How To Make A Teacher Survival Kit

Back to school season is here! See how to make an easy DIY teacher survival kit with just a few basic supplies.

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I have a lot of teachers in my life. My parents are teachers. My sister is a teacher. I have multiple friends who teach. And my husband, Kirk, is a teacher too! I know how much time, energy, and passion they put into the work that they do. Especially throughout the last year.

It’s no secret that 2020 was hard for teachers. So with school starting again, I wanted to surprise Harper’s second-grade teacher with a special gift to start the year off right.

Here, in our school district, all classroom supplies for each student in grades K-5 are provided by the teachers. And while they do get a small stipend to cover the costs, the expense of it all can add up quickly. A DIY teacher survival kit filled with useful and practical items is the perfect gift.

How To Make A Teacher Survival Kit

I wanted this gift to be meaningful with a homemade touch so I added a small DIY component to the project. But don’t worry! There are no power tools needed for this simple DIY craft. All you need is a hot glue gun, glue sticks, and a few other items.

Supplies

• Wood craft box
• 12″ paint stir sticks
• Stain
• T-shirt rags
• Fine point marker
• Mini glue sticks

Tools

• Hot glue gun
• Ruler

Step 1 Stain The Box

I purchased a small wood craft box at Hobby Lobby to use as the base for the survival kit. It was exactly 12″ in length, so the paint stir sticks I planned to glue on it (more on that in step 2) would fit perfectly and not need to be cut.

*TIP: If your wood box is smaller or larger than 12″ you may need to trim the paint stir sticks before staining them. Measure as needed and use a sharp utility knife to score and cut the sticks to the right length.

Once you’ve purchased your craft box, make sure it is free of dust and remove any tags or stickers. Then get ready to stain.

I used some stain that I found in the garage so I didn’t have to buy a new can. I prefer to use Minwax brand stains, but you can use any brand and color you choose. Use a clean T-shirt rag to stain in the direction of the wood grain. Let it soak into the wood for 5-15 minutes and then remove any excess stain with a clean cloth. Set the box aside and let it dry completely before moving on to step two.

Step 2 Stain And Mark The Paint Stir Sticks

First, place a few paint stir sticks on the front of your box to figure out how many you will need to use for the survival kit.

Then, using the same rag, stain the stir sticks. I applied one coat and set the sticks aside until they were fully dry (about 15-20 minutes).

To tie into a back-to-school theme, I decided to make the stir sticks mimic the look and feel of old wood rulers.

To recreate this look, use a fine tip marker and a ruler to measure. Then add the hash marks and finish with some numbers.

Step 3 Glue On The Stir Sticks

Next, use a hot glue gun to add the stir sticks to the front of your box. This step was the easiest part of the process and it took me less than 5 minutes.

And that’s it!

Now that the box for the teacher survival kit is finished it’s time to fill it with supplies.

What To Include In Your Teacher Survival Kit?

If you know who the teacher is, then you might already have some ideas about what he or she likes or what they could use.

Or, if you don’t know your child’s teacher (and are flying blind until the day before Open House like we were), there are plenty of ideas that will work for almost anyone.

Teachers often request donations throughout the year if supplies run low, so I included a few things that can be used in the classroom and a few things just for the teacher.

Here are some of the teacher survival kit items that we started with:

• Drink tumbler
• Tissue packs
• Advil
• Hand Cleaning wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Sanitizing wipes
• Lifesavers
• Chocolate
• Coffee gift card
• Classroom supplies including sharpie pens, #2 pencils, and stickers

I also included an 18V compact cordless glue gun from my friends at Ryobi.

I have the same one and love how convenient and easy it is to use.

Since many of my teacher friends like to make crafts to decorate their classrooms, the glue gun seemed like the perfect finishing touch for the kit.

How To Make A Teacher Survival Kit

We were able to give Harper’s teacher her survival kit a few days before the start of school at Open House. She was surprised…and very thankful!

It was so much fun to see her joy and appreciation for the gift. I think we’ll be making another survival kit again next year!

I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy back-to-school DIY. If you liked this post don’t forget to pin it to save it for later. And see more of my favorite DIY projects [HERE].

Wishing you and your families a safe and happy school year!

More BACK TO SCHOOL IDEAS:

Back To School Breakfast Bar

15 Quick and Easy Back to School Meals

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