Teacher appreciation gifts communicate how grateful families are for everything teachers do. Many teachers, however, have cupboards full of coffee mugs with apples and school themes on them. A little creativity goes a long way in coming up with the best teacher gift ideas.
Teacher Personalized Gift Baskets
Put together a personalized gift basket for your child’s teacher. A teacher gift basket may include useful items such as pretty stationary or notepaper, pens and pencils. Chalk or dry erase markers can be added if they are used in the classroom. An apron to wear during art projects and an apple tops off an adorable and extremely thoughtful home-made teacher gift basket.
Fruit Gift Baskets
People give and receive a lot of candy and chocolate at holiday time. Some teachers are health-conscious and may not want to receive junk food. Fruit gift baskets are a healthy alternative to holiday gift baskets that are full of cookies and sweets.
Instead of buying a ready ready-made gift basket, consider purchasing an empty basket and some raffia or curly wood shavings. Arrange the raffia on the bottom of the basket and fill it with fresh, organic fruit.
Coffee Gift Baskets
Coffee drinkers always appreciate coffee. Instead of adding to the collection of teacher and holiday themed coffee mugs that most likely litter the staff room at school, present the teacher with a lovely basket full of gourmet coffees.
Instead of a basket, purchase a pound of the best coffee you can find and a gift certificate to the teacher’s favorite restaurant. Wrap the coffee appropriately to give to the teacher, and attach the card to the bag of beans.
Unique Gifts and Personalized Gifts
Teachers often love to read. Either a book or a gift certificate to a good book shop in town make a nice gift on their own. They make an even better gift when a personal touch is added.
The child in the teacher’s classroom may hand craft a special bookmark for the teacher. This may be done with any card stock and some paint or stickers. When the bookmark is finished and dry, laminate it between two clear sheets of contact paper. Punch a hole in the top, and thread a tassel through the hole. This makes the simple gift of a book into a personal and unique gift.
Some companies let customers personalize aprons, coffee mugs and tote bags, among other items. Some even personalize mouse pads for the computer. Consider having a school picture silk-screened onto a tote bag or mouse pad if the teacher has a computer in the classroom. All of the families with children in the teacher’s class may want to team up and have the class group picture printed on an item.
Get to know the teacher just a little bit, and it becomes easy to think of a personalized gift that will definitely be enjoyed, not just put in the cupboard.
