Teacher Appreciation Gift

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The school year is coming to a close that means it’s time for teacher appreciation gifts. My kids get out of school this week. Crazy! I can’t believe it’s time for summer again. Looking outside, my weather definitely didn’t get the memo…rainy and cold all week. Not exactly fun weather for field trips to the zoo. Although the weather may not be sunny, these fun little buckets are sure to bring a little sunshine to a favorite teacher.

This is a perfect gift for the end of the year the best time to buy supplies when they are on sale just before school starts. You may want to tuck this idea away for next year and stock up on extra supplies when you are buying them for the school year.

Supplies:
• Bucket (from the Dollar Spot)
• Foam block (the kind for flowers)
• Skewers
• School supplies
• Ribbon or tulle
• Wire (thin)
• Glue (hot glue or glue circles)
• Pre-shredded Filler
• Rocks

To start, put a few rocks in the bottom of the bucket, this will add weight and help stabilize it. Next cut the foam to size, use a serrated knife and trim down the foam so that it will fit snugly in the bucket. Trim the top of the foam if it is sticking up above the bucket. There will be some extra space in the bucket, cut small pieces of foam and fill in the gaps. It doesn’t have to look pretty.

Now take your pencil and add a line of glue or a few glue circles and attach the skewer. You are trying to have the skewer hidden as much as possible, so make sure it is below the eraser.

Next take a piece of ribbon or tulle, scrap pieces work great for this, and tie in around the pencil and the skewer. Continue the same process with the remainder of the supplies, leave a few pens and pencils without a skewer, they can be put directly into the foam.

Try to create some height variations by cutting off some off the skewers shorter and some longer. Poke the supplies into the foam, some in the front and some in the back. You want the taller ones in the back and the heavier ones, like a glue stick close to the front, resting on the foam.

Instead of a card I thought it would be nice to include a clip and a sticky notepad. I wired the clip onto the skewer. The clips I used were too small for a full notepad, I broke mine in half. I had my girls write a nice note to their teachers. Put the notepad in the clip and stick the skewer in the foam.

When all of the supplies are where they need to be you can glue the filler to the foam, hiding all of the foam. Some glue on the skewers is okay, but it is better not to get in on the supplies.

Make a nice big bow and glue it to a skewer then insert it into the bucket.