Ten Homemade Teacher Gifts for Christmas

We all know homemade gifts are a wonderful way to show your child’s teacher how much their support and care has meant to the whole family.

But we also know that the end of term can be a frantic time, and trying to come up with a thoughtful quality gift whose creation won’t cause a complete meltdown from child (or indeed parent!) can be a challenge.

Speaking with teachers around the country, we’ve gathered ten suggestions for beautiful handcrafted gifts that we know will be appreciated.

All of them can be prepared well in advance and, between them, they cater for all ages of children and craft skill levels.  Gift them on their own or combine a few and embellish with extra treats.

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1. A Christmas Decoration

The ideal seasonal gift!  It can be enjoyed immediately, and your teacher may also choose to add it to their permanent ornament collection!

Sonia, an early years teacher from Herfordshire, loved getting anything she could hang on her tree. ‘My favourite homemade present was a wire and bead decoration.’

There are so many ornaments that can be easily handcrafted by children that you are sure to find one suitable for your child’s age and craft abilities. (Just do be sure to check that the teacher does celebrate this time of year before you get too carried away!)

Here are a few of our favourites:

2. Decorated Notebook

Surely there’s no such thing as too many notebooks, especially for busy teachers with so much to remember! 

Primary school teacher Gwynneth from Chelmsford, Essex still remembers the personalised notebook she was gifted, ‘It stays in my mind as it was homemade and the pupil said I was always writing notes down.’

Buy a plain notebook and let your child go to town personalising it, adding references to their teacher’s favourite things, colours or subject taught. They can simply colour the cover in, or decorate with washi tape or stickers.

Add a lovely pen to finish off the gift and there you have it!

Spread The Word!

Like what you’ve seen? Be sure to share with your friends.

Let’s sprinkle Christmas cheer far and wide!

3. Book Cushion

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous and are handy with a sewing machine, Barbara from Ashton in Greater Manchester suggests making a book cushion.

This lovely gift will encourage your teacher to take a little time out for themselves. It can easily be embellished with a book or book voucher to make for an extra special gift.

Stuart Hillard‘s video tutorial talks through exactly what to do.

4. Homemade Footscrub

For someone who is on their feet all day long, what better gift than a luxurious homemade, all-natural footscrub?

We’ve created a fabulous seriously easy homemade lavender & peppermint foot scrub.  It’s perfect to make in bulk and ideal for soothing sole (& soul!).

Click here for all the details.

5. Candles & Matches Giftset

We absolutely love Jenny at From Hive to Home in Bedford’s idea!

 ‘We made a candle, and put it with a box of matches which had a photo of my child and the quote, “thank you for lighting my interest in English this year!”’ 

This quirky gift ticks all our boxes for the perfect teacher present.

Whether you make a natural beeswax candle like Jenny and her family, or opt to buy a beautiful festive votive and holder, this will surely warm your teacher’s heart and raise a smile.

6. Festive Food Treats

Of course there’s nothing quite like tantalising the tastebuds at Christmas time.

But rather than adding yet another box of chocolates or biscuits to the staffroom, what about creating something a little more unusual?

We’ve got a whole host of edible gift inspiration for you.  And we’ve even prepared the gift tags for you to print out and add as well.

7. Homemade Bookmarks

Teachers and reading go together like Christmas and fairy lights, so you can’t go wrong with a homemade bookmark!

A perfect creation for all ages and abilities, and ideal for those of us who are time-limited, but still want to make an effort to create something personal.

From painted lollipop sticks like the ones above from My Little Corner to elasticated ribbon and woven fabric bookmarks, the possibilities are almost endless! And of course you could always add a book or even a book cushion if you’d like to give a bigger gift.

For a simple colour-in bookmark, why not use our free printable templates?

8. Decorated Tote Bags

So useful for carrying around books, laptops and other teaching equipment, a personalised tote bag will never go astray. Plain tote bags are very easy to find online, for example, these ones at Amazon. Then get to work decorating and bringing the bag to life.

Kollabora used sponges and acrylic paints to create this fabulous cheery TOTE-ally Stamped Tote Bag.

Or print your own iron-on design, like this gorgeous quote from Balancing Home, on printable transfer paper and put it directly onto the bag.

9. Painted Stone Paperweights

Turn your children’s art activities into the perfect Christmas gift by refashioning them as paperweights. With draughty classrooms and piles of sorted papers aplenty, a paperweight is a lovely colourful addition to any teacher’s desk.

If you’re new to the world of painting stones, Empress of Dirt has a great beginner’s guide. Otherwise let your children enjoy expressing themselves and see what they create.

Just be sure to seal the finished product with a few layers of varnish to make it smooth, shiny and able to be used for years to come without fading.

10. Rainbow Magnets

Especially for this year, Lin from Berkshire suggests a magnet in the shape of a rainbow in recognition of the amazing work of our keyworker teachers.

Of course, polymer clay can be transformed into a whole host of lovely designs but these rainbows are simple and striking, and bound to bring a smile to any teacher’s face.

This starter clay kit should be enough to keep any budding potter busy.

Do leave us a comment to let us know if you use any of the ideas above. What other handcrafted items have you gifted to teachers?

Looking for gift inspiration? Well, look no further! We have a whole host of gift guides ready and waiting for you right here.