Are you having a difficult time coming up with ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week? It can be challenging to pick out a gift for someone who your child knows well but you may not. As far as gifts go, teachers can do without mugs, candles, #1 Best Teacher statues and gifts that are rather...well, strange. Surprised? Do you remember the look on Miss Shields’ face in A Christmas Story when Ralphie gave her the "ginormous" fruit basket? Don’t make the mistake of giving a gift to your teacher that might raise a few eyebrows.
But what teachers can use (and really, really want) are gift cards. But don’t just put them in a boring old box or a plain envelope. Wrap up the gift card creatively and show your child’s teacher just how much you appreciate all her hard work. Here are some unique ways to present gift cards to your teacher.
Give a Movie Night Gift
Fill a small gift bag with a gift card to Blockbusters or Hollywood Video, a package of microwave popcorn and a box of candy or a jumbo candy bar. You can find large size candy bars or boxes of candy at the grocery store. Your teacher can enjoy a movie night on you.
Manicures are Great Gifts
Purchase a small basket at a craft store. Lay a pretty fabric or small hand towel on the bottom of the basket. Put a gift card to a local nail salon inside and fill the rest of the basket with a few sundry items such as a packet of cotton balls, a nail file, cute toe separators and a sample bottle of hand cream.
More Creative Gift Card Ideas
If you know the teacher is into gardening, get a gift card to a local garden center or even a Lowe's Home Improvement that has a great garden center. Place the card into a small khaki bag available at any craft store. Rubber stamp a few leaves on the outside with some fabric paint if you want to be extra fancy. Instead of tissue paper, use a pair of inexpensive gardening gloves to fill the bag.
If you buy a coffee shop gift card, ask the barista to give you a mid-size cup. Fill the cup with some tissue paper and put the gift card inside. Go a step further and use a plastic lid to close the cup and top it with a pretty bow.
Get a gift card from a favorite Chinese Restaurant or an Asian/American buffet (if you’re not positive the teacher likes Chinese food). Put the gift card inside a small empty Chinese take-out box that you can purchase at a craft store. Fill it with tissue paper or confetti and a fortune cookie.
Put an iTunes gift card inside an empty CD holder. On the label that comes with the CD, have your child make a list of the things he likes about his teacher (or write it for him if he’s too young). Or just simply write “thanks for all your hard work”. Note: make sure that the teacher has an iPod before you purchase the gift card.
Finding creative ways to wrap up a gift card isn't difficult. Just take a little bit of time to know what your child's teacher would enjoy receiving and then buy a gift card along those lines. Use a little creativity when you wrap up the card and your gift will get a gold star.
Susan Ayers - Susan Ayers, a former Training Designer for Circuit City Stores, Inc., is a freelance writer in Richmond, Virginia. Susan is the Richmond ...
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