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Original poster

ideas for homemade teacher's present

28 replies

mumzy · 26/06/2009 17:41

Hi DS has had a really fab teacher this year and he's really keen to make her a present at the end of term. Has anyone any ideas for homemade presents which go down well and can be done by a 5 year old with some help from mum in the next 3 weeks?

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SpawnChorus · 26/06/2009 17:44

Do you have any photos of the teacher (esp with your DS)? You could then buy a plain photo frame and decorate it.

hocuspontas · 26/06/2009 17:46

Someone the other day suggested a decorated bookmark that you could laminate which I thought was a good idea.

Kayteee · 26/06/2009 17:50

We once bought some of that Das stuff (clay-like substance) and ds made some little seahorses (obv you could model whatever you liked).

He poked a hole through the top and, when dried out, painted/varnished them. Then threaded them onto a piece of leather shoe-lace and..."tadarr"... sweet little necklaces

corblimeymadam · 26/06/2009 18:03

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frogwatcher · 26/06/2009 18:20

Im going to be hard here - come and correct me teachers!! But surely it has to be edible as I cant imagine getting loads of home-made tat from a class of children that yes, I liked to teach and am quite fond of, but will get another 30 next year !! Isnt it just us parents who like the home-made photoframes, pictures, etc etc (and I have to confess a lot of what mine bring home ends up in the bin). The bookmark is a good idea though as it is small, genuinely useful, and easily hidden!!!! I have a friend who is a teacher and she is genuinely excellent and brilliant with kids (thankfully!). But she dreads getting gifts that have obviously had time spent on them, but realistically are not going to be displayed in her (very tasteful) home, or used by her etc. Shes far happier with bubble bath, food or wine!!! After all, she may like them, but she doesnt love them as her own!

hocuspontas · 26/06/2009 18:23

Yes agree - I would always recommend 'disposables'. The bookmark idea was good because it was flat and took up no room, and could be used in school - no need even to take home!

loler · 26/06/2009 18:25

We decorated a very cheap terracotta plant pot and put a nice plant in it (the plant was the real present but if she was in to tat she could keep the pot too!) - dc loved painting it and teacher seemed pleased.

I personally wouldn't fancy cake from a home I didn't know?

Kayteee · 26/06/2009 18:47

Oh Frogwatcher! I have never really thought about it like that...maybe edibles are the way to go then

mrz · 26/06/2009 18:51

One of my class made me fudge ...delicious!

plusonemore · 26/06/2009 18:59

i like lolers idea, in the past the only homemade presents i have kept have been a couple of (useful) things from those paint pots places- a little dish and a seahorse for the bathroom. Please dont do a photo, the teacher will feel awful when they throw it away

lottysmum · 26/06/2009 20:54

My dd decorated a glass jar with a silver lid (painted it and then covered it with glitter)...we filled it with sweeties and it looked very impressive with a homemade label....

bruffin · 26/06/2009 22:16

DD's has had the same teacher for yr5 and yr6 and she has been wonderful.
Our local craft shop has some lovely beads so we are going to make her a bracelet.

Reallytired · 27/06/2009 11:07

I'm afraid we have been boring. My son has made a card and we put a £5 WHSmiths token in. I am sure that the card has ended up in the bin after a week.

I think it has to be remembered that teachers are not so besotted with our children as we are. Ideally a gift should be something that the recipetent wants.

I think the bookmark is a good idea.

EugeneHCrabs · 27/06/2009 11:14

No to home made, just do a letter or a book token

Goblinchild · 27/06/2009 11:17

Food is a good idea, biscuits, cakes, jams.
Things in a pot for the garden are good too, I was given a strawberry plant last year.

The problem with sweet little non-edible home-made bits and for me is that I have children of my own, as do most of my colleagues. And nephews and nieces and other producers of home-made jewellery and arty artefacts.
So I have rather more than enough of that sort of thing produced by my own family.
I'm always delighted by the thought and say thank you, but there is a limit to what I keep beyond a month. Along with candles and mugs.

Goblinchild · 27/06/2009 11:22

..Do you have any photos of the teacher (esp with your DS)? You could then buy a plain photo frame and decorate it.

Sorry Spawnchorus, I can't think of anything I'd hate more. My photo in a frame? Why?
A photo of someone else's child in a frame? Why?
I've taught over 800 children so far, every one of them memorable and interesting. My house would look like something from a CSI killer's lair, and imagine the effect on my family!
It's tough enough being the child of a teacher without strangers invading your place on the wall at home, and next year's class need to feel that they are special and important to you. Not to see past students posing on the wall as extra special.

mrz · 27/06/2009 11:58

I have all the cards I've received over the years safely stored. Without sounding ungrateful I really wouldn't want a framed photo of any of my class. Sorry!

Astrophe · 27/06/2009 12:22

We bought a plain cushion cover for the nursery nurse, and then DD and her two nursery mates decorated it with fabric pens and drew pictures of themsleves and wrote their names.

The kids loved doing it and the nursery nurses seemed touched, although I suspect they may have kept them for a few months or year and then binned them...which is fine as they weren't expensive. They actually looked quite nice as they were very colourful and sweet, as kids drawings often are.

We also gave them some nice lotions and chocs, but the kids were far more excited about giving the gifts they had made, which I think is really nice for them.

gingernutlover · 27/06/2009 14:17

i am a teacher and this year am making my TA's strawberry jam, vanilla fudge and also they will both get a sweet pepper plant grown from seed.

i have done vanilla fudge, homemade marmalade, shortbread, mince pies before now and they always seem appreciated.

i always like getting these type of things, along with letters and cards thanking me personally from parents. The worst things to recieve are lots of chocolates, toiletries I wont use and mugs/candles with teacher on them.

gingernutlover · 27/06/2009 14:18

would also second the "no" to the photos either of teacher or of child - not really appropriate and a bit to personal to be honest

EugeneHCrabs · 27/06/2009 14:22

I hate homemadecrap. Dont give it to me please.

Vidanueva · 27/06/2009 14:42

Just finished teaching this week and the best present - I am moving on - was an A3 piece of paper folded into an A4 card. It was covered with various scenes of a play this liitle girl had performed for her parents. It is special because it showed real thought and I´m having it laminated.

Saying that, I also like really good bath stuff and red wine. I tend to open chocolates and share them with the class - after I´ve asked the child who´s given them if that´s OK: not had a "no" yet!

amidaiwish · 27/06/2009 19:18

mug for the staffroom?

SpawnChorus · 27/06/2009 19:24

sorry for the photo suggestion

Can you tell my kids aren't school age yet?!

spula · 27/06/2009 19:32

I once got a jar with all the ingredients beautifully layered for making choc brownies. Cute tag attached with instructions and telling me just to add eggs! Very sweet (and yummy) as child had helped weigh it out and write up instructions