Personalized Teacher Apple Shaker
A layered birch apple with your teacher’s name engraved across it, and a window of hand-painted hearts that move when you tip it.
This one started as a favour. A friend asked whether I could make something for her daughter’s teacher, and I genuinely was not sure I could pull it off — I played it by ear, tested a few designs, and kept going until it met my own standards. It has since become the piece people come back for.
- Made to order — usually 3–7 business days
- 1/4" birch and 1/8" basswood, from local suppliers
- Every heart hand-painted
- Local pickup around Belton, Temple and Salado
Prices and current options live on the Etsy listing. Want something it doesn't cover? Message me before you order.
What goes into one
People assume these come from a kit. They don’t — every part is designed and cut here.
The foundation
A combination of 1/4" birch plywood and 1/8" basswood makes up the frame and the backing, which is where the weight and the sturdiness come from.
The window
A precision-cut acetate sheet fronts the apple, so you can see the filler moving inside while everything stays where it belongs.
The engraving
The laser handles the fine detail — etching the teacher’s name, the grade and the year, and cutting the layers that give the apple its depth.
The hearts, by hand
My diode laser is not good at cutting acrylic, so every single tiny heart inside the apple is hand-painted by me. It is the slowest part, and the reason no two are quite identical.
What you can personalise
- The teacher’s name, as you want it written
- Grade and school year
- A name on each heart — one per student, if you want the whole class in there
- Your choice of engraving font
Not sure which font to pick? Type a name into the preview and see it in each one before you order.
More of them
What buyers said about this one
5.0 stars across 40 purchases, May 2026 – September 2026. Every one is a verified Etsy buyer. All 93 reviews.
I wish I could give this seller a hundred stars. She responded right away when I messaged about a rush order and the item came not only in time but early and the item itself was packaged so beautifully and the quality is exceptional. I highly recommend this seller! Thank you so much!
This was a very special gift for my daughter's PreK Teacher. My daughter had the best school experience with her. I just want to say Thank You so much for your talent and work!
When notified the seller about the personal addition she responded quickly! I really appreciate that. The item came sooner than I expected and it is so cute!
Seller was able to fix my error on the shipping and write a gift note write away!! Perfect gift for a first year teacher to remember their first class.
Super cute keepsake to share with my son's teacher to celebrate her first year teaching. It came quickly and was just as described. Thanks so much!
So cute! Can't wait to give to her teacher. Seller worked with me as we had 27 kids and a few with long names. They all look great. Thank you!