DIY Essential Oil Teacher Gifts

More than ever, we’re so thankful for teachers. COVID has thrown them a curveball, but they’re rising to the challenge, and we all have a renewed appreciation for how hard they’re working on behalf of our kids! No single gift can come close to thanking teachers for all they do, but a customized DIY gift says: “we see you” in a really special way.

These DIY gift ideas for teachers say “thank you!” in thoughtful, personal ways without costing a ton of money, and they help create a meaningful experience for your teacher, even if school still isn’t normal. And of course, they all include essential oils or crystals in meaningful ways. Check out the ideas I’ve shared below, and then let me know what your favorite DIY gift ideas for teachers are in the comments!  

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When to Use These DIY Essential Oil Teacher Gifts

There are lots of opportunities to share your appreciation with your child’s teacher: teacher appreciation day, his or her birthday, the end of the school year, or Christmas, for example. When you use these DIY gift ideas for teachers is up to you, but most of them can be customized for any time of year.

They’re also super affordable, especially if you already have some of the ingredients on hand, like lavender essential oil. If you don’t, now might be a good time to stock up on some of the more popular supplies, like essential oils, DIY glass rollers, and glass jars, since most of these ideas make great gifts for just about anybody.  

(Don’t have time to make a DIY essential oil gift? We have all kinds of fantastic gifts in the shop right now, or check out this great gift guide for the essential oil lover!

1. Natural (and Fantastic Smelling) Handmade Hand Sanitizer 

Handmade hand sanitizer is such a thoughtful gift! Let your teacher know how much you love him or her and want her to stay healthy and well this school season with handmade hand sanitizer. The store-bought kind can contain triclosan, a chemical even the FDA doesn’t like. Plus, it can contribute to resistant strains of bacteria, it smells awful, and it’s incredibly drying.

Instead, DIY hand sanitizer takes advantage of the powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties of essential oils, while also benefiting from skin-nourishing ingredients like aloe and vitamin E oil. 

Handmade Hand Sanitizer 

Small glass spray bottle, large roller bottle, or reusable silicone tube 

1 tablespoon aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil 

2 tablespoons witch hazel or vodka 

15 drops of essential oils (see below for possible combinations) 

Distilled water

Mix ingredients together inside container and shake well until combined. Apply liberally as needed.

Essential oil combinations for immunity: 

  • Citrus zest (5 drops each of orange, lemon, and tea tree oil) 
  • Young Living’s Thieves Oil blend 
  • DoTERRA’s On Guard blend

Tip: take things a step further by making a “Stay Well” basket for your teacher. Include handmade hand sanitizer as well as things like tissues, vitamin C, and immunity-boosting wellness tea.

2. A Day at the Spa (Bath Salts + Body Butter) 

Teachers work incredibly hard, and gifting them with some amazing, spa-quality products is a thoughtful way to say thank you. A day at the spa is one of my favorite DIY gift ideas for teachers. The scents I’ve chosen below are sophisticated and invigorating. I like to mix a batch of Rosemary Mint Body Butter (it smells just like the popular Aveda Rosemary Mint line–but it’s much less expensive!) and bath salts so that my giftee can enjoy a nice soak followed by some extra-nourishing moisturization thanks to the amazing properties of shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin E oil. I also like to mix in dried flowers from my shop in the bath salts for a truly beautiful presentation. 

Here’s how to make each: 

Lavender Eucalyptus Bath salts

Lavender Eucalyptus Bath Salts 

1 cup of salt (use epsom salts, sea salt, and/or pink Himalyan salt) 

6 drops of lavender oil 

6 drops of eucalyptus oil 

½ cup of baking soda (optional) 

1 tablespoon jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, or argan oil (optional)

Dried flowers

Mix salts and then add essential oils and any optional ingredients (make sure the coconut oil is liquid before adding it). Combine well, and spoon into an airtight jar.  

Rosemary Mint Body Butter

Rosemary Mint Whipped Body Butter 

1 cup shea butter 

½ cup coconut oil 

½ cup olive, jojoba, or almond oil 

1 teaspoon vitamin E oil 

10 drops of rosemary oil 

10 drops of peppermint oil 

10 drops of spearmint oil 

In a double boiler on the stove (you can also use a glass bowl over hot water), combine everything except the essential oils. Gently heat and stir until melted, then remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and add essential oils. Place in the fridge for up to an hour. It should start to become hard around the edges, but still soft enough for the next step. Next, whip with a hand mixer until fluffy (this can take up to ten minutes) and return to the fridge until it sets.  

Tip: place the bath salts and the body butter in a basket along with a loofah, nice towel, or spa-like scrub brush.

Peaceful Classroom Blends

3. A Peaceful Classroom Diffuser Blend

There’s not a whole lot you can do about her classroom full of rowdy fourth graders–or about the fact that she’s stuck on Zoom all day–but at least you can help things smell a little better, and maybe even feel a lot more peaceful, too!

This is a sweet gift if you know your teacher is open to using essential oils but doesn’t want to or have the time to make her own blend. I’ve included a few favorite recipes below, but feel free to substitute your own. What makes this extra special is pairing it with a cute diffuser gift or a beautiful essential oil bottle, like one from our shop.

You could even whip up several favorite essential oil recipes for your teacher to diffuse all year. One of my favorite recipes below to use in DIY gift ideas for teachers is the Anthro blend–it smells just like the big candle that’s always burning in Anthropologie when I visit! Since your teacher can’t use candles in her classroom, this is the next best thing. For an extra spark, choose a crystal you think your teacher would like for extra mood-boosting or calming properties (or just because it’s beautiful!). She can add it to her essential oil bottle or place inside the diffuser. 

  • Anthro Blend (20 drops lemon, 20 drops lime, 12 drops orange, 8 drops grapefruit, 8 drops northern lights black spruce or other fir or spruce, and 4 drops bergamot) 
  • Winter Blend (20 drops each of white fir, cypress, and wintergreen) 
  • Candy Cane Blend (30 drops of peppermint and 20 drops of vanilla) 
  • Christmas Blend (10 drops each of orange, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, and 20 drops of vanilla) 

(Find more essential oil recieps for anxiety here!)

4. Freshening Room Spray 

Let’s face it–kids are adorable, but they don’t always smell great. I’ve included some blends below to help block the smell, or to help take your teacher away on a tropical island vacation without leaving her classroom. If only it were that easy! Make sure you use a glass spray bottle for this room spray, as essential oils will degrade plastic. 

Freshening Room Spray Blends

Freshening Room Spray

Glass spray bottle 

2 tablespoons witch hazel 

20 drops of essential oils (see combinations below) 

Distilled water 

Add witch hazel and essential oils to the spray bottle (like this pretty iridescent glass bottle) and top with distilled water. Shake before each use. 

  • Beach Vacation Blend (4 drops spearmint, 4 drops tangerine, 2 drops bergamot) 
  • Sunshine Blend (4 drops tangerine, 3 drops lavender, 2 drops lime, and 2 drops spearmint) 
  • Lavender Bergamot Blend (5 drops lavender, 5 drops bergamot) 

5. Custom Roller Blend Just for Him/Her 

I love essential oils for so many reasons, and one of my favorite ways to thank teachers for all their hard work is to create a beautiful custom roller for him or her. I have a variety of beautiful rollers in my shop (these are an all time fave) that make the gift especially exciting. 

I’ve shared a few of my favorite roller blends below. To make yours, add the essential oils to the bottle, then fill the rest of the bottle with fractionated coconut oil or other carrier oil. These are fun to make as gifts in batches; you can also make a trio of your favorite blends for your teacher. 

  • Uplifting Blend (5 drops geranium, 8 drops grapefruit, and 6 drops bergamot) 
  • Focus Blend (8 drops each of rosemary, peppermint, wild orange, and frankincense) 
  • Stress Relief Blend (20 drops lavender, 10 drops ylang ylang) 
  • Headache Relief Blend (5 drops each of peppermint, rosemary, and lavender, and 2 drops eucalyptus) 
Roller Blends for Teacher

Tip: pair each blend with its own crystal. You can place the crystal inside the roller, use a crystal roller, or simply gift a crystal. There’s no wrong way to pair crystals and oils, but here are a few of my favorite combinations:

  • Amethyst is helpful for many people. It brings balance and confidence and pairs well with frankincense, clove, and cypress. 
  • Apatite helps with energy, goals, and growth. It pairs well with peppermint and citrus oils. 
  • Aquamarine increases courage and helps to calm the mind. Pair it with clove, chamomile, or lavender. 
  • Labradorite helps with mental sharpness and inspirations. It pairs well with peppermint, lemon, and neroli. 

P.S. We’ve created a whole guide to using essential oils and crystals together–you can grab it here!

I hope these DIY essential oil teacher gifts inspire you with exactly what you need to tell your child’s teacher how special he or she is to you. Don’t forget to let me know which you’ll be making! Let the Giving Begin! 

I'm Haylee!

Haylee is the CEO of Whimsy + Wellness and the brains behind the business. She has her hand in every area of the company…from product creation to supply chain solution to online marketing. When she’s not looking at spreadsheets she’s mom to Mason, Posey, and Golden. Her kids inspire her to run a company that values community over competition and people before profit.

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