8 Ways to Say “Welcome Back” with DIY Teacher Gifts

It’s that time of year again—the most wonderful time of the year for some of you. For others, it’s the end of sleeping in, not packing lunches and the start of rushing off to activities. I’m in the latter of these two groups —while I’m glad that my kids are so happy to be back with their friends in school again, I’m not looking forward to the crazy scheduled-ness of it all. But as always, the time has come and the kiddos are headed back to school, which means…..

What are you going to give to the teacher on the first day of school? You and I both know that our children’s teachers do SO much for them. I can’t even imagine wrangling a room of that many kiddos. I can barely contain three of my own! You want to make a good first impression, and let them know they have your full support! I scoured Pinterest and the rest of the web to look for inspiration when creating this line of “Back-to-School” teacher gift ideas for that ever-so-important first day of school. Hopefully one of these gift ideas will spark some interest and give you an idea to make your own simple yet thoughtful DIY back-to-school teacher gift. Let’s get this year started off on the right foot!

One of my favorite ideas is giving the teacher something he or she can use in the classroom. I love the idea of giving a brightly colored package or jar of highlighters, sharpies or dry erase markers. I created these bright gift tags that would accent a present like this perfectly. Let your teacher know he or she is going to be the “highlight” of your child’s year!

Give your teacher something satisfyingly sweet on the first day of school with some chocolate chip cookies! You can give homemade ones or take the easy route (like me) and buy some delicious ones to give. Put the cookies in a wide-mouthed mason jar or berry box, and add some “I’m going to be one smart cookie” printable gift tags for an adorable and delicious gift no teacher can resist!

We all know the quickest way to most teachers’ hearts is through a little thing called caffeine. Why not perk your teacher up on the first day with a coffee gift? There are so many great coffee gifts out there—espresso shots, iced coffee, a bag of ground coffee, coffee gift card or a great travel mug. Whichever route you go, don’t forget to adorn your coffee-themed gift with an appropriate coffee-themed gift tag! These coffee gift tags feature funny coffee sayings and puns. And, these gift tags are even editable, meaning you can add in your teacher’s name and child’s name to personalize them!

Everyone knows the old saying “an apple for the teacher,” but here’s a little twist on just giving the teacher a plain old apple. I found these adorable plastic apple containers and filled them with various kinds of candy and, of course, a few apples too! Tie on an apple-themed leaf gift tag to complete this apple for the teacher gift.

Not sure what to get your child’s teacher? A decorative jar filled with candy, gum and a gift card could be just the ticket! I’ve created these elementary printable gift tags that read “Happy First Day of School,” “Best Year Ever,” and “I’m So Excited You’re My Teacher!” These tags are also completely customizable for your teacher and child.  Just download, type, print, cut and attach to your own gift!

Here’s a unique gift for your favorite math teacher! Use this “According to My Calculations” printable gift tag, and tie it onto a calculator, compass or protractor! Your number-crunching teacher will get a kick out of this welcome back gift.

And finally, always a good standby—pencils and erasers! I love this decorative No. 2 Pencil Jar I found in the Target Dollar Bin area! I filled it with brand new pencils and added an eraser-themed gift tag. Because, as we all know, “The Influence of a Great Teacher Can Never be Erased.”

I hope I’ve given you guys some creative, easy, and fun DIY Teacher Gift Ideas. Welcome back, and I hope everyone has a great year ahead!