12 Teacher DIY Christmas Gifts for an A+ in Appreciation

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Wait, wasn’t it just summer? Where has the time gone? The days are getting colder and Christmas is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking about teacher DIY Christmas gift ideas! We all agree that our child’s teacher deserves the moon, but since we can’t give them that, here is a roundup of some of my favorite DIY craft ideas. From ornaments to a simmer pot recipe and so many others, these DIY teacher gifts are bound to be a hit with your kid’s favorite teacher this holiday season. 

Adorable 5 Dollar Gifts for Christmas

A variety of budget friendly teacher gifts ideas using Dolloar tree items Sugar scrub, Hot chocolate andsnowman mug,

If you have more than one kid, you know that those teacher Christmas gifts can pile up and cost a fortune. But do not fear, there are so many great ideas at your local Dollar Tree. Not only are these affordable gifts thoughtful, but I’m really looking forward to giving them out this year! You could grab a manicure set, some gift tags, a coffee mug, or candy. Why not a great-smelling sugar scrub? Anything that you think would make your child’s teacher smile. These 5 dollar gifts for Christmas would be perfect for not only teachers, but friends, bus drivers, neighbours, delivery drivers, hostess gifts, and family! 

DIY Thrift Store Candle Using a Kitchen Canister

A  white ceramic thrift store cannister made into a candle, standing on a stack of books. A perfect idea for a teacher DIY Christmas gift

There’s something about the warm glow of a candle over the holidays, isn’t there? If you’re looking for a unique DIY teacher Christmas gift idea or even a simple home decor item this season, making a DIY thrift store candle is a fun and satisfying project! The thrift store is always chock full of random vessels like kitchen canisters and mason jars, so let me show you how to make a unique candle with a thrifted find. Make a few and pop them in a gift basket for an unforgettable teacher Christmas gift!

How to make Personalized Socks With a Cricut

A wicker basket filled with personalized socks and other special gift items. A great DIY teacher Christmas gift idea.

There is nothing better than a personalized handmade gift at Christmas. And, who doesn’t love a new pair of fun and cozy socks? To make them extra special, you can personalize them using your Cricut. Here’s a list of what you need for this DIY gift: 

  • A pair of plain wool socks
  • Your Cricut machine 
  • Heat transfer vinyl in a colour that contrasts with the socks (I used Smart Heat Transfer Vinyl in black)

Wrap them up and find a cute free printable tag and give these socks to your child’s teacher! 

How To Make A DIY Acrylic Keychain (Step By Step Instructions)

DIY Acrylic keychains in turquoise and red. Personalized gift are a great idea for any teacher on your list.

A DIY personalized acrylic keychain makes a lovely gift for Christmas or any time of year! And, using your Cricut is a great way to avoid using glue for this cute little craft. They’re super simple to make, and you can customize them with a monogram or other personalized design. You could even turn them into a personalized Christmas ornament. These keychains will make a great Christmas gift for the teachers in your life, and if you have lots of leftover vinyl scraps from larger Cricut projects this DIY is also a great way to use them up too!

DIY Zippered & Lined Pouch + 11 More Handmade Gift Ideas

A cute little DIY zippered pouch with gold poka dots and a gold zipper. This would be a lovely gift idea for a special teacher.

This DIY zippered & lined pouch is an easy sewing project, and it makes a beautiful gift! Fill this little pouch up with makeup, crafts or goodies, and it would make the sweetest gift for a teacher (or girlfriend) on your list.  Here’s what you’ll need to make this great gift idea. 

  • Main fabric big enough for your desired pouch size (I cut my rectangles to 9″ wide by 7″ high); you can use decor fabric, pleather fabric, cotton quilting fabric, or really almost anything!
  • Cotton lining fabric big enough for your desired pouch size (I cut my rectangles to 9″ wide by 7″ high)
  • Zipper
  • Sewing machine
  • Zipper foot
  • Needle + thread

And, don’t forget to check out the other 11 handmade/homemade gifts in this post. There are so many great ideas that could DIY for other teacher Christmas gift ideas including homemade peppermint tea, a homemade hot chocolate ornament, and clay jewelry bowls just to name a few! 

How to make DIY Cocoa Balls for Hot Chocolate

DIY Cocoa ball in a pretty china tea cup. I'm sure that this will make the perfect gift idea for any teacher.
Christmas

Who doesn’t love hot chocolate during those cold winter nights? And these DIY hot chocolate balls are even better than plain hot chocolate! What are they, you ask? A hot chocolate ball is a hollow chocolate sphere filled with hot chocolate mix, marshmallows, and other mix-ins that you can place in a mug. Then when very hot milk or water is poured over the cocoa ball, the ball melts and a delicious hot chocolate drink is created. To make this a complete gift, you could add in some cookies or some extra sweet treats for that coffee shop feel. Any teacher would be thrilled to receive this sweet treat!

Here’s what you need to make them! 

  • Sphere silicone mold
  • 2 cups milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Dehydrated marshmallows
  • Hot chocolate mix (you can use a bulk mix or a fun pink unicorn mix like this one)
  • Any other mix-ins or toppers you might like to add (cinnamon might be fun!)

What a fun way to make hot chocolate and show your child’s teacher how much they are appreciated.

Free Printable Christmas Gift Tags & Simmer Pot Mix Gift Ideas

Budget friendly DIY simmer pot with dried fruit, spices and greenery and some handmade tags! I'm sure any teacher will love this simple but meaningful Christmas gift idea.

When I first heard about simmer pots I didn’t know what they were. Now that I do, I can’t imagine the holidays without them! A simmer pot is just a collection of nice-smelling natural elements left to simmer in water on a stove and diffuse their scent all over your house. Doesn’t that sound nice? They make the whole house feel festive and warm. Why not share that warmth with your child’s teacher? I also love the look of a homemade simmer pot mix with gift tag for a perfect gift. The free printable gift tags add that special touch to these simmer pot mixes and they’ll look so pretty under the Christmas tree.

DIY Stamped Christmas Ornament made with Clay

DIY Stamped Christmas Ornament made with Clay hanging on a Christmas tree. You can easily personalize these for all the teachers on your list

This personalized DIY stamped Christmas ornament is made with clay and it would make a thoughtful Christmas gift for any teacher! I love personalized Christmas decor and gifts, and these adorable Christmas ornaments from clay are no exception! You can stamp your teacher’s name and the year on the ornaments, or come up with a cheeky or fun quote to stamp on them instead. Use some ribbon or a piece of decorative string to hang them with. The DIY Christmas gift idea possibilities are endless with this craft! 

DIY Pressed Flower Ideas for Spring

2 DIY Pressed Flower bookmarks displayed on a book. A perfect DIY Christmas gift idea for any teacher.

We know this post has focused on Christmas, but why not bring a little bit of spring flair to these great pressed flower DIY teacher gift ideas for something different? I purchased some pressed florals off Amazon and came up with a few different ways to use them. In this post I’m sharing a simple DIY candle craft, pressed floral bookmarks, and a beautiful pressed flower coaster idea. You could even make all three and wrap them up in a cute little tote bag for a lovely themed teacher gift this Christmas.

Last Minute Teacher’s Gift: Free Coffee and Tea Gift Card Holder Printables

Travel coffee cup with at printable label reading "Thanks for being my tea-cher!

Raise your hand if you’re a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to school-related things. Anyone? Anyone? Is it just me? Well, I’m sure happy that I know my way around Adobe Illustrator and love a good pun so that I could quickly come up with some printable coffee or tea gift card holders for our wonderful teachers. Just pick up some pretty travel mugs, a bunch of candy, some coffee shop gift cards, and…voila! You can have your teacher’s gifts ready to go in no time.

A Gift In A Tin: Mom’s Day Off In A Tin

A DIY Gift In A Tin: Mom's Day Off In A Tin. Including a face mask, bubble bath, magazine, chocolates and other items all in a tin. This would be great to customize for teachers too!

I truly love this season, and I always try to give as many handmade gifts as I can. So, I’m going to share some DIY ideas for creative gift baskets that you can give to your child’s teacher, your friends, or your neighbours for Christmas (and some will work for any time of the year). Each gift in a tin idea will come with free printables so that you can make your gift look extra special! I know this blog is entitled Mom’s Day Off in a Tin, but why not change it to Teacher’s Day Off in a Tin? Teachers need a break too, and what better way to encourage a special teacher in your life to indulge in one than to give them a kit with everything they need! 

Beginner DIY Macrame Keychain Tutorial (2 Easy Patterns)

Christina holding 2 macrame keychains.  These would make a cute little handmade teacher gift.

Macrame has been around for centuries, but it has recently made a big comeback in the crafting world. Not only is it a fun and therapeutic hobby, but it’s also a great way to create unique and personalized DIY teacher Christmas gift. One of the easiest macrame projects to start with is a keychain. It is simple, quick to make, and the end product is super useful and makes a beautiful gift to put under the Christmas tree for the teacher in your child’s life. 

Whether you choose clay ornaments, an acrylic keychain, or a metallic zipper pouch, I know that you’ll be able to find something here to give those hard working, deserving teachers this Christmas season that they will appreciate.

Let me know in the comments which gift you gave, I would love to see how it turned out!

From our home to yours, Happy Holidays and happy DIYing!

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Travel coffee cup with at printable labels and DIY Cocoa hoe chocolate balls in a decorative box.

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