Gifts on the go!
Purpose: several recognition and gift ides to recognize staff and residents.
Procedure: (See Below)
"At Work" Sign
We've all seen variations of the yellow "Baby on Board" signs hanging in the
windows of cars and mini vans. Why not make one of our own that our staff can hang
in their car window, or on the window of their room. Something like "Resident
Assistant at Work". It can be done by creating the sign on colored paper, laminating
it, then hanging it on a suction cup with a hook .
Basket of Goodies with Personal Notes
Purchase various items, food or otherwise, and attach a personal note to each item.
For example, consider buying a bottle of "Joy" dishwashing liquid and attach a note
stating that this represents the joy that staff member brings to your day. Place all
items in a fun basket. This makes an excellent graduation gift. Other examples might
include "Extra" gum, for going the extra mile; a light bulb, for the energy or bright
ideas they have; a licorice whip, because they're as smart as a whip; a package of
tacks, since they are as sharp as a tack; a pencil that looks like it has a $1000 bill
wrapped around it, for the raise you' d give them if you could; etc.
Blank Puzzles
Buy a blank puzzle and decorate with markers or puffy paint. Send them one piece at
a time, until they have the whole puzzle.
Bookmarks Cross Stitch
Buy or make a cross-stitch pattern containing letters. Buy cross-stitch material,
embroidery thread, and 1" wide ribbon. Cut the cross-stitch material into rectangular
strips and cross-stitch the name of each staff member into a strip of material. Using
hot glue or rubber cement, glue the ribbon to the bottom of the cross-stitch, leaving an
inch or two overlapping on both sides.
Paper
Cut sheets of poster board into rectangular strips. Write the name of the staff member
and decorate with paint, markers, crayons, glitter, stickers, etc. When finished,
laminate to protect and strengthen your bookmark.
Buttons
Grab your department's button maker, and punch out a few buttons that let the whole
world know how great your staff is. Wear them on random days.
Button Magnets
Buttons make great refrigerator magnets. You can get bowls of magnets in the craft
department of places like Wal-Mart or Hobby Lobby. Just use your hot glue gun to
stick magnets on the back, and "voila"! They also make magnets that are selfadhesive, and these work well too. The bigger the buttons, the better.
Candle Holders
Personalized candle holders are fun to make, and great to receive. Glass candle
holders can be decorated by using puffy paint or paint pens. It's creative, easy, and
they'll never forget where they got it.
Candy Cane Reindeer
These are cute, and you can eat them once the holidays are over. Or, you can keep
them for next year, as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place so they don't melt.
Simply take a candy cane, and stick two jiggly eyes on the short part of the candy
cane. Then, at the top of the bend in the candy cane, bend a brown pipe cleaner in half
around the candy cane, and twist the two ends so that they stand up and look like
antlers.
Certificates
Purchase ready-made certificates at any office supply store or create your own using
clipart. Apply the name of each staff member, their title, and the dates of service.
Frame. This is a great way to show appreciation for your staff.
Checkbook Covers
Call local banks and ask for checkbook covers to be donated. Personalize with puffy
paints.
Christmas Ornaments Ceramic
Purchase unpainted ceramic ornaments. Paint with acrylic paint, then spray paint with
clear gloss to add shine and an extra layer of protection for the paint.
Glass Balls
Purchase round glass ornaments in solid colors or clear. Decorate with puffy paint.
Styrofoam Balls
Purchase round, Styrofoam balls. Cover with fabric, dry flowers, potpourri, etc. using
tacky' glue. Cut a thin piece of ribbon. Overlap the two ends and secure the ends to
the ball using a flat-headed pushpin.
Coasters
You can make your own decorated coasters out of modeling clay! One easy way to
decorate them is by using cookie stamps. You can mix and match different colors to
brighten it up. Make sure you use modeling clay that can be baked so that it will be
hard and hold its shape without crumbling.
Comic Strip Book/Book of Quotes
Using a variety of colors, cut construction paper to a particular size and shape of your
choosing. Cut out comic strips from newspapers and magazines or print/ type favorite
quotes and rubber cement them to the construction paper. Stack the papers together
and hole punch along the left side. Tie ribbon through the holes to act as the binder.
Staff Cookbook
Why not give them your favorite recipe? And while you're at it, you could compile a
short cookbook with one or two of each staff members' favorite recipes. You could
either purchase recipe cards, print the recipes on index cards, or print them off the
computer. Make the book covers out of cardboard that has been covered with cloth or
just decorated. Then use the hole punch and tie it all together with yarn or binder
rings.
Cups with Puffy Paint
Purchase a package of sturdy, plastic cups. You can easily find 6 or 8 cups to for $
during the summer months. Decorate with puffy paint or paint markers.
Decorated Door Stop
Go to a renovation site, pick up a few bricks or get rocks, and bring them home to
decorate. They make great door stops, and are heavy enough to hold open doors that
automatically swing shut. They can be spray painted, puffy painted, or wrapped in
cloth and hot glued. Use your imagination!
Decorated T -shirts
Purchase a white T -shirt for each staff member. Decorate using washable paints,
buttons, beads, etc. Watch for sales on T -shirts! This is a great gift for smaller staffs.
Diskette Boxes
Purchase diskette boxes and apply either puffy paint or paint markers to create a fun
and practical place for staff members to store computer disks for classes or work.
Staff Door Decoration
Using construction paper, poster board, fabric, buttons, beads, puffy paint, etc., create
a personal masterpiece for each staff member to display on his or her door.
Dry Erase Board (laminated)
Using clipart from either your personal collection or from the Internet, design a fun
and personalized sheet of paper for each staff member. Print and rubber cement it to a
piece of poster board cut to the same dimensions as your paper. Laminate. Rubber
cement a -"x -" piece of Velcro to one of the margins. Hot glue or rubber cement the
adjoining piece of Velcro to a dry erase marker. Attach either magnets or tape to the
back of the board and place on the outside of your staff member's door. This is a great
way for residents to communicate with your staff.
Easter Egg Candles
Crack open an egg by breaking only the top part off. Dispose of the egg white and
yolk or use it for something else. Rinse out the egg shell gently, then allow it to dry
.Next, color it as you would for Easter, using food coloring or Easter egg dye. Once
the dye is set and dry , just pour hot candle wax into the shell, and add a wick.
Easter Eggs with Candy
Buy plastic, colored eggs and decorate each egg with puffy paint to add a personal
touch. The eggs can be purchased in various sizes and colors. Fill with candy.
Goodie Bags
Purchase any fabric of your choice. Detem1ine the size you desire your bag to be.
Using identical dimensions cut out two panels. Place the panels on top of one another
inside out. Leave an inseam of -" around the entire piece and sew across the bottom
and along the sides, leaving -" detached. Fold the top of the panels over about a -" and
sew, leaving 2 openings on each panel. Thread a thing, soft rope through the openings
and tie the loose ends in a knot. Turn the panels right side out and you now have a
bag for any occasion.
Ivy Bowl with Lace and Potpourri
Purchase glass ivy bowls and hot glue lace or ribbon around the neck of the bowl. Fill
with potpourri.
Magnetic Sheets
A very makes magnetic sheets that can be run through a laser printer. You can print
whatever you want on them, put them through the printer, and hang them up. Or, you
can decorate them by hand, and cut them to be the size you want.
Message Magnets
These magnets are 2" x 4" (the size of a business card), and they're adhesive on one
side. They make a great refrigerator magnet out of your favorite quote. They're also
good to put your new address on and distribute to your friends when you move. Just
get a package of blank business cards on a sheet, and run them through your laser
printer.
Necklace
Purchase a large container of various colored beads and a spool of fishing line.
Thread the fishing line through the beads in any order you like (there's no right or
wrong way). When finished, tie each end of the line to a clasp. This makes a great gift
for girls and guys alike.
Notepads/Stationary with Clip Art
Using clip art from your personal collection or that found on the Internet, create
personal stationary or notepads for each staff member. Cut paper to any size or shape
and take to your campus Publications Dept. to have the paper transfom1ed into
notepads.
Office Box
Get a small, clear, plastic box and decorate it with puffy paints or paint pens, then fill
it with paper clips, push pins, binder clips, or other supplies.
Personalized CD or Staff Tape
Have each staff member let you borrow a cd or tape with their favorite song. Record
all the favorite songs onto one cd or tape. Create a cover for the cd or tape, then make
enough copies for each staff member to have a cd or tape of the favorite songs of their
fellow staff members.
Photo Box
Purchase a clear, plastic photo box of any size. U sing rubber cement, attach a staff
photo and a quote or poem to a sheet of colored construction paper and place inside
the box.
Picture Frames
There are many different types of frames you can make, or you can buy inexpensive
acrylic frames and decorate them.
Acrylic Frames
Some ideas for decorating these frames include: gluing M&Ms or buttons around the
edges to create a boarder. You could also use paint markers or puffy paint to write a
message or decorate it. Some of these frames will stand upright on their own, while
others have a magnet on the back.
Postcard Frames
Pick out your favorite postcard, and cut a hole in it. Put a fun picture behind it, to
create a new postcard. For example, if you have a postcard of a Florida Beach, you
may cut out part of the middle, and tape a photo of you and your best friend on the
back, so that it looks like the two of you are on the beach. You can then put it in an
acrylic frame, or simply put adhesive magnets on the four comers.
Poster Board Frames
This is another kind of easy frame to make. All you do is take a piece of poster board
and cut it to the size you want. Then, cut out a hole in the middle, to fit the size of
picture you want to frame. Next, use watercolors, paint markers, stickers, colored
pencils, or other supplies to decorate the frame. Last, tape a photo on the back so that
it shows through the new frame. Put four self -adhesive magnets on the back, and
you're finished.
Puzzle Piece Frames
Find a puzzle with lots of color, so that you will have a colorful frame. Grab an old
box, and cut out a cardboard rectangle the size of the frame you want. Next, cut a hole
in the middle for the photo. Use rubber cement to stick the puzzle pieces onto the
cardboard at different angles until it's covered. You can stack as many pieces on as
you want. Or, if you want to leave some bare spots, that's okay too, as long as you
like the way it looks. Once you're finished, tape a photo onto the back so that it shows
through the frame. Cover the photo with a piece of paper or a comic strip, and tape
that on too. Finally, add self-adhesive magnets, and hang it on the fridge.
Pre-made Frames
Wal-Mart and other stores with craft departments now sell frames that stand up.
They're all ready to go, you only need to decorate them and stick your picture in.
Picture/Magazine Collage (laminated)
Gather staff photos taken throughout the school year. Apply rubber cement to the
back of each photo and attach to poster board in various directions. If desired, add a
fun commentary beneath each photo. Laminate, this process can be repeated using
pictures cut out of magazines that reflect hobbies and interests of each staff member.
Pillows
For special occasions, or small staffs, making pillows may be an option. If you have
access to a sewing machine, this is a quick project. Simply decide how big you want
your pillow to be, and pick out the fabric. Decorator pillows range in size from 14
square inches to about 18 square inches. Once you have your fabric picked out, wash
it before you work with it. (This will keep it from bleeding and shrinking later.) Flip
the fabric inside out and sew it together on three sides. Sew the fourth side about halfway closed. Now flip it inside out again, so that the correct side of the fabric is facing
you. Stuff the fabric with batting, and finish sewing the fourth side shut.
Pins
Large puzzle pieces make great pins for recognition or other special occasions.
Decorate the plain brown side of the puzzle piece with stickers, markers, contact
paper, puffy paint, or cloth. On the other side, attach a clasp pin with hot glue. Round
magnets are also strong enough to hold the puzzle piece in place on a shirt.
Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes
This one's easy! Take a white pipe cleaner and a red one, and twist the two together.
Now bend the top over so that it looks like a candy cane. These make cute accessories
for gift-wrapped packages. They can also double as Christmas tree ornaments.
Plants
Plants make great gifts, especially if they are in decorated pots! Almost anyone can
grow a spider plant, or a philodendron, so they're pretty safe bets. Spray paint or
puffy paint works great on clay pots, and they're pretty cheap. As long as the plant
lives, they will remember where it came from.
Plaster of Paris Ornaments, Magnets, or Other Decorations
You can use plaster of paris to create holiday ornaments or other decorations. Once
you buy the plaster of paris, make sure you get molds to pour it into. Once it is dry,
pop them out and paint. You can turn them into magnets by hot gluing magnets to the
back, or by using the self -adhesive kind.
Sand Candles
By mixing sand with food coloring, you can have an infinite number of shades of
colors. N ext, you get a small glass jar, bottle, or shot glass, and layer the different
colors of sand. Once it is almost full, tap it down so that it settles. Then put a layer of
hot wax on the top, and insert a wick.
Santa's Cookies
This is fun way to share a recipe and the goodies! Get out your favorite cookie recipe,
and measure out the dry ingredients that are required. One by one, put the dry
ingredients into ajar. Close it up, put a ribbon around the top, and write the recipe on
an index card. All they have to do is add the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, water, etc.),
mix, and bake.
Scrap Book
Create your own scrap book out of construction paper, then make the covers out of
cardboard. You can decorate it with stickers, poster board, or cloth. Use the hole
punch, then tie it all together with yarn or binder rings.
Snow Globes
Now you can personalize your own snow globe. They come already assembled, and
you just take the bottom off, insert a photo, and put the bottom back on. That's all
there is to it! You can put a photo on one side, and have all the staff signatures on the
other side, if you want. Both sides will be seen.
Snowman Poop
Do you know someone who might get a kick out of this practical joke? There are
many different kinds of snowman poop. In the craft department you can find "ready
made" snowman poop in disguise. It's called "Iridescent Poms". They are cute little
cotton pompoms with sparkly stuff on them. Or, you can make your own. Just put
some glitter (silver or iridescent works well) on some regular cotton balls. Wrap a
group of them in saran wrap, and tie shut with a ribbon. Attach this saying to the
ribbon:
"You've been bad, so here's the scoop...
All you get for Christmas is snowman poop!"
You can also make edible snowman poop with yogurt covered raisins, or miniature
marshmallows. Be creative, I'm sure there are many more possibilities!
Socks/Bandanas with Staff Logo
Apply puffy paint or washable paint to a pair of socks or bandana reflecting your staff
logo or nicknames. This gift, when worn with matching staff shirts, will complete the
ensemble.
Song in a Frame
Purchase blank postcards with a boarder. Print the lyrics of an inspirational song on
the stationary and Frame.
Staff Photo Book (Soft Cover)
Purchase an inexpensive photo album. Cut batting to fit the dimensions of the album
with a little overlapping the inside covers. Cover batting with material and hot glue
the material to the album so that the entire album (including the inside jacket covers)
are wrapped in the material. Decorate the outside of the album with puffy paint or a
cross-stitch.
Stress Pills
Empty film canisters make the best gifts. It's true! Use paint pens to decorate empty
film canisters for anything you want. You can write "stress pills" on the outside, and
put Smarties or M&Ms inside. Or, put a cotton ball in the bottom, and it can be a
great place to store sewing needles.
Thank You/ Holiday Cards
Using construction paper, create a personal thank you card or holiday card by
decorating it with beads, buttons, fabric, puffy paint, etc. The cards can be sent to
either staff members or their parents. Use jiggly eyes to say "Eye've" noticed how
great you are", and substitute the jiggly eyes for the "Eye". Then write an uplifting
message inside the card.
Warm Fuzzy Jar
Here's an easy way to make someone's day. Take a small glass canister or jar, and fill
it with compliments that you've either hand written or printed off the computer. You
could get the whole staff involved, and have them write compliments for each other.
Each day they can read a new one.
Other variations
Have a "good deed for the day” jar. Same idea, but instead of warm fuzzies, they are
good deeds that can be done, such as paying the toll for the person behind you,
allowing a car to pullout in front of you to turn, taking out a friend's trash, etc.
You could also make a "quote of the day” jar, complete with all your favorite
quotes.
A "secrets to success" jar, with all the secrets you've (or someone else has) learned
over time might be fun. Words of wisdom, would be great to include in the jar.
Recognition
All Good Things…
Purpose: To remind residents of the good things in life
Materials: The book "Chicken Soup for the Soul"
Publicity: Big Bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup
Procedure: Use some of the stories from the book. Read them out loud to the group and
have a discussion based on the reaction from the group. Ask how each story made
them feel. Then ask how different do they think they would feel if they could read
one story everyday.
Hints: Pick some stories that relate well to the residents
Resident Appreciation Day
Purpose: For the RA to show that the residents really are appreciated
Materials: Decorations
Publicity: None needed. ..announce the day of
Procedure: RA should set up little demonstrations of his/her appreciation of the residents
on their floor. Make cookies, decorate doors, etc.
Hints: Make sure that every resident gets the same treatment
Floor Appreciation Dinner
Purpose: To show floor appreciation for the representatives on the floor
Materials: Pictures of floor
Procedure: Set up fun and thoughtful things that can be done for each resident
throughout the day. Then at dinner time have all students meet with other head
staff members to help celebrate. Have their pictures at the table.
Hints: Make it formal to help the atmosphere
Turn Those Frowns Upside Down
Purpose: A fun way to cheer up someone else's day
Materials: Construction paper, scissors, markers, etc.
Publicity: Announce at a floor meeting
Procedure: Have everyone in the group make a certain number of "Have a nice day"
cards. These cards should then be sent to a hospital or other healthcare facility.
Hints: Don't make all of the cards the same
Bubble Gram Anyone?
Purpose: To provide a fun way to relieve stress
Materials: Bubble solution
Publicity: None needed -spontaneous
Procedure: Go door-to-door sharing the bubble solution with everyone. This is a fun way
to make smiles. Simply go to a door, knock, and when they answer the door blow
bubbles in their direction.
Hints: Don't blow bubbles in faces
Encourage – A- Gram
Purpose: Fun way to provide "warm-fuzzies" to those who need it
Materials: Construction paper, markers, etc
Publicity: Try to keep the charge to a minimum if any
Procedure: Anyone can make inspirational or pick-me-up cards to be delivered to mail
boxes. These cards can already be decorated and ready to be signed or allow
residents to make their own. These are to be signed and then delivered to the
prospective residents.