DIY Mason Jar Back To School Gift For Teachers

Last year was Maddilyn’s first year of preschool and along with it came many other first. Being the shopaholics we are, we loved ‘first’ back to school shopping. In addition to the fun new clothes, backpack and school supplies we also wanted to contribute to the classroom. According to a 2013 study conducted by the the National School Supply and Equipment Association (NSSEA), 99.5 percent of all public school teachers spent some amount of money out of pocket, with the national average for 2013-2013 coming in at $485 among those surveyed.

Broken down:

• $149 out of pocket went toward school supplies;
• $198 went for instructional materials; and
• $138 was spent on “other classroom supplies.”

I think it goes without saying that most teachers are truly invested in our students. I wanted to say thanks by helping ease that burden with a back to school gift kit. Her teacher was so appreciative that I knew right away this is something I would do each year. So we’re back at it this year with a fun “DIY Mason Jar Back To School Gift”.

DIY Mason Jar Back To School Gift For Teachers 

Materials:

• Mason Jar
• Spray Paint
• Label
• Sharpie Precision Markers
• Uniball Pens
• Paper Mate Pencils
• A note introducing your student
• Office Max/Office Depot Coupon for $5 off $20 on Select Newell Rubbermaid Brands
  (PaperMate, Expo Neon Window Markers, Sharpie, Uni-Ball, & Mr. Sketch) Print one for you or one for the teacher. 
• Gift Card to Office Max or Office Depot for More Supplies (optional)
• A handmade card introducing your student

This fun gift took me just a few minutes (and a trip to Office Depot) to put together. Mason Jar Crafts are hot on Pinterest right now and it inspired me to create this multifunctional gift holder.

I started with a plain mason jar and spray painted the outside a fun blue. I purchased a mason jar lid designed to hold a straw so that it could be used as a cup later – without the lid it could be used as a pencil/pen holder, vase or any number of creative uses.

Borrowing one Sharpie markers, I then added a matching label to the jar. 

After that it was a simple matter of filling the far with goodies from the materials list like Sharpies, Paper Mate Pencils and Uniball Pens. P.S. purchasing those particular pens donated $0.40 to the City of Hope for breast cancer research. 

Now the gift just needs to be delivered on the first day of school!