Well, it’s that time of year – busy calendars, parties galore and a list of gifts that need to be purchased. Sounds a lot like December, but it might actually be more crazy – it’s “Maycember”, the time when parents are bombarded with lists of tasks so long it actually feels impossible to accomplish everything. From pajama or costume days at school to end of year parties and awards nights to playoff games, our calendars are jam-packed. And one of the tasks on the to do list is end of year teacher gifts, which always leaves me conflicted. (Not to worry – we’ve got lots of ideas ahead! No time to read? Click over to our curated list of Teacher Gift Ideas over on the website here.)
Don’t get me wrong, I love our teachers and I believe that they deserve the world. But, I also have four kids and each of those kids has 10-14 teachers when you include all of the “specials” they take at school. That leaves me with a list of 54 potential gifts to give and that’s just not realistic. Therein lies the conflict. I also really love to include heartfelt, handwritten notes and enclose them in beautiful gift wrap and that is seriously time-consuming! When I had one, two or even three children in school, I could pull it off, since they’re so close in age that lots of them actually had the same specials teachers, but now with four – one in preschool, two in lower school and one in middle school – and because the school has grown and they’ve added more specials teachers and different ones for each grade, I grew more and more overwhelmed and we all know that’s not really the spirit of gift-giving.
So, this year, for the first time, I asked my boys to select the teachers that they really wanted to give gifts to. We gave to each main classroom teacher and then picked some from the list of specials teachers who really impacted our kids throughout the year. I guess it’s pretty obvious that I typically (but not always) give jewelry to our teachers – and I’ve become known for it on campus! So, with a list in hand, I started to think about each teacher and what I thought might look best on her. For the boys’ main teachers, I had them help me pick a design from ones I’ve made in the past and then pick the stones and placement for the piece. Honestly, that made the task SO MUCH more fun. I thoroughly enjoyed working side-by-side with them and watching their little creative brains work. And they had such strong opinions on what gemstones to use! (I guess that’s what comes from being a jewelry maker’s kid!) Then, I set out to writing heartfelt and personal notes to each person and wrapping them in our signature gift wrap.
Often, when I suggest jewelry for teacher gifts, people tell me that they think that jewelry is such a personal gift that they don’t think that they can buy it for their teachers. But, I think that there are lots of jewelry pieces that make perfect gifts!
One year, our teacher was pregnant and had shared her soon-t0-be-born baby’s initials, so I made her a 14k gold initial necklace, since it was her first baby and such a special occasion. Doing an initials piece is a fabulous idea for a new or soon-to-be mama teacher!
If there’s not a baby on the horizon, then a classic piece of jewelry that looks good on everyone is a really safe bet. I’ve gifted our gold-filled beaded bracelets, our pop of color bracelets, stingray bracelets, horn bracelets, pearl earrings, pearl necklaces, station necklaces, bar necklaces, gem drop necklaces and simple drop earrings and always gotten rave reviews! I think all of those pieces look good on just about everyone.
If your school allows group gifts (which are my favorite), then I’m jealous! Going in with some other moms in the class to purchase a nicer piece is always a fun idea. Here are a few gift idea options for that…
If you really have no idea what your teachers’ styles are like, then a gift card is always a fun and easy idea. Ours can be purchased here.
Teachers always tell me that it’s the thought that counts. I love giving jewelry in their favorite color or the school colors or just something that I think will look great on them. For a curated list of ideas over on the website, click here. In past years, when I wasn’t able to do jewelry for every person, I have done yummy candles, travel wine tumblers, journals or a favorite book or devotional. But, I have to say – I get the most comments on the jewelry gifts! Not to worry, we are here to make it easy on you. If you need help or ideas, feel free to send me an email here. We’d love to help!
Leave a Reply