoughtful gift! Even as someone who bakes sourdough every week, I would joyfully receive it. Don’t let the fact that they might be a baker hold you back from this sweet little gift! People. Love. Bread.

GRANNY SQUARE WATER BOTTLE HOLDER

This is one of my favorite gifts to give! It is beautiful, unique and functional. (I’ve actually not ever seen one that I haven’t made— not saying I invented them, but… you’re welcome! ;)) It’s handmade and shows a lot of sentiment…but can be made in about 2 hours (if you already know how to crochet). Follow this tutorial to make a flower granny square. If you want a more basic pattern where it’s only double stitches the whole way through, these are still beautiful and charming! I recommend using cotton yarn (like for wash rags). It’s a little harder to work with, but doesn’t stretch and makes a more durable holder.

If you are familiar with crocheting, I’m sure you can see how to piece this together. I’m working on an actual tutorial for it, but wanted to be able to include it in this round up before that tutorial is ready! I do a round flower on the bottom, the area of a typical one liter bottle. Then I piece granny squares together up the sides, adding as many extra rows as necessary between them to go with the stitches on the bottom circle.

For an even quicker gift, I make these for mason jars and give them with a lid and straw. These take less than an hour. The bottom is a flower, then it’s just any random stitch I feel like doing up the sides. The good news on this is you can use any yarn that you like to work with.

RELAXING HERBAL BLEND TEA

Have you ever had Aveda’s tea!? UNBELIEVABLY good. Unbelievably expensive, too! It is the most comforting, flavorful tea I have ever had, but I rarely ever get it because it’s so expensive. That is, until I found this recipe on a forum and a lady named Vicki nailed it:

1-1/4 C Licorice Root 
1 C Peppermint Leaves 
1/8 C Fennel 
1/8 C Basil Leaves

This makes a sweet gift basket, if you add a pretty mug and a good book. I love getting my herbs from Azure—they are so fresh and potent! Here’s a list of other tea blends you might like to try. If you don’t want to spend the $30 on Aveda tea, but don’t want to make your own, my second favorite tea is this one. Still very flavorful and delicious! I serve it any time I have people over, and everyone loves it!

A gift basket of this sort would be an easy way to thank a great teacher for all of their hard work, and encourage them to actually relax after the last day of school!

Sore Muscle Relief Balm

This started out as my alternative for Neosporin… but then I swapped out the antibacterial oils with oils for sore muscles… whoa. It actually warms up with the tiniest bit of friction and is so soothing on my lower back and cooling on sore feet! (It requires friction to be warming.) Maybe this is something you would give if you were actually friends with them (like in my homeschool co op, we’re all friends)… I don’t know, would it be weird to give to any ol’ teacher!? Assuming it feels appropriate, I think this could be one of the best teacher gifts out there! People always give toxic lotion, why not this?!

Follow my recipe for the healing balm, but when it comes to adding oils, use Muscle Relief from Eden’s Garden. (Or whatever your favorite brand’s blend is for sore muscles.) Once it’s cool, you can whip it for an extra luxurious lotion! I have traditionally used these jars, but these ones sure are pretty!

I gave this to my friend as a gift basket with my homemade tallow cream, and I think even homemade deodorant!? Ha ha… Clearly, she was a friend. But this could be a perfect gift along side some fancy bath salts and that tea blend we talked about earlier!

Homemade Vanilla

I actually didn’t get any feedback on this, but I thought it was a great idea! ha ha! I think that gifts that are more specialty items like this vanilla, that are an upgrade to common, every day items make the best gifts. The kinds of things they sell in the food section at World Market or Home Goods. Everybody uses vanilla, but not many people make having one specifically for uncooked goods a priority. I gave this alongside the crocheted water bottle holders. Unlikely pairing, but I had two random ideas and went for it!

Pool Money with Other Families

This last one is a favorite of mine. It is not homemade. But! The class being able to give the teacher one solid, valuable gift instead of 20 small gifts is such a thoughtful choice. It’s the perfect way to give a big, unified THANK YOU to the good teachers in our lives. We had a mom who remembered the teacher saying she wanted some Adirondack chairs. So, when the end of year came around, she got us moms together and we were able to pool enough together to buy her two of them. We have been able to get other teachers entire spa days, fancy restaurant gift certificates—only by the fact that we came together with our meager individual funds.

Listen Carefully!

My absolute favorite gift I have ever received as a teacher came by way of some thoughtful listening. (The same thoughtful listener that remembered the Adirondack chair desire!) I had said in passing that I loved the plant Bleeding Hearts. My grandma had it in her yard, and I always look for it at nurseries, but never find it. She took note of that, and blessed me to the point of tears when she offered it to me on the last day of school. It wasn’t an expensive, extravagant plant by anyone else’s standards, but it meant THE WORLD to me that she had remembered. It really is the thought that counts, when you thought about it for longer than the two seconds it took to grab a bar of chocolate! And NO shade on that—I LOVE chocolate and am always grateful for it! But if we’re talking about “thoughtful” gifts, actually thinking about the person you are buying them for is key.

If you were blessed by your children’s teachers this year, I hope this list helps you come up with something meaningful to show your appreciation!

Comment below and add to the list! What is the best thank you gift you have ever been given? What have you gifted someone that you think belongs on this list!?