Looking for Teacher Gift Ideas

For the last couple of years we've gotten RAVE reviews for giving a hanging basket w/some kind of blooming plant (walmart, home depot, etc - under $10). To perk it up a little more I buy a couple yards of the cutest ribbon I can find and tie a big bow. I try to find something that trails up and out of the pot, cascading down the sides to cover the un-exciting, plastic pot as much as possible.

Gift cards to Starbucks, Book stores, movies, or a favorite restaurant are ideas I have used and the teachers liked.

Last year I gave the orchestra director special drumsticks that we got at Blue Man Group in Vegas because he LOVES Blue Man Group and we happened to be there.

My daughter has 7 teachers in Middle School and the gifts are not as "necessary" at MS, meaning a lot of people do not do teacher gifts. I still do the gifts and I have found that Starbucks is a favorite for her teachers.

My SIL is a teacher and per her information....they really have plenty of body lotions, candles, etc. She loves the gift cards too.

If you do not want to do gift cards. Another idea is to purchase teaching supplies. A lot of teachers use their own money to supply the classroom with simple things such as glue, tape, staples, paper clips, etc. I have seen some cute personalized clay pots for the teacher and it be filled with classroom supplies.

Susan

Here is one more idea for you besides gift cards...I am a former teacher.. and I love coming up with creative ideas of things to do besides gift cards.. this might be a little more money but you can do it inexpensively as well.. I like to give a Welcome to Summer bag or Cool at the Pool bag... you can fill it with beach towel, sunscreen, favorite snack and drink, a good book or magazine, etc.
J.

I absolutely love www.wrapcandy.com There are so many great ideas for teacher gifts & just gifts in general. If you are crafty & have time to make things, it's a great investment!

Gift cards to Starbucks, Target, or Wallmart are always appreciated (they have to buy a lot of supplies out their own pocket). If you want something cute, which is what I plan to give this year, at Bath Junkie (there is one in Mansfield off of 287 and Debbie Lane next to Super Targets - there may be others) I bought a bath sunday for $12. It's a sunday glass filled with bath salts, and there is a giant scoop of bath fizz on top and they wrap it in a nice bag with tissue for you. You can custom make each one or they'll do it up for you. I gave that for valentines presents to my daughter, my mom, and mother in law, and they couldn't get over it. It very high quality bath products and I love going in there. The owner is very helpful.

Gift cards only. Teacher over their career will get so many gifts. The only exception I made was a brand new teacher. The calss went in on a teddy bear and a few other things for her first year.

Find out her favorite resturant for lunch. Our teachers love us because most of use parents make sure their gifts keep the m well fed during the school year. And if you give them an hour during the day, get another mon to help cover lunch time duties so they can eat in peace.

I AM a teacher, and I can tell you what I love for my fourth graders to bring me.
1. They already know my favorite chocolate: Ferrero Rocher and Lindor Truffles. I never have the money to buy expensive chocolate for myself, such as Godiva or Lindor, so that's always nice

2. Gift cards to Chilli's or Applebee's, my two favorites

3. A new spatula or other cooking utensil. May not seem like much, but it's always needed. One year, I got a Pampered Chef ice-cream scoop with a card saying, "Teacher, you've got 'the scoop!'"

4. Instant cameras for use in the classroom

5. Recordable CDs

6. Barnes & Noble gift card or other book store

7. Starbucks gift card! My students are always "in the know"

I guess that's all I can think of for now. Your teacher will appreciate anything, trust me!

LeAnn

My daughter is now in 7th grade and over the years from being involved with PTA and Teacher Appreciation Weeks, the biggest request from the teachers is always GIFT CARDS. They love them! Another more personal item would be a potted flower or a herb plant like rosemary wrapped nicely with tissue and bow. Hope this helps.

As a teacher I would have to say the BEST teacher gift is gift cards!! Gift cards to where ever but gift cards are it. Target or Walmart are great because they can use them to buy supplies for the classroom (teachers a always spending their own money on supplies). Many many teachers have enough lotions, soaps and apple trinkets to last a lifetime.

I fond that some teachers like remembrances of their classes. SO, one lady took a white manila paper, or maybe onethat is thicker, and her daughter put her two hand prints on there, and she put a picture of her daughter in the middle of the prints and under that she put I love you Mrs/Ms So and so. Then her name at the bottom. Then she bought a frame to fit it and the Daughter tied a pretty gift wrap and ribbon on it. The teacher loved it. She hung it on her walls and call it her "Memories Of Her School Children".
Shirley

JEWELRY.....I work with lots of schools and PTA's to give jewelry from Premier Designs to the teachers. The teachers love it! I also offer a gift certificate that comes wrapped up with a catalog and a cute note.

Let me know if you'd like me to pop you a catalog in the mail. For teachers, I offer 25% off of your order. I look forward to serving you!

You can't go wrong with Avon. www.youravon.com/suzannewebb

As a teacher, I've always appreciated the gift cards that allow me to buy for my room or myself. My family and I have enjoyed food certificates and I've really enjoyed the ones to Starbucks, Kohls, Walmart and Target. At Christmas, I received a card for Kroger which helped buy Christmas dinner items...very nice!

There are some teacher supply stores around town that you can purchase a card for and those are always great, too.

If the teacher has taught for several years, I'm sure he/she has stacks of coffee cups, pins, coasters, etc.

As a teacher, I loved getting gift cards and chocolate!

Here is a great site to look at. It has some real cute cheap ideas.
http://www.momready.com/

I am not very artsy so I went with gift certificates. I have purchased $10 certificates to La Madeline, Chili's, Jason's. I have also done g.c. for manicures (which usually run closer to $15) G.C. to bookstores have also gone over well. If you want to do something homemade I have done seed baskets with different kinds of flower seeds with a new pair of gardener's gloves. I have also done a small plant with my child telling me what she liked best about her teacher. I then wrote it out and she signed her name and decorated it.

Hope this helps!

L.

My daughter has been out of school for quite some time, but the one gift I remember, some of her teachers still tell me it was one of their favorites when I see them. I purchased small votive candle holders (clear) and put candles in the schools colors. I used ribbon in the school colors and tied a small tag that stated "A flame looses nothing of itself to light another flame". We live in a small town so I see her teachers often and have been to some of their houses and they still have these small tokens of our appreciation somewhere in their home.

I work for a company called Steel My Heart. I can offer you 3x4 acrylic magnets for $8 each. You completely personalize them with whatever you want them to say and you can put a teacher type picture on them if you choose. You can check out what I have to offer at htt://J..yoursmh.com
I'd love to help you create an affordable and completely personalized teacher gift!

One more vote for Target gift cards!

If you would like the perfect gift that more than likely no one else will give I have the answer. Tastefully Simple offers gourmet foods that are simple to make, requiring only ONE or TWO ingredients to prepare. I have given gifts in a couple ways. A beer bread mix with a loaf pan, also I have done a basket with the Nana's Apple cake mix along with a jar of our scumptious Creamy Caramel Sauce (to drizzle over the apple cake). Teachers really appreciate the 'SIMPLE' part of serving something that is gourmet. There are too many ideas to mention here. You can check out my website at www.tastefullysimple.com/web/cbywater. And there is a discount if you tell me you read this on mamasource.
Best of luck finding your gifts.

Bath and Body works anti-bacterial hand lotions, soaps and santizers. I get this for my daughters preschool teachers because they are constantly having to wash their hands.

They smell great, moisturize and the store often does a buy 3 for $10 to $12 sale. They seem to really appreciate the thought.

Another idea is a small tote bag with a beach towel, sunscreen and a $5 gift certificate to a local bookstore. A great end of school/beginning of Summer gift.

as a teacher myself, i can tell you that i LOVE it when my kids give me a gift card to a restaurant or starbucks.

I love giving gifts from The Kitchen Fork. The owner is a photographer and she makes gorgeous handmade oak kitchenware from her original photos. The products are both useful and decorative and I've used them as hostess and "thank you" gifts to great success. They recently added a "For the Teacher" section of apple covered kitchen accessories that I will be giving to my daughters' teachers this holiday:http://www.thekitchenfork.com/collections/for-the-teacher

Teachers receive many "knick-knack" gifts over the years. And while they are appreciated they do build up. So how about a gift card to a local eatery or store. But my favorite gift is donation to local school or public library for new books. This way the gift gives knowledge and enjoyment for many for years to come.

A friend has a web-site, www.pinkflea.com, it has some unique teacher gift items.

Hi C.,
I work in an elementary school and I have found that the most appreciated gifts are gift cards. We had several at our Christmas party in our gift exchange and we fought (friendly of course) over who would get the gift cards. The most popular ones are Starbucks. Teachers love Starbucks. I have received cards to several different places and I love them. Happy shopping. E. W.

Teachers love gift cards. Teachers have a closet full of coffee cups.

I am a teachers & I love it when I get gift cards! Starbucks or Borders are favorites of mine!

Thank you cards or blank note cards are always appreciated.

Gift cards to restaurants.....they are the best. It's the gift of "time," if you know what I mean. I am a teacher and that is what I enjoy recieving.

I'm a teacher now but was a stay at home mom when my kids were little and always looked for cute things that didn't cost a lot. The key is CONSUMABLE--something they can use and use up! One of my favorite things I thought up were 'welcome to summer' kits. I got little chinese take out cartons at The Container Store and filled it with small bottles of bubble bath, chocolates, gourmet tea bags etc. Put in a note something like 'when you get the time, here's a little something to help you relax'. The teachers loved them. Good luck.

Hello C.. I make and sale homemade soaps and lip balms. A lady bought some once for the teachers at her kids school. I thought it was a good idea. Maybe look around your area and try to find someone who makes homemade soaps, lotions etc. Or look online, you can most likely find something you like. One thing I thought was that this is something that gets used up and won't be taking up space on a shelf. HTH.

My gift to my daughter's teachers have been school supply basket for the next year...We go to the dollar store and purchase a basket, pens, stickers, notepads, paperclips etc and I allow my daughter to pick each item...She then makes her own card which have evolved from her coloring a picture to writing what the school year meant to her.

Gift cards I have left as a entire classroom gift to the teacher to show the entire classes appreciation...

Hi C.!
I am a rep for Finders Key Purse - to see our products, visit my website at www.findkeyswithease.com. These wonderful key finders, fone finders and other accessories make wonderful gifts for any occasion. They are the best invention ever!
Thanks!
J. M
Finders Key Purse #01508
www.findkeyswithease.com

C., I am a Mary Kay Sales Director and I would love to help you customize a gift in your price range. I also have gift certificates available. Our products are 100% guaranteed so if the teachers wanted to exchange the items for something else it is no problem. Let me know if I can help you.
Thanks,
L.

Hello! I taught preschool for 5 years and loved all the goodies I received! What I do now is get victorias secret lotions/sprays. They are almost ALWAYS on sale for 5 bucks each so you can do a lotion, spray and maybe a small candle or something? I get the clear bags with twist ties at Michaels or Walmart for different seasons (or you can get plain colors) and just put the goodies in there, tie them up and you're good to go. They will appreciate anything you give them. Just the lotion, in my opinion is great, they regularly sell for 10 bucks or so.