Volunteer Gift Ideas and FREEBIE Thank You Tags!

 With the school year winding down for many of us, it's time to start thinking of ways to THANK your classroom volunteers for helping to make it such a great year. Maybe you are looking for some fresh gift-giving ideas. If so, I'm pretty sure this post is one you will enjoy!

Hi there friends! 

It's Jeannine from Creative Lesson Cafe.

I'm here today to share ideas for some fun, thoughtful and EASY gifts your volunteers will really appreciate (and a little FREEBIE too). 

If there is one thing I am good at... it's shopping! :) 
I've been on the hunt for my own special gifts that won't cost a bundle, but something my volunteers will really LOVE. Mostly, I just think about what I would like and hope they will too!!!

I visited Target, Hallmark, Walmart and Bath and Body Works for ideas. Take a peek at the rest of these finds, then read on to see how they might just be the PERFECT gifts!

After searching around on Pinterest and other places, I found some really cute themes for volunteer appreciation. 

Here they are... with a few gift ideas for each one:

• Burt's Bees Products
• Bee Household Items
• Bigby Gift Card
• Anything with Honey
• Flowers

• Garden Gloves
• Hand Lotion
• Hand Soap
• Gift Certificate for a Manicure
• Nail Polish

• Candy
• Baked Goods
• Gift Card: Dairy Queen or Orange Leaf
• Sweet Fragrance Items
• Cookie Bouquet
• Sweet Tea

• Stationery Set
• Personalized Notepad
• Blank Cards
• Pencil/Pen Set
• Recipe Cards and Box
• Planner

• Plant/ Hanging Basket
• Vase
• Garden Tools/ Planting Kit
• Flower Sugar Cookie
• Floral Themed Household Items
• Bouquet
• Flower Jewelry
• Floral Patterned Scarf

• Lemonade/Drink Mixes
• Tumbler
• Fruity Lip Balm
• Citrus Candle 
• Facial Mask
• Cooling Eye Mask
• Cutting Board/ Bar Items
• Sangria Mix

• Mug
• Starbucks Card
• Specialty Coffee Beans
• Cold Coffee Drinks

• Candle
• Body Lotion
• Room Spray
• Body Spray
• Shower Gel
• Diffusers
• Wallflowers

• Pitcher
• Beverage Mixes
• Outdoor Tableware
• Picnic Items
• Mason Jar Beverage Dispenser

No matter what your budget is... I bet your parent helpers would be thrilled to get any of these gifts! Some of these suggestions might even be great for your teaching partners as an end-of-the-year present.

No gift would be complete without a cute little TAG, so I made these Volunteer Thank You Gift Tags to share with all of you! They include each of the themes listed above.

Sometimes, we have MANY volunteers to thank like at a volunteer tea or luncheon. These black and white tags may be just what you need for an occasion like that! They can be copied on Astrobright paper or cardstock.

You can get cutesy and tie them on with a ribbon or just tape them on your gift or gift bag.

THANKS to all of YOU for joining me for this post at Primary Powers today.

Click {here} to download the freebie tags.

 Hope you like them!

For more ideas, including some REALLY inexpensive  ones, check out my Pinterest Board.

Feel free to Pin away here too and SAVE these ideas for when you need them!

Have a great finish to the school year everyone!

Let it Snow! Parent Gift Idea

Hi everyone! It's Jeannine from Creative Lesson Cafe! 

 What a rush December always is! Aren't we lucky to have some wonderful vacation time to look forward to? After so much Christmas crafting in the classroom, I can bet the LAST thing on your mind right now is another project! However, this is one that you may want to *save* for a great parent gift idea for any time of year!

 I'm here today to share one that I just LOVE! I hope you will too!

When I find a cute craft for my students to make as a gift for their parents, I stick with it! One of my favorites is decorating wooden frames. It's an inexpensive, sweet gift that parents adore and actually display!

This frame design can stay out all winter long.

I use these unfinished wooden frames from Michael's.
They are only about $1.00 each!
 The creative possibilities are endless.
 I've painted them with my class for Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts too.

We begin with a single layer base coat of acrylic paint on the front and the edges.
On the back, the students write their name and the year in Sharpie.

The next step is to do a little sponge painting with white paint.

We blotted the frame, but also twirled the sponge for a snowstorm effect.

Using a Martha Stewart tool, I punched snowflakes from white cardstock.

The students arranged their snowflakes and pressed them into a light coat of glossy Mod Podge.

 I helped them spread the Mod Podge over the snowflakes to be sure they were sealed and did not bend. They spread a final coat over the entire frame to blend it all.

Then it was time for the best part...adding fairy dust!

This is actually a beautiful embossing powder.

 We sprinkled the powder over the snowflakes before the adhesive dried.

 After that, we quickly added a light dusting of clear glitter over the entire frame.

  These plastic glitter bows came from Big Lots.

  I love the way they shine! 

They are hot glued onto the corner.

This year, I had the childrens' holiday photos developed in black and white.
It looks SO nice with the silver bow!

My kiddos are thrilled with the way their beautiful snowy window frames turned out!
 Oh, I wish you could stop by to see how they sparkle in person!

 I sure hope you will be able to file this project idea away! 
It's a keeper!

  Thanks for stopping by today friends!
Wishing everyone a very joyous holiday and a restful vacation!

Student Christmas Gift Idea

Hi everyone! It's Angela from Hippo Hooray for Second Grade. How many days do you have left before Winter Break? We go all the way to December 23rd, and there is SO much to do from now until then! I alway seem to be in panic mode a few days before we leave to get my student gifts together. I always give my kiddos a book from Scholastic, but a few years ago, I upped my game and gave them this as well:

It's a box of crayons and a note pad tied together with a little sign I made that says "May your days be merry and bright!"What kid doesn't love new crayons and a little notebook? I was thinking ahead this year, and I scooped up all the crayons and notebooks I needed during the Back to School season, so I only paid $12 for a class set of notebooks and crayons! NICE!! This year I revamped the label I'm going to put on all my gifts, so now they'll have this on the front:

Want this? Click here to grab this freebie :)

Only 2ish more weeks until Winter Break. Hang in there, Friends!!