Easy Peasy - Gifts for Parents from Your Students

I treasure the Christmas gifts I get from my own kiddos each year, and I know that many of my students have no resources to give their parents a gift on their own.  I make sure that my students always get the opportunity to make a gift for someone special.

Graphics:  Miss Russell's Room, Creative Clips, and Print Candee

Here's a quick round-up of fabulous easy-peasy gifts for your students to make this year:

The Christmas Calendar - I did this for 3 years in a row and had the biggest response from parents.  Love, love, love this!!  It's free, too.  Go to Christina Bainbridge's free files page, and look under "C" for Christmas Gifts for families.  It's all kinds of awesome.  (Print, copy, then bind or staple.  Kiddos decorate for several stretches of time during the week we need a project to work on - the week before Christmas!!)  Parents love it, and it's worth my copy quota to know that my kiddos have something they are proud to give their parents.

The trivet - I did this for many years, and it never got old.  Moms cry over this sort of thing, you know.  (I have 2 from my daughter - sniff!)  Go to your local home improvement store and get a bunch of cheap white ceramic tiles.  Buy extras, in case someone drops theirs.  Then, pull out the stash of colored permanent markers, give the standard lecture about not drawing on yourself or others, and let them decorate.  I always require the name and year to be a part of the decoration - it makes it more special when mom can remember exactly which child gave it to her, and when.  Spray lightly with a sealant (find at any local craft store, or use this one), let them dry, and send it home.  Remember that kiddos shouldn't smell the fumes from the sealant, so do it after school and let them dry overnight.  Wrap it and send it home.  :)

Snowflakes - OK - this isn't really a parent gift, but it sure is fun!  Create huge 3-dimensional snowflakes (using the tutorial here),

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or these cuties, made from doilies, pipe cleaners, beads, and glue:

From Hello Mrs Sykes

Fold three doilies in half, and glue all but 2 of the halves back to back.  Slide 4 beads on the pipe cleaner, place the pipe cleaner in the center of the doilies and glue the remaining halves together.  Add 4 more beads and  twist the top into a hook.  For extra holiday sparkle, add glitter!  This idea originally was published in the 2013 Winter Holidays Tips and Freebies: Grades 3-6 Edition. Click the picture to download more tips from the Teacher-Authors of TpT!

What do you do for your Christmas gifts from students?