Write a memory book
Sit down with your kids and put together a few heartfelt pages about the school year. This gives children the chance to share what they've learned, and highlight their favorite moments and activities. The book doesn’t need to be elaborate; construction paper, crayons or markers and stapled pages should still delight teacher.

Don't want to go it alone? Head to the Upper West Side Make Meaning to create a professionally printed book. Kids can fill up pages with drawings and text, then the pros will print it up, usually within an hour. With a little planning, a dedicated parent could even organize a class book, in which every student creates one page.

Design a beautiful beaded bracelet or other bauble
Even preschoolers can string beads (it improves their hand-eye coordination to boot). A quick trip to your local craft store will provide the bling and stretchy cord. We've got great tips on beading at home.   

Don't want to go it alone? Hit one of the city's many craft spots that offer beading, like Brooklyn Bead Box, which boasts a large selection of cute, easy-to-string beads that can be fashioned into a bracelet or a pair of simple earrings. $5 and up.


Make fancy soap
Making soap at home is not as difficult as you might think. (My young son and I have made it as a gift in the past.) But you do need to go out and buy some specific materials: glycerin, which can be melted in the microwave; scents and colors; and molds. These items can be found at your local craft store, usually in a kit. Once you have that stuff, making the soap is as easy as freezing ice cubes!

Don't want to go it alone? Drop into Make Meaning on the Upper West Side, where kids can make bars or spheres of soap filled with tiny colorful toys. The craft mecca also offers other cool projects like candle making, paint-your-own ceramics and beading. Prices range from $5-$125; soap costs $24 for four bars. You'll also need to purchase a $12 day pass unless you have a Make Meaning membership.


Create a clever card
It's certainly the simplest option. Kids can draw a picture or paste a photo on the front and embellish it with stickers or glitter. Inside, they can write a note telling the teacher how much they learned, or share a favorite memory.

Other handmade gift ideas
Museums offer lots of hands-on workshops, in which kids can make everything from fine art to retro crafts. These could be fun to give to teacher.

Since young kids love to get dirty, grab a brownie or cupcake mix and bake a sweet treat. An older child could try an easy, from-scratch quick bread or make cut-out cookies in the shape of an apple. Get fancy by adding red frosting and piping the teacher's name. If you want to make a mess in someone else's kitchen, check out the cooking classes hosted by Taste Buds.

Plants are a great gift, and they're sure to brighten the classroom. Purchase a terracotta pot and have the kids embellish it with paint and stickers, then hit your local farmers' market to pick up a pretty flower, some herbs or a green plant, which you can repot into your decorated planter. 

Read more about crafting in NYC in our crafting posts.