All crafts and ideas listed here were at one time posted on our "Craft Board" and have since been removed and retired to our archives. If you have a craft or idea that you would like to share, or a question on a craft, please post it on our Craft Board
Posted by Tootsie on February 23, 1999 at 15:37:19:A pretty candleholder, maybe you could get some unfinished ones from a craft store, and paint or stain them, using a new paint technique, or stenciling..and you could print up decorative notes to attach to the taper, saying "teachers are a ray of light for children" or something similar...
Posted by Joan on February 23, 1999 at 18:14:29:
another idea, since lots of school systems make the teacher pay for thier own supplies, gift certificates for places like Wal-Mart, local school supply stores,book stores, etc would not only be a nice gift, but something they could channel back into their teaching if they wanted to.
Posted by lib on February 23, 1999 at 18:16:16:
How about a picture of her class? A good photographer could visit & take a photo of teacher with her class & drop them off at a 1 hour photo place... or enlarge them to 5x7 inches... Frame in cheapy frames... you can sometimes find ones that look like they're made out of rulers. Or glue pencils to a cheap frame :)
Posted by Sophie on February 23, 1999 at 19:18:22:
I am a director of a day school. Every year we like to have a Teacher Appreciation Week at our school. We have 26 teachers and money is tight. But we always manage. I must admit that this is my favorite event of the year. I have been doing it for 5 years now and have gathered quite a bit of ideas. Here is a list of some of my favorites. Hope they help.
* Give each teacher a chocolate lollipop with the following poem attached.
Working with children is a rewarding, but challenging feat.
And everyday, that challenge you do meet.
You are patient, caring, and sweet,
And for that, you deserve a special treat!* Give the teachers a corsage to wear all day with a ribbon attached that says, "Your Special" or "We appreciate you!"
* Order lunch for your teacher or prepare a special box lunch for her/him.
* Dedicate a song on the radio to all the teachers at your school.
* Buy a small ad in a local newspaper to tell the whole community just how special your teachers are.
* Give teachers a bouquet of balloons.
* Have the children in each class press their handprints on a shirt or tote bag for a momento for each teacher. (Use fabric paint for hands and fabric markers to write the childrens' names)
*Other items we have given in the past:
movie tickets
restaurant gift certificates
magazine subscriptions
a pizza party
baked goods
candy
Pamper Yourself Baskets: bubble bath, nail file, hand lotion, tea bags, sm. pkg, of cookies, bath scrubbie. etc.
Treat Baskets: Cookies, candy, bottle of juice, hot chocolate/tea. etc.
Garden Pots: in a clay pot put, flower seeds, garden gloves, sm. shovel, kneeling pad, etc.* Present each teacher with a single carnation flower with the following poem attached;
Children are like seeds planted in the garden of life.
It is a parent's and teacher's job to nourish that seed.
Like the sun, they shine love and kindness upon it.
Like the rain, they shower it with affection.
And like the soil, they shelter it and provide a safe place for growth.May this flower remind you of just how many seedings
you have nourished and helped to blossom.
-- Jennifer Friesema*One of the most successful Teacher Appreciation Weeks was as follows;
We wrote to the parents and asked them to partcipate in honoring our school's teachers. We told them that we would be celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week everyday this week and asked them to contribute the following items on the days listed.
Monday- Please have your child bring to their teacher one single flower. If each child brings one flower, the teacher will have a handsome bouquet to take home at the end of the day.
Tuesday- Please have your child bring one piece of fruit (any type) to their teacher today. If each child brings one piece of fruit, the teacher will have a good sized basket of fruit to take home at the day's end.
Wednesday- Please take time to write a small note of appreciation for your child's teacher. If each child brings one letter, the teacher will be showered with "love letters."
Thursday- Please have your child bring one book to donate to the classroom.. This does not need to be a new book and you do not need to purchase a book. A used book that your child no longer reads is perfect. The teacher will appreciate the expansion of her/his classroom library.
Friday- If you wish, we are having a dessert buffet for our teachers at the day's end. If you would like to contribute a dessert, beverage, or paper products, please call our PTA President, Jane Doe, at 555-1234 to sign-up.
Thank you for your support. Our teachers work so hard all year long. Let's show them how much we truly appreciate them and all that they do!
(We provided vases, fruit baskets, and decorated shoe box mailboxes)
Posted by arrowcaf on February 26, 1999 at 00:27:31:
My mother used to be a teaching assistant and she recieved the following when we moved away. They got a wrap around type skirt made of a heavy ecru material and had the kids draw pictures and write messages with permanant fabric markers. My mother loved that skirt and was proud to explain it when she wore it. I know with that many teachers you can't do skirts, but I saw aprons at Wal-mart in the craft department for about $3 each. An apron could be worn by a female or male.
Posted by lib on February 28, 1999 at 15:26:11:
Every year I have made something that each child in Brett's class contributed to. In Kindergarten, it was a turkey quilt where each child colored the turkey on the muslin square (I drew the turkeys on with permanent markers). 1st grade-- xmas ornaments from hand-written letters to Santa, 2nd grade -- canvas flag with sun, flowers, & catepillar made from children's & teacher's handprints & their signatures, 3rd grade -- Easter quilt, i put on the face & handed the kids ears, eyes, nose, teeth & lace for a bow or a tie ... they decided where to place these & then wrote their names beside their bunny, 4th grade -- firecracker quilt, they picked from 1-3 patriotic fabrics & we ironed them on (i already had wonder-under on the fabrics) they wrote their names beside their firecracker with a gold pen & I later added a gold fuse to each, 5th grade - Well i don't have this one complete because I waited to late in the year, but I took pictures of every child, and have 3 different group pictures of the class. I'm going to have them copied onto photo transfer paper & do a wall-hanging.
NOW -- 6th grade. The class is split into 2 classrooms & I DO want to have each 6th grader on my project -- which will probably be a flag or wallhanging with a birdhouse on it & I was thinking of each kid having a bird.
 
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