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Teacher Gift Ideas

Teachers are probably the closest things to superheroes many of us will encounter, but for whatever reason, finding the right gifts to express our appreciation for them can sometimes be a challenge.

I recently asked for teacher gift ideas on instagram and my inbox was flooded with thoughtful, personal, and practical teacher gift ideas.

Whether it’s for teacher appreciation week, the end of the school year, the beginning of the school year, or any time in between, these teacher-approved teacher gift ideas are great ways to make your teacher’s day, no matter your budget.

Personalized Notepads & Pencils

Nothing is worse than having your pencils stolen. Help your teacher keep track of their supplies with personalized school supplies, like these customized pencils. I ordered these adorable gold stamped personalized pencils. They come it lots of different colors and are so cute with this personalized teacher desk notepads! I added a Starbucks giftcard and a bow and we were good to go!

School supplies

Teachers usually pay out of pocket for the supplies in their classrooms, which can add up quickly. Pencils, pens, dry erase markers, coloring supplies, disinfecting wipes and tissues are used on a daily basis, so whenever teachers get a new stock of any classroom supplies, it’s a big help.

You can find some really cute desk supplies from The Simplified Planner as well as some great organization gifts, and even an adorable Teacher Planner!

Personalized Jewlery

I love this anchor bracelet that we had engraved for teachers at church. If you’re looking for a beautiful piece of personalized jewelry or even a key ring, Merci Maman has just about anything you can think of. Each piece of jewelry is hand engraved with your words creating a unique gift.

A well-thought gift basket

When done well, gift baskets can be a huge hit and a lot of fun for students and parents who are more DIY-oriented. The key is to make the basket useful and geared toward the teacher’s interests….

  • Relaxing Basket– Line a basket with a hand towel. Add a lavender candle, bath oil or bubble bath, bath salts, bath balls, a favorite magazine or book, a poof and scented soap, and a do not disturb sign (Make one out of a piece of cardboard).
  • Coffee Lover – In a basket, include flavored coffee packets, cinnamon sticks dipped in chocolate, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a ribbon, cookie mix or cookies, flavored powdered creamer and a coffee cup.
  • Baker’s Delight – Line a large mixing bowl with a dish towel. Add cookie mixes, hot chocolate mixes, brownie mix, muffin mix, a package of walnuts, measuring cups and pot holders.
  • Ice Cream Lover– Place tissue paper on the bottom of a basket. Add sundae dishes, an ice cream scoop, nuts, hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, chocolate syrup, Maraschino cherries and a gift certificate for 2 1/2 gallons of ice cream.
  • Soup Basket- In a basket, stock pot or bean crock, add large soup mugs, some homemade soup, cornbread mix or crackers wrapped in cellophane bags and tied with a ribbon.
  • Nail Polish Basket- In a pretty bucket or basket, add a variety of nail polish, emery boards, nail clippers, polish remover, cotton balls, hand cream, cuticle cream and a nail buffer.
  • Family Night– In a large bowl, add a puzzle or game, popcorn, candy bars, soda, hot chocolate mix and mugs.
  • Fruit Basket- Line a basket with tissue paper. Add apples, oranges, hot chocolate mix, various teas and dried fruits (like figs or raisins). Sprinkle in the shell nuts on top of everything.
  • Cookie Delight-In a basket lined with tissue paper, add two cookie mixes in cellophane bags or jars tied with ribbons, Russian Tea (also in a cellophane bag or small jar tied with ribbon), cookie cutters, a teacup and two pot holders.
  • Chocolate Lover- In a basket, add Hot Chocolate Mix, Brownie Mix, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Mix, Party Mints, Mexican Hot Chocolate Mix and maybe even a small package of marshmallows.

I’m not very crafty, but so I found some help and put together these adorable “Thank you for Helping Me Grow” Teacher Gift Baskets.

If you don’t know your teacher well, lotions or candles may not be a good idea (deals with scents can be a tricky area, as you run a high risk of getting something your teacher will not like or be allergic to), but I knew our preschool teachers this year loved so I was so excited when I was able to get custom made sugar scrubs, candles and matching gable box, with a special message to our teacher. It’s the perfect way to spoil that teacher for all their hard work this year. You can get them customized with your child’s name or family’s name, however you would like to personalize them. 

Your time

This gift doesn’t cost anything, but it’s highly valued by teachers. An excellent way to express appreciation is to hang out after class or at the end of the school year to help organize or clean the classroom.