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From: katie_burke
Date: 04-16-2007, 12:57 PM (1 of 14)
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Hi! Teacher appreciate week is coming up in May at our school. I am a member of the PTO board and my husband's fence business is also a Partner in Education. They are asking the business partners to donate items to raffle off to the teachers during the week. I am coming up empty on ideas of what I could do. I do know that I want to do at least a couple of small baskets/buckets/"whatever" that have a label on them saying "thanks" from my husband's business. In them, I would like to include something that I sewed. I don't want to do anything embroidered, too expensive, nor too difficult. Anybody have any great ideas? Thanks so much! Katie Burke |
User: katie_burke
Member since: 08-22-2006 Total posts: 45 |
From: temom
Date: 04-16-2007, 01:52 PM (2 of 14)
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Things I've given (I'm a beginner) are eye pillows filled with flax seed - super easy and inexpensive, and rice packs. The rice packs I've done have ranged from simple to more detailed ones with channels that take me about an hour (filling the channels with the rice and sewing them shut takes me a pretty long time. For Christmas this past year, we gave hubby's co-workers a mug with a pack of spiced apple cider, a cinnamin stick, and a flax eye pillow. I guess we did about 25 of them. Simple, nice, and inexpensive. Theresa
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User: temom
Member since: 01-19-2007 Total posts: 410 
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From: Patty22
Date: 04-16-2007, 01:54 PM (3 of 14)
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Have you seen the patterns where buckets are covered in cloth and then have pockets to hold things.... How about creating fabric to look like a fence, piecing it together and then using that on the outside of the bucket before you fill it with the bucket theme (baby items, children's toys, sewing gadgets....) Patty
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User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: dmoses
Date: 04-16-2007, 02:19 PM (4 of 14)
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I think most teachers keep a box of tissues and lots of plastic grocery bags in their rooms, so maybe a tissue box cover, or bag holder would be useful, and fun if done in a thematic fabric. Also the fabric bowls and boxes are fairly simple to make, don't take a lot of material, and are very attractive.
Take care,
Donna |
User: dmoses
Member since: 02-22-2002 Total posts: 964 
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From: Bama
Date: 04-16-2007, 07:21 PM (5 of 14)
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At our school during teacher appreciation week, we have a special luncheon for the teachers set up in the library. Several substitute teachers volunteer to work for free during the teachers lunch period so they can have a nice lunch without having to watch their class. We also have trays of muffins, cookies, and other goodies that they can munch on during their planning period. For inexpensive gifts to sew.... how about aprons, small tote bags, quilted book markers, rice bags, oven door towels (looks like a small dress), candle mats, sleep masks.... |
User: Bama
Member since: 03-21-2000 Total posts: 2116 
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From: jessie s
Date: 04-16-2007, 07:31 PM (6 of 14)
| If you use a bucket, what about a gardening bucket. Put some seeds in, or a small gift certificate to the local garden centre, plus a trowel, gardening gloves, knee pads etc. jessie s |
User: jessie s
Member since: 02-26-2007 Total posts: 46 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-17-2007, 02:21 AM (7 of 14)
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When I garden I like to have something with pockets, which then get very dirty. If you want to stick with the gardening theme how about an apron like a carpenter's apron with pockets in a nice fabric/fabrics and put a package of seeds in each pocket. Or you could put in plant markers (wooden or plastic sticks) and maybe a few 'wet one' hand cleaners. You could maybe put a hook on it to hang gardening gloves on. If you wanted, you could use a pigment pen to write whatever on it - Thanks or you husband's business. *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
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User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
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From: katie_burke
Date: 04-17-2007, 12:26 PM (8 of 14)
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Great ideas! Thank you so much! I think I will go with the gardening idea, even if I end up not including anything sewn. The best thing.... I can get most of what I need at the Dollar General! Thanks! Katie Burke |
User: katie_burke
Member since: 08-22-2006 Total posts: 45 |
From: Magot
Date: 04-17-2007, 02:59 PM (9 of 14)
There must be something about me I don't recognise......I just get chocolate.......
love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626 
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From: Pudge99
Date: 04-17-2007, 03:37 PM (10 of 14)
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Jan, Gone are the days of giving your teacher an apple, a flower or a nice hunk of chocolate. At least here in the US. Now we have teacher depreciation week where the PTA sends home a list of what you should give the teacher each day during the week. So by the end of the week the teacher has five gifts from each student. I personally don't participate in this event even though my kids are in tears because "everyone else is doing it". If I feel a certain teacher needs to be appreciated then I will tell them so and if I feel a gift is warrented the children make it themselves. In some schools it has become such an issue of who can give the teacher the bigger, better gift that they have banned teachers from excepting any type of gift period except during this week. It is a sad, sad world where we have to be told how and when we can appreciate a teacher. Gina
Pictures of my successes and failures Pfaff 2040 Janome Mylock 134D Singer Futura CE-100 w/ Autopunch Husqvarna Viking 3D Sketch |
User: Pudge99
Member since: 10-30-2001 Total posts: 1375 |
From: DorothyL
Date: 04-17-2007, 03:53 PM (11 of 14)
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Wow, I'm glad my kids are out of school. I didn't even give them Xmas gifts. They can't possibly want all that crap -- except the chocolate for Jan. Dorothy |
User: DorothyL
Member since: 12-09-2002 Total posts: 3883 |
From: Magot
Date: 04-17-2007, 04:42 PM (12 of 14)
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Gina - that is terrible! I got one Easter Egg and was delighted! (I still have the egg - what will power) Mostly what our teaching staff are given is a mug or a bootle owine, biscuits or chocs...and then only certain children do it. I never did, but then my kids never gave Christmas cards to everyone in the class either, just because everyone else did. Doesn't "teacher depreciation week" imply that you DON'T think they are any good? love and kisses, Jan
Guts-R-Us Cells a Speciality DNA to order. |
User: Magot
Member since: 12-22-2002 Total posts: 3626
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From: PaulineG
Date: 04-17-2007, 05:27 PM (13 of 14)
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Doesn't "teacher depreciation week" imply that you DON'T think they are any good? No it must just be that they are getting older and more worn out with each passing day.  All those ratbag kids they have to deal with no doubt.I have to admit I don't think I'd want to participate in a whole week of gifting. Something at Christmas and birthdays if we happen to know when they are is good enough. And I NEVER give chocolate - teachers and nurses are too well represented at Weight Watchers - maybe I should consider it as a business opportunity. A good book, a Christmas ornament, some nice but inexpensive jewellery or some home decor stuff (table runner or similar) are the sort of things we usually go for. Pauline
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User: PaulineG
Member since: 09-08-2006 Total posts: 901 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-17-2007, 08:17 PM (14 of 14)
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I am appalled at the idea of requested gifts of any sort. Perhaps because I really enjoy the thought process of gift giving, though not always the shopping. Seeing the comment about nurses at weight watchers made me think something I have thought to say for ages. Nurses cannot professionally accept personal gifts but many people do leave a gift for all when discharged or from family. Yes, nurses get lots of chocolates, and some are appreciated, but at special times like Christmas and Easter, they are unundated. Also often unundated with lots of flowers which are lovely. However space at nursing stations and time to care for them is at a minimum. When left by patients I used to give the flowers to a patient who never got anything. I always appreciated some nice, non medicinal hand lotion for everyone to use and there is never too much! When I am a patient I give a reference book. I was lucky enough to know the latest publications and what would be most used. When a family member has been hospitalized I give money and indicate it specifically for a unit book fund. Most hospitals have libraries, but the references nurses want are fast and easy to access and they know what they need. Mind you, I have not done this since there has been computers on each unit and internet access has been available. Further, many people are not hospitalized long enough these days to get to know nurses are giving them care. Another suggestion, not that any one asked  would be a donation to the nurses social fund. Nurses do love to get together for fun dinners. At the last hospital I worked at several of the physicians used to order huge amounts of Chinese food to be delivered over different shifts so that all got to participate. It was truly appreciated by all.Overall, however, I do not think people in service like teachers and nurses really want anything more than their students and patients do well and they themselves survive to have another day!! Gift giving seems to come from some other mind set. *~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
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User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
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