Saturday, December 17, 2011

Favorite Christmas Gift for Favorite Teachers


Wonderful teachers need special gifts to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts!

For this sweetly personalized teacher gift, all you need is a solid color umbrella (Target $13, but check your local discount store first, e.g. TJ Maxx or Tuesday Morning, for higher quality at lower price) and some fabric paint.  On this one I used a mix of white and gold for the prints and yellow and red for writing.  Teachers receiving this gift have been known to cry... :)

Find a time when you can sneak into the classroom without the teacher knowing for the ultimate surprise. I worked with our school office and came in a day when she was scheduled to be out. However, you could also catch them at a center or somewhere when she wasn't with the class.  The trick is that you need somewhere close to a sink so that the kids can wash their hands immediately and not get paint on their clothes.  Also,  make sure you can leave whatever room you are in with an open umbrella!  It needs to stay open for up to 24 hours to let the paint dry.


One more hint: Tuck the umbrella closing tab underneath with a piece of tape so it doesn't accidentally swipe into someone's print...


It is possible to do this all by yourself but it works fastest if you have one other grown up to help.   One person gets the kids hands in the paint and on the umbrella, the other helps the child wash it off. Either way, this project is a double gift. It is as fun to participate in the kids' excitement as they prepare a secret for their beloved leader as it is to know the teacher may absolutely adore it.

Be sure to add the kids' name below their print as they love to check on their personalized art! You can also add teacher's name, year, WE LOVE YOU!, school name, or anything else you like! 

Thanks to ALL the AWESOME teachers out there!

2012 UPDATE:
From Amanda Pace's pinterest site, I found a cute umbrella gift poem and adapted it for a Christmas gift:
 
An extra umbrella, in case you forget
to bring one to school when the weather is wet.
We heartily wish you, come rain, snow, or shine,
a holiday season that's simply divine.

I linked here:

5 comments:

  1. What a great idea! I would have loved this as a gift during my teaching years. The personalized gifts from my ex-students are the most treasured.

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  2. Eeeeee I love this! It would be a great class project for my daughter's school's annual auction. Thanks for sharing!!

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  3. We just made this for my daughter's 1st grade teacher. We used fabric paint and it looks great. Question though - do you think you have to seal it with some sort of spray?

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    2. Yay! I hope all went well and your teacher loved it! I don't think you need any sealer, but it never hurts to read the directions on the fabric paint... Maybe there are some types that need it.

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