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DIY Back to School Teacher Gift Basket Ideas for Under $10

Most schools require students to bring in school supplies at the start of the school year, so why not make it a little more fun with these teacher gift basket ideas. Turn a boring school supply list into an adorable DIY Back to School Gift Basket with these teacher gift basket ideas for under $10.

DIY Back to School Teacher Gift Ideas for under $10 Basket

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We are officially in Back to School crunch time. The aisles of stores are packed full of school supplies and everywhere I look there are reminders that in less than 2 weeks my oldest baby will be a Kindergartner.

It’s hitting me hard.

At the beginning of the Summer I couldn’t wait for her to start school – I was so excited about all the new things she would learn in Kindergarten and how much independence she would start to gain with the new year of school, but now… Oh now, I just want to keep my little Sophia home forever!

But alas, she will be heading to Kindergarten in just a few weeks and I’m trying to get as excited about it again as she is.

We just found out yesterday who her teacher will be so that was definitely a cause for celebration and after a quick peek at her school supply list, we decided to make it a little more fun by adding in a few gift ideas for teachers with them!

Teacher Gift Ideas for Back to School and School Supplies

Teacher Gift Basket Ideas:

  • Sanitizing Wipes
  • Notepads
  • Sharpie Markers [<— The BEST Deal on Amazon!]
  • Extra Pencils [our teachers always love when we send extras of these for the classroom]
  • Thank You cards
  • Gift Cards
  • Stickers
  • Pocket Hand Sanitizers [I love stocking up on these at Bath & Body Works during sales]

I decided to include some fun extras to help her teacher make it through the year. I have quite a few friends who are teachers and know that they are always buying extra pencils for their classrooms.

I also know how many gifts teachers get, so a small pack of blank cards for a quick Thank You card, a pocket calendar [totally obsessed with this adorable one!], and a notepad seemed like the perfect items to toss into our basket too.

School Supplies for Teachers

Last but not least was the addition of Disinfecting Wipes, which are on our school’s classroom supply list and I completely understand why… especially after these past couple of years!

Before I became a Mom, I was a Child Care Center Director and know just how dirty and “germ-y” everything in a classroom can be. I also know that you don’t really have a ton of time to wipe down a classroom from top to bottom everyday, especially while the kids are present which makes these disposable wipes very handy for teachers.

While our school requires that the cleaning wipes be the Clorox brand, you can always choose a more eco-friendly option if it’s not requirement at your school.

I also love that these wipes canisters can be upcycled and reused in so many different ways!

One of my child care employees used to collect them and use them for storage containers for craft supplies. It’s also great to know that the wipes they require are made from recyclable number 2 class of HDPE, if you don’t have a way to re-purpose, you can recycle them!

If you’re like me and on a time crunch and a budget with school shopping looming ahead, it’s easy to create a DIY Teacher Gift Basket for Back to School with teacher gift basket ideas for under $10!

Looking at the pictures reminds me how surprised I was that I was able to create these gift ideas for teachers, with some required school supplies, for just under $10!

If you don’t have to shop completely online, I definitely recommend hitting the Dollar Spot at Target [don’t you LOVE that section?!]. I picked up all of the stationary items and the cup there!

What items would you include with your school supplies for fun ideas for teacher gift basket ideas for Back to School?

This post was originally published in July 2015.

Elizabeth

Monday 22nd of November 2021

Where did you get the cute basket to hold it all?

Lindsey

Tuesday 23rd of November 2021

I found it in the Target dollar section as well! But you could probably find something cute at Dollar Tree too.

Rosie

Monday 10th of August 2015

You put together such a nice package and so thrifty - nice job!!

Ann

Thursday 6th of August 2015

Wow, in all the years that I've been teaching, I have never received a gift at the beginning of school! That's very nice of you!

Dorothy Boucher

Friday 31st of July 2015

What a fun way to say Hello and put a smile on your teachers face, I wish they would also include principals and other staff members on this,, after all they do work hard to :)

David

Wednesday 29th of July 2015

What a great back-to-school gift for Sophia's teacher! I know she will really appreciate it. We use Clorox Wipes all the time around the house, so I can only imagine how helpful they are in the classroom, too! #client