This week marks the end of the school year for those of us in NOVA (Northern Virginia) … finally! I’m getting use to this school year schedule but it is very different from the one I grew up with, which went from early August to early May. School in June isn’t ideal, it interferes with summer vacations and creates a very long day for the kiddos with swim team practice immediately following.  The end of the school year can be quite hectic for kids and parents alike, leaving us scrambling to come up with a last minute gift idea for their teachers that don’t break the bank.

Today, I am sharing with you a gift baskets I put together + a few DIY tips for personalizing your own teacher gift basket.  You can put together a creative and meaningful gift that will be both appreciated and memorable for your child’s teacher, while staying around $20 bucks!  Here are a few of my tips:

Tip 1: Choose a color scheme.

For this gift basket I chose golds and neutrals. You can base your color scheme on a few things, either the teacher’s favorite color or a specific item (like this gold polka-dotted basket, which I picked up for $4.99 at HomeGoods) that you try to match.  Once I have chosen a color scheme, I add other gift items, tissue, ribbon, and foods that will accentuate the color scheme like these gold push pins below, which match perfectly with the shape and color of the polka-dots on the gift basket.

Gold push pins

Tip 2: Have a theme and be consistent.

“Prepared & Organized” is the theme of this gift basket. In this themed basket I hoped to give this teacher a few sweet treats she could enjoy now, and a few items she could use in the beginning of the following school year; it’s like the gift basket that keeps on giving. Filled with a homemade crunchy treat, a gift card, a reusable water bottle, gold push-pins, and a 2016-2017 clipboard wall calendar.

2016-2017 Clipboard wall calendar

Tip 3: Make something.

Draw it, craft it, make it, bake it, a thoughtful handmade or homemade gift will go a long way.  In this basket, I made the most addicting Salted Caramel Corn and packaged it with the gold ribbons that tie in with the color scheme. To finish off my homemade treat, I added a gold binder clip on the bag, as well as a chalkboard label consistent with the color scheme and theme. If popcorn isn’t a favorite, then I would recommend this amazingly delicious Soda Bread recipe, which is another crowd pleaser.

Homemade Salted Caramel Corn

Tip 4: Personalize your gift.

If you want to go the extra mile with your basket and you know the teacher well enough, you might consider adding something that the teacher enjoys, such as coffee, tea, music, or a book.  As I mentioned above, I added a Starbucks card along with a Thank You note knowing her love for coffee. I also recommend that you wrap every item you put in the basket in some way, take for instance the reusable water bottle, I wrapped it in a burlap bag and tied it with some gold ribbon (which I found at a dollar store).

Burlap wrapped reusable water bottle

Tip 5: Accessorize.

Ribbons, tulle, tissue paper, stuffing, fabric, confetti, bows. You want the teacher to feel like they are really appreciated.  Think of it like having a party to celebrate all their hard work during the year, even if it is just a gift basket. For my basket, I used white tissue paper, gold wire ribbon, and paper crinkle stuffing (also from a dollar store).

There you have it, my tips for preparing a personalized teacher gift basket.  To recap, choose a color scheme based on one or two of the items you intend to use in your basket. Make sure that you have a clear theme and stick to it as you fill the rest of the basket. Add something homemade to the basket and try to pick out something you know they enjoy. Finally, don’t forget to accentuate each item in the basket with some kind of flare.

My basket is done and ready to be gifted! I’m sure this gold and neutral “Prepared & Organized” themed basket will be well received and get the message across that we are thankful for our school teachers. A beautiful teacher gift basket for right around $20.