10 Cheap Gift Ideas for Teachers

With the Holidays just around the corner, most of us are looking at our budgets and counting the number of paychecks between now and Christmas. We want to make sure that we have just the right gifts for just the right people, but what do you do for your child's teacher? And what do you do if they have more than one? After speaking to many teachers about their most cherished gifts, I've put together a list of cheap Holiday gifts that are sure to warm their hearts.

1) A Picture and a letter. One teacher said that the best gift that she ever received was a "Thanksgiving Present". A student had written a letter thanking her for the extra help that she had given him. He had told her how much he appreciated the time that she took to make sure that he understood everything. The letter was framed with a photo of him affixed to the letter. She kept that letter on her desk all year and still has it at home. She looks at it on the days when she wonders if she's really getting through to the kids.

2) School Supplies. Teachers today buy a lot of supplies for their classrooms out of their own pocket. One teacher said that towards Christmas she begins to run low on the extras for the classroom. Go to your local dollar store and buy a basket, some stickers, some pencils, some pens, and markers and put a bow on it. Not feeling crafty? How about a gift certificate for the local teachers supply store?

3) Homemade Cookies. Homemade cookies are always a treat. They are an extra-special treat when the cookies were made by a student, and have a handwritten recipe attached to it. Bonus points go to the student who can explain what they learned by making them, for instance, reading the recipe, copying the recipe, the chemical changes taking place and the measuring involved.

4) Homemade stationary. This is REALLY easy! Craft stores as well as big box stores, like Walmart and Target sell blank note card/envelope sets. Use the template included in the box and using your computer print, "From the Desk of Mrs. _______" on the front of the card. Want to have your child more involved? Buy a stamp pad and some rubber stamps and let them decorate the fronts of the cards. Tie the envelopes and cards together with a pretty ribbon and you're all set!

5) Gift Certificates for local lunch restaurants. One year my son had a teacher that never seemed to eat lunch. My son was concerned about her! When I asked what he wanted to buy her, he said that he wanted to get some Gift Certificates to Subway (which was across the street). The teacher wrote a thank-you note saying that she would use them on the days when she forgot to bring her lunch, which was apparently often.

6) A relaxation basket. Go back to my favorite store, the Dollar store. This time we're looking for things to help a teacher relax. Remember, you don't want to get too personal, so avoid bath oils and perfumes. Instead fill a basket with a nice mug, a couple packets of hot cocoa, some herbal tea, a nicely scented candle and perhaps some nice soothing hand lotion. Put a note in the basket letting her know that you wanted to give her something that would help her unwind after a day of dealing with rambunctious children.

7) Cold Prevention. With the Holidays and cold weather comes cold and flu season. How about a basket of hand sanitizer, pretty tissues, some Airborne samples and a small can of Lysol? A special note to the effect of, "Nobody teaches like you do... please use these things to keep from getting sick!"

8) A Holiday Fruit Basket. One teacher said that she once received a basket with a variety of different apples, all hand labeled by her student. There were Macintosh, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, Grapples and Fiji Apples. There was a note attached that said, "Because some teachers deserve more that AN apple."

9) Recipe Cards. How about asking all the students to bring in their favorite recipe and putting together a recipe box for the teacher. On each card, write the recipe along with the students name and the year. She can ask other students in future classes to add to her recipe collection. When she retires, she'll have a great memento to keep.

10) Volunteer. The Number One thing that teachers said they wish they could have more of is parent participation. Make your own gift certificates for your time. Offer to assist in the classroom, chaperone a field trip, organize a party, anything that you can do to help her out will be greatly appreciated!

Giving gifts to your child's teacher doesn't have to be expensive. It's the little things that they appreciate the most. Being appreciated means more than anything you could give them. So, perhaps the cheapest and best gift is actually free.... Simply say, "Thank you".