Painted Ruler Basket | Teacher Gift

Ahhhh! It’s Back to School time, can you believe it?! My oldest is starting 1st grade this year and just stepping into his new classroom to meet the teacher night made me teary. Why does it go by so fast?! Now I’m one of those gifty moms, I like to send stuff for the teacher throughout the year, and the start of the year is no exception. Since I don’t know what she likes at this point, I thought a sweet succulent plant she can keep in her homeroom, so I did just that, and I sent it in a Painted Ruler Basket Teacher Gift!

Aren’t these just the sweetest? I love bushel baskets and you can typically find all sorts and sizes at your local craft store. We painted some Patriotic Bushel Baskets that are perfect for the 4th, and this time we painted the strips of wood that stick out a school bus yellow and drew on some lines to give it that “ruler” look! Perfect for a teacher gift, don’t you think?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Bushel basket
• Yellow craft paint (we used School Bus by Americana)
• Chalkboard or black paint
• Paintbrush
• Black marker (thin to medium tip)
• Scissors

And the steps:

• Using a paintbrush, paint the vertical strips of wood that stick out on the bushel barrel your “school bus” or yellow color.
• For the next step you can use black or chalkboard paint and paint the horizontal strips around the middle of the basket at the top in black. If you use chalkboard paint, once the paint is cured you should definitely add a little chalk for character!

• Once the paint strips are dry, use your black marker to add “ruler marks” to the yellow strips. Add a longer line for inch marks and smaller lines in between.

And voila! You have a cute Painted Ruler Basket! Now you could use this adorable basket in a number of different ways! Fill it up with the community class supplies that your teacher requests or even stick a plant in it!

That’s just what we did and I was thrilled with the result. I love little succulent plants because they are easy to take care of and take minimal light – perfect for a classroom. I also added a little chalkboard pick that you can find at most craft stores with a little A+ for good measure!

What do you think of our Painted Ruler Basket?! If you enjoyed this quick and easy craft, be sure to head over to A Night Owl for more! If you’re looking for more Teacher ideas, be sure to check out our collection of Teacher Gifts like our DIY Pencil Holder! Say hi if you drop by!