Sweet & Simple Teacher Appreciation Gift - Grace, Giggles and Naptime

Teacher Appreciation Week kicks off tomorrow, so to celebrate I’m bringing you a sweet & simple teacher appreciation gift idea!

We have been blessed with the absolute BEST teachers this school year, which is one of the reasons why this whole thing has hit me so hard. Even though we are learning at home through the end of the school year, I still wanted to do something to show my kids’ teachers how much we appreciate everything they’ve done this past year.

I usually opt to gift our teachers with a themed basket (& a gift card thrown in), but this year I wanted to do something a little more meaningful. So, we decided to get crafty and make Q-tip heart paintings in rainbow colors. I thought the theme was fitting for this moment in time.

Supplies Needed

Square Canvas (we used a 12×12″ from Michaels)
Q-Tips
Acrylic Paint
Construction Paper
Painter’s Tape

How-To

First, cut out your heart from construction paper. Once you’re happy with the size & shape, use painter’s tape to secure it to your canvas – making sure all of the edges are sealed as best as possible (you don’t want paint to run underneath).

Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get painting! Have your little ones begin by making “dots” of paint with their Q-tips all over the canvas. My favorite thing about this craft is that it’s almost impossible to “mess up” – there are no rules to follow other than be creative & have fun!

Before your paint fully dries, go ahead and remove your heart from the center, taking care to peel back the tape slowly & carefully. If any paint did run underneath, now is the time to wipe it away before it fully sets. We only had a few minor paint leaks and I was able to use a baby wipe to remove the wet paint from the canvas. Another trick to remove wet paint from canvas is Windex!

The kids really liked this method of painting which also resulted in less mess, so I consider it a win, win!

Don’t forget to thank a teacher this week! A simple note or handmade card can mean so very much to them, and they deserve to know we appreciate their hard work – especially during this season of our lives.