Simple DIY School Supplies to Encourage Students

Students often need a little encouragement throughout the school year. Why not make a difference by personalizing a few school supplies with encouraging notes? This simple DIY will have lasting benefits all school year long.

Erase Mistakes

Every kid uses a lot of erasers. Teach them while they’re young that making mistakes is ok. It’s how we learn. Just don’t give up, and keep trying. The more we try, the more we learn. Eventually, we become really good at the things we initially thought were very hard.

Note: I use affiliate links throughout this post. If you purchase using a link, I make a small commission at no cost to you.

Plain, common erasers such as the ones pictured work well. If you want to spruce things up a bit, these erasers would be fun. 

Stick Together

Take a simple bottle of glue and write a few words of encouragement. Super easy! The obvious note is “Let’s stick together.” Other thoughts might be “Stick to it and don’t give up.” Or “Love is what holds us together.” The age of your kid or the children in the classroom will determine how clever you can be with these notes. My six-year-old would understand all three of these.

Need to donate a bunch of glue to the school? This pack of glue bottles and glue stickscontains all washable products. 

Love You

A tissue box is the perfect place to leave a thoughtful note. I wasn’t sure if first graders would really understand “Bless you.” So I did “Love you.” You could add so many phrases, such as uplifting quotes and phrases. “Stay happy.” “Choose to be happy.” “Respect.” “Be the best.” Or you could be clever and write about coughs and sneezes.

It would be fun to tell kids “how incredible” they are with these fun tissues.

MORE DIY School Supplies

Some other DIY school supplies you could easily personalize:

Cleaner wipes: “Keep it clean.” “Tidy up.” “Clean up.” “Many hands make light work.” “Thank you for cleaning.”

Hand sanitizer: “Clean hands and a pure heart.” “Clean hands = Better Health.” “Hooray! Your hands are clean!”

Pencils (write on each one or a lucky few): “You’re awesome.” “You’re smart.” “You can do this.” “We all care about you.” “We’re lucky to have you.” “Smile.” “Be positive.” “Be kind.” “Be a friend.” “Be the one.”

These ideas could go on and on. Next time you buy school supplies for your child or contribute them to the classroom, do a little DIY first. Add a personal touch, a special message. Every child deserves to know they are appreciated, and when they’re reminded often, even in subtle ways, they’re more likely to believe in themselves and pass along the good vibes.

I’m sure you’ve thought of many other great ways to write encouraging notes on school supplies. What are your ideas? Please comment so we can all learn.

Pin It

Think these are great ideas? Why not pin for future reference?