“Thank you bunches” DIY teacher appreciation gift
on January 10, 2017
Every day is the right day to show the people who spend their days teaching your kids that you appreciate them. National Teacher Appreciation Week in May and the start of summer break are especially great times for your kids to break out their gratitude. So if you're looking for teacher appreciation gifts, we have the perfect pick. Our "thank you bunches" craft is a fun and useful DIY teacher appreciation gift you can make with your kids. Just choose a thank-you message to write on the flower pot, then follow our easy instructions to transform ball-point pens into a bouquet of pretty (and functional) flowers. This simple gift of gratitude is so easy to make that you'll want to make a bunch—so check out the supply list below to get started on some homemade "homework" your kids will love turning in to their teachers.
Crafter level: Easy
Time needed: 5 to 10 minutes per pen
Inspired? Create and share with #MyHallmark.
Materials
- Clay flower pot (we used a 4-in. pot)
- Coffee beans, pinto beans or glass marbles for filler
- Chalkboard paint and paintbrush
- Chalk for writing; hair spray to adhere chalk (optional)
- Non-click ballpoint pens with "caps" on ends that can come off (1 for every flower pen you want to make, plus a few extra, just in case)
- Green floral tape
- Craft knife
- Low-temp hot glue gun or strong craft glue
- Silk flowers with thin plastic stems (1 bloom for every flower pen you want to make)
- Leaves from silk flowers (optional)
- Coordinating ribbon for bow on pot
Directions
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Paint a clay pot with chalkboard paint and set aside to dry. Apply 2 to 3 coats as necessary. Brainstorm with your kids to come up with a "thank-you" message to write on the pot later. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Thanks a bunch, thanks for helping me learn and grow, thanks a latte (fill the clay pot with coffee beans to hold the pens), you're my #1 pick!
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Remove the little caps on the non-writing ends of the pens. If they don’t just pop off, use your craft knife to cut off the plastic tops.
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Cut the stem of each flower bloom to about ½ to 1 inch—enough that you’ll be able to insert the stem inside the pen cylinder easily.
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Add some glue to the stem and insert it into the pen cylinder. Let dry.
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Wrap the pen with floral tape, starting at the writing end of the pen. Stretch the tape gently as you wrap and overlap your wrapping so none of the pen shows through the tape. Wrap all the way up the pen, secure with a few tight wraps and cut off the end of the tape. You can use a bit of glue to secure the end of the tape to prevent future unraveling (optional).
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Create more pens following steps 3 through 5 until you’ve created your bouquet. (We made about a dozen with smallish flowers for a 4-inch pot.)
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To add a little greenery to some of the pens (optional), cut several leaves off the silk flower stems and glue the leaf stems to the pens slightly below the flower blooms. Let dry. Wrap around the base of each leaf stem with extra floral tape to further secure it to the pen.
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Wrap your ribbon around the rim of the pot and tie in a bow; secure ribbon to pot with glue.
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Write the message to your teacher on the outside of the pot with chalk. Use hair spray to adhere the chalk (optional).
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Fill your pot with coffee beans or other filler to hold the pens in place.
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Arrange your flower pens into a bouquet in the pot and give it to your teacher.
