Grade 1 teacher Alanna Gauthier surprised her young students this morning as they had a pajama day at Central Queens Elementary School in Hunter River, P.E.I.: she crocheted a minions hat for every single one of them.

Minions, for those who don't know, are yellow, cylinder-shaped creatures made famous in Despicable Me, a 2010 computer-animated comedy starring Steve Carell, who voices super-villian and minion-master Felonius Gru.

The sprightly yellow Despicable Me sidekicks became the stars of their own movie in 2015. (Universal)

"Last few years I knit them slippers," Gauthier said.

But with 23 in this year's class she knew she'd need a simpler project.

Gauthier started crocheting the hats in the summer and finished them early Monday morning.

She asked the students to close their eyes while she put the hats on their desks.

The students were excited when they saw the hats, she said, and took a quick tour to the principal's office and the gym to show off their new gear.

Gauthier has been teaching for 28 years, mostly Grade 1 at Central Queens Elementary School.

She gave her own hat to one of the bus drivers.