Best in Class: Teacher Appreciation Gifts

How can it be back-to-school time already? Amid the hustle and bustle of buying classroom supplies and clothing, parents should be thinking about teacher appreciation gifts. After all, it’s a good idea to get on the teacher’s good side right away. Here’s a super easy gift idea that will let you suck up with succulents.

These pots, decorated like a chalkboard and ruler and holding a succulent plant, will be year-round reminders of how much your child deserves straight A’s. You can buy all the supplies (except the plants) at a crafts store, and you need very little artistic ability. n

Chalkboard pot

What you’ll need:
4-inch clay pot
Chalkboard acrylic paint
Foam brush
White paint marker
Succulent plant

1. Paint the clay pot with chalkboard paint using a foam brush. You will need about two coats of paint to get full coverage on the pot. Let dry for at least two hours.

2. Write out alphabet letters on the rim of the pot with a white paint marker. Be careful not to smudge the letters as you go around the rim. When the letters are dry, you can write a message such as “Thank you” on the main part of the pot with chalk. Finish by placing a succulent plant in the pot.

Ruler pot

What you’ll need:
4-inch clay pot
Yellow acrylic paint
Foam brush
Black paint marker
Succulent plant

1. Paint tomee clay pot with yellow paint using a foam brush. Because the yellow paint is light in color, it can take four or five coats to get full coverage. Let dry for at least two hours.

2. Draw thick vertical lines about one inch apart around the rim of the pot with a black paint marker. Then draw slightly shorter, thinner vertical lines midway between the longer lines. Write in numbers for the ruler to the immediate left of the longer lines. Then place a succulent plant in the pot.

Jonathan Fong is the author of “Walls That Wow,” “Flowers That Wow” and “Parties That Wow,” and host of “Style With a Smile” on YouTube. You can see more of his do-it-yourself projects at jonathanfongstyle.com.