As a Mama of many, I know better than anyone that it takes a village! Every year, I see how much love, time, and energy our kids’ teachers pour into their lives. School teachers, Sunday School leaders, favorite coaches, the sweet janitors who know each kid by name…these are the people who influence our little ones.
That’s why I love making homemade teacher gifts that are personal, practical, and full of heart. In a world of toxic gift baskets, handmade items say, “I see you. I appreciate you. And I care about what goes in (and on!) your body.” Low-tox gifts aren’t just for the end of the school year, though. They’re amazing for Christmas gifts, birthdays, or even a surprise pick-me-up to show your favorite educator how much they matter.
When gifting, we want to truly bless people, so we avoid the sugary snacks and skincare filled with synthetic junk. Instead, we go for real ingredients that will nourish the recipient and even improve their health. These gifts aren’t just cute, they’re healing tools that can decrease anxiety, soothe aches, and provide that much-needed pick-me-up after recess.
Keep reading to discover how to craft your own teacher appreciation gifts that will be treasured for years to come.
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Why We Make Homemade Teacher Gifts
Everyone deserves to feel appreciated, and let’s be honest, teachers and their support staff rarely get the thanks they deserve. Instead of another last-minute gift card or toxic body care item, I prefer to stop and prayerfully consider what would best benefit each person. I always try to prioritize our school teacher appreciation gifts first, but these recipes are so easy to make that often, church staff, Sunday School teachers, janitors, and school administration get in on the fun!
Here are the top reasons we make homemade teacher gifts.
1. Personal Touches Go a Long Way
Store-bought items are usually one-size-fits-all, but these teacher appreciation gifts allow you to tailor each item to the teacher’s specific preferences. For example, if I know a certain teacher adores coffee, I’ll add a dash of organic espresso grounds to her sugar scrub.
Homemade gifts allow you to tailor each item to the teacher’s preferences and seasonal trends. For example, if I know a particular teacher likes coffee, I’ll do a coffee vanilla body scrub. If your educator has a favorite flower, like geranium, lavender, or rose, you could incorporate those essential oils.
Small touches like this are so easy to add to your gift, but they’ll mean the world to the recipient.
2. Safe and Natural High-Quality Ingredients
You’d be surprised at how many teachers ditch their store-bought body care gift baskets due to skin irritation! In today’s toxic world, you never know what allergies or sensitivities someone has. By making your teacher appreciation gifts, you can confidently tell your educator that all ingredients are safe, low-tox, and beneficial to the body and soul!
These safe, healthy gifts will also provide peace of mind for teachers who are conscious about what they put on their skin and what could affect the health of their students.
3. Fostering Creativity and Skills
We want our kids to learn the importance of appreciating the people who love and lead them. And part of that is equipping them with the skills to DIY homemade teacher gifts. Our family has so much fun creating our healthy gifts. Everyone can play a part, from the little ones scooping sugar scrub into jars to the teenager whipping up the body cream. And of course, everyone fights to be the one in charge of the label maker!
This is how we instill a sense of pride and spirit of generosity in our kids. Now, they come to us with potential gift ideas for their favorite school staff.
5 Handmade Gifts for Teachers
As you create your homemade teacher gifts, I want to bring up something that’s often overlooked…the packaging. While gift bags are cute, they can add a lot of clutter to someone’s house. Which is why I prefer to use personalized totes, mugs, or even popcorn bowls from Personalization Mall. Seriously, having these items shipped in bulk and delivered to my front door is a lifesaver for busy moms.
You can add elegance by adding tissue paper or even a beautiful bow. For extra brownie points, purchase tissue paper and bows in your teacher’s favorite color. So many educators say my packaging is almost as good as the gift itself!
And please remember to label your items so that your recipient knows what’s inside them. No sticky notes allowed, as they fall off too easily. 😉
Without further ado, here are some of my top low-tox teacher gift ideas. With these recipes by your side, you’ll have an entire gift basket ready in no time!
1. Coconut Vanilla Body Cream
It’s no secret that teachers wash their hands and clean multiple times a day. Our Coconut Vanilla Body Cream will be a functional gift, as it smells like a tropical vacation in a jar! It melts right into the skin, softening dry patches and leaving behind a warm, comforting scent.
Our recipe uses unrefined shea butter and coconut oil as the base to nourish skin from the inside out, along with a few drops of vitamin E to take this recipe to the next level. You’ll want to use a glass jar with a wide opening for easy access. Trust me, teachers rarely splurge on luxury body care for themselves, and will be elated to receive this body cream.
2. Soothing Bug Bite Balm & Itch Relief Roll-On
This roll-on is one of our summer go-tos, especially when gifting it to a teacher or helper who enjoys gardening, forest bathing, or spending time in nature. If you’re new to DIYing, this teacher appreciation gift is easy to make, gentle enough for even kids, and works wonders on bug bites and heat rashes.
I prefer using a half-and-half blend of jojoba and fractionated coconut oil, as that makes your balm easy to roll on. You can tuck it into a cute travel pouch or a cute reusable tin for on-the-go itch relief. This adorable gift lets your teacher know that you care about their comfort on and off the clock.
3. Immune-Boosting Hand Sanitizer (Crowd Fav!)
This is one of our most requested homemade gifts—and for good reason! Teachers are surrounded by sniffles and coughs all day long. Needless to say, hand sanitizer is a classroom essential!
Our version is all-natural, gentle, and fights germs without stripping hands of moisture and good bacteria. The star of the show is our signature Immune-Boosting essential oil blend with germ-fighting favorites like clove, lemon, rosemary, and tea tree. Choose a spray hand sanitizer, our gel variation, or go the extra mile and gift your teacher both!
4. After Sun Spray
Whether fishing, gardening, or chilling by the lake, our After Sun Spray is a wonderful gift for any sunshine-loving teacher. It’s refreshing, hydrating, and perfect after a long day at the pool. The ingredients are simple, yet effective.
A blend of soothing aloe vera gel and witch hazel moisturizes the skin, and lavender and peppermint essential oils cool the skin and tame irritation. Store it in a glass spray bottle and encourage your recipient to store this bottle in the fridge for instant relief.
5. Gardener’s Sugar Scrub
Many teachers turn to gardening for stress relief and a creative outlet. The only downside? These outdoor activities can leave your hands looking rough! If you know an educator who loves working with their hands, this will be the ideal teacher gift. Our Gardener’s Sugar Scrub is a gritty, nourishing blend that scrubs away dirt while leaving hands better than before.
I use a mix of organic cane sugar, coconut oil, and my signature gardener’s blend of rosemary and peppermint essential oils to invigorate and refresh. You might say this scrub is a spa moment in a jar! Your favorite green-thumbed teacher will thank you.
A Note About Seasonal Scents
These homemade teacher gifts showcase the things I give at the end of the school year, so they fit the laid-back, tropical mood of summer. I love using essential oils like citrus, geranium, peppermint, and rosemary, as well as tropical scents like lime.
However, I also give a Christmas gift for teachers with plenty of Christmas-inspired scents, featuring notes of fir, pine, ginger, and frankincense. Each season is unique, so we created a list of our favorite diffuser blends to give you plenty of options.
Click here to see some of our top essential oil blends for spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Gifting Is a Ministry
On a heartfelt note, one of the best parts of making teacher appreciation gifts is the opportunity to give someone a thoughtful and healing gift. Don’t be shy about asking your recipient what they need. Maybe your teacher has sensitive skin or struggles with eczema. Choose soothing essential oils like Roman chamomile and add extra vitamin E oil.
If someone on your list suffers from seasonal allergies, consider gifting them our Allergy Roll-On blend. These small tweaks show that you truly care and are paying attention, not just tossing together a fun gift.
God created our bodies uniquely, and it’s a joy to celebrate that uniqueness in how we give. When you take time to think about someone’s health needs, you are offering your hands and time as an offering to the Lord.
These purposeful practices are when a simple gift becomes more than just thoughtful; it becomes a ministry. So, before you create your gift baskets, take a moment to pray over the person you’re gifting. Ask the Lord to guide your hands and give you the perfect present.
When you choose handmade teacher gifts, you’re sowing seeds. And friend, these seeds bear good fruit not only in someone else’s life, but also in yours.
Trust me, you don’t have to have it all together to do this well. I’ve run out of ingredients, forgotten to include a handwritten note, and spilled things on the floor more times than I can count. But each time, God reminds me that presence is more important than perfection.
It’s not about the perfect presentation or the fanciest jar. It’s about love. It’s about choosing to notice someone, to thank them, and to serve with joy. The simple act of giving—especially when it’s made with your own two hands—can turn an ordinary moment into something sacred.
So lean into the imperfect moments. Pray over your gifts and recipients. Let your kids be part of the process. Laugh at the mess and remember, the Holy Spirit works through even our smallest offerings.
You are a vessel of His love. Go pour it out, one handmade blessing at a time.
