| Choosing and perhaps making teacher-gifts with your | | | | 5. Make “jar-mixes.” |
| child can providequality family-time while teaching your | | | | Layer the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie |
| child to give from the heart. Hereare ten ideas even | | | | recipe in a jar. Tie apretty ribbon around the jar's neck |
| busy families can use. | | | | and include the full recipe, notingwhich ingredients need |
| 1. Have your copy shop help you make notepads | | | | to be added. Hint: Use a small enough jar thatthe |
| featuring your child's art. | | | | ingredients are held snugly in place to preserve a |
| Have your child create several small designs with a | | | | layered look. Visit for recipes andtips. |
| black felt-tip pen or fine-tip marker. Visit your local | | | | 6. Buy a relaxation wrap. |
| copy shop with your child and let the staff advise you | | | | This gift is more expensive than the others listed here. |
| about which design will work best. The staff can then | | | | It's a soft flannelwrap that can be microwaved for a |
| help you and your child choose the dimensions of your | | | | minute to provide a half hour ofwarmth and soothing |
| notepads. When you bring the pads home, your child | | | | lavender aroma. This is a fantastic gift for aspecial |
| can glue to the cardboard backing a strip of magnetic | | | | teacher, especially in areas with cold winters. Available |
| tape, available at crafts stores. | | | | at |
| 2. Make potpourri ornaments. | | | | 7. Bake with your child. |
| Make a batch of these when you want to remember | | | | This one is great because your children's participation |
| multiple teachers. | | | | can expand asthey grow. Even preschoolers can pour |
| At a craft store, buy clear, round, hollow plastic | | | | pre-measured ingredients andstir, and middle-schoolers |
| ornaments and holiday-colored potpourri. Help your | | | | can take pride in baking independently withadult |
| child pour some potpourri into eachornament. Close | | | | supervision. |
| and loop a ribbon through the top. | | | | Supervise young cooks carefully to prevent burns, and |
| 3. Mold glycerin soaps in fun shapes. | | | | be sure to protectany classmates with nut allergies |
| Buy colored glycerin soap bars and molds from a craft | | | | when your send your gift to the school. |
| store. Melt soapchunks in a can placed in a pot of | | | | 8. Make candles. |
| water over a low flame. Let the cancool until it can be | | | | Kits are available at craft stores. Supervise carefully |
| safely handled. Supervising carefully to avoid burns,help | | | | around hot wax. |
| your child pour the liquid soap into the molds. Let | | | | For honeycomb wax sheet candle kits that do no |
| harden andrelease. Package several soaps in a | | | | involve hightemperatures, visit |
| cellophane bag and tie with ribbon. | | | | 9. Give a gift related to your teacher's children, pets or |
| 4. Shop fair trade. | | | | hobbies. |
| The “fair trade” label means the farmers | | | | Would the teacher enjoy a subscription to a magazine |
| or artisans who produce an itemare paid fairly. You | | | | devoted to cats ordogs? How about a copy of your |
| can find fair-trade coffees, chocolates, bath | | | | family's favorite read-aloud book forthe teacher's |
| items,jewelry, home accessories and more at | | | | family to enjoy? |
| [ and some local stores. In a note, tell what part of | | | | 10. Give contribution to a charity in the teacher's name. |
| theworld your gift came from and what “fair | | | | Sponsoring organizations generally provide a card or |
| trade” means. | | | | certificate you candownload or have sent. |