Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gift | i should be mopping the floor
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Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gift

This Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gift and its shop have been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 
#doingthe99 #99yourschoolyear #CollectiveBias

Y'all...we're on the downhill until school starts. I actually miss my kids terribly once they're back in school...and immediately start counting the days until winter break! But, I am facing reality and getting prepared. I had fun making this Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gift with super inexpensive supplies and plants from my favorite store! 99 Cents Only Stores have all of your favorite name brands at a price that can't be beat. I also have the free printable tags for these available below, too.
Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
And if you're not feeling crafty, I have a cute alternative gift idea, too!  Check out all of the fun below. 

Back to School Teacher Gift

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
Again, if you don't want to pull out the glue gun, the above idea is a quick shortcut (although the ruler planter totally...RULES!). Grab inexpensive planters at the dollar store and you're good to go!

DIY Ruler Vase

Supplies

  • circular empty plastic or paper container (I used an empty one from rice, but a shorter oatmeal one would work, too)
  • wooden rulers
    • The number depends on the size of your container...since these rulers are one inch in width, use a sewing measuring tape around your container to determine how many you'll need--I was able to cut mine in half, so one ruler counts twice. I used eight rulers
    • Make sure to look for ones withOUT the metal part, as that makes them impossible to cut.
  • hand saw (a miter box is optional, but not required)
  • hot glue/glue gun
  • small plant
  • twine

Directions

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • I started this by determining how long to saw my rulers. 
  • I didn't even plan this, but cutting these rulers directly in half worked perfectly for this project, with the container I used. 

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • I used a my old hand saw and miter box for steadiness to cut these in half. 
  • You can give them a light sanding, if you prefer. 

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • Plug in the glue gun and have at it (or use the mounting squares if you're not of the hot glue persuasion). 
  • I chose this jar since it wasn't at a slant...I wanted my rulers to stand up straight. 
  • I hot glued each ruler half in two spots...where the jar protruded a bit. 

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • Just work your way around the entire jar. 
  • This project doesn't have to be perfect...but if you want to sand your edges evenly, feel free. 
  • I purposely went for an uneven look and even turned the rulers every time to make sure none of the numbers lined up or were similar to the ruler next to it.

Free Printable Tags

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • I used gardening twine to attach my tags. 
  • I wanted a play on the word GROW with both the plant AND ruler aspects of the gift.

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THESE GROW TAGS.

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • After the hot glue was cool and hardened, I tied the twine a few times around the planter to give it some interest and extra pop of color. 
  • Then I used the ends of the twine to attach the gift tag.

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
  • Again, if you prefer not to make the actual vase, a planter works fine, too (as pictured above). I thought it would be fun to use the ruler as a plant pick to attach the tag.
  • And then it brings in the whole ruler aspect to play off the tag's wording.
Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
Aren't the tags fun? I designed them to look like school paper.

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags
If you make the ruler planter, your teacher can use it as a caddy, too!
It's super versatile.

Budget Friendly Back to School Teacher Gifts with Free Printable Gift Tags

More DIY Teacher Gifts







13 comments:

  1. I've never heard of back to school gifts for teachers. Is this common in the States? It's such a cute idea! I've lived abroad for over seven years and feel so out of the loop on how things are back home. I'm going back in September to visit for the first time in seven years and I'm anxious to see how much things have changed since I left.

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  2. Oh my gosh! I love this idea. I may have to use it for our teachers this year. I think the rulers around the jar turned out perfect. So creative and something that can be used over. We love giving the teachers back to school gifts.

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  3. WOW, this is so cute and such a great idea! My kids would enjoy making these for their teachers, we always make sure to give gifts out to the kids teachers,. I love seeing the smiles on their faces too!

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  4. This is so sweet! Teachers are often not as appreciated as they should be. What a wonderful and kind idea!

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  5. These are the cutest teacher's gift! My grandson just started preschool and I think we'll make one for his teacher. I love that they're inexpensive, colorful, with the printable adding an extra special personal touch. x

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  6. This is beyond creative. Planter gifts are the new trendy eco friendly gifts so this is a perfect DIY one. Also so affordable and any teacher would be greatful to have this!

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  7. Wow! I love your back to school gift ideas! So creative! And i think my daughters would love to create something special with their hand for their teachers! And I also love the idea that it could be transformed in something else! May be I will create one for myself! So cute!

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  8. What a creative idea! I love using the rulers as decoration outside of a flower pot, and I could totally see this sitting on the corner of a teacher's desk. I'm keeping this in mind for when my son gets a bit older! Thanks so much for sharing the deals at the 99, too! #client

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  9. What a cute gift idea! I can't believe how quickly it has become the back-to-school season! I love the ruler in the pot with the flowers, it's so creative!

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  10. This is such a cute idea. Love it!

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  11. Love this - both the planter surrounded by the rulers and the one with a pot and the ruler stuck inside. Wouldn't any teacher feel special receiving such a cute gift - and a lucky way to start the new school year! Thanks for sharing this, Kristi.

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  12. Fun & easy back to school DIY. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & sharing. Shared on our FB page too.

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  13. Oh my gosh! These are so adorable! I love how budget friendly they are, but so pretty! Thank so much for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty !

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