Are you doing anything for Teacher Appreciation Week? Are you ready for Mother’s Day? As a gift giver there are a few factors you may want to consider.
- How much money are you willing to spend/do you have budgeted? Or maybe it’s best to spend nothing in your particular circumstance and come up with a really creative free gift.
- What are the likes/interests of the receiver?
- How much time do you have to put something together?
Having a spirit of generosity is very important, yet it doesn’t mean that you have to BUY something to be generous. You can give of your time, and more often than not, that is the biggest gift and blessing you can give someone.
Last year we gave the girls’ teachers plants that I started from another plant, so the plant was free (it takes a few weeks to start rooting, but I like to give the roots a few months). I did need to find some kind of pots. I ended up spray painting tin cans and giving the plants in the re-purposed tin cans, so the cost was the paint. I can’t find pictures of the propagated plants in the tin cans, but here are the tin cans with succulents…
and here is one of the house plants. You can go here to see how to propagate house plants.
We added some pinwheels on a pencil for the teacher. You can go here to see how to make the pinwheels.
This year I went to Target and found these really cute tin pails in the dollar section. If you get a generic container, you can fill it with all sorts of little goodies. A few months back Costco had a 6 pack of gardening gloves for $5.99. I thought that was a steal of a deal for high quality garden gloves and thought they would make a great gift for some of my gardening friends. If you really know your receiver well, organic seeds are a neat gift, too.
Recently, I had a friend who invested some time into a groups of ladies, teaching us the art of soap making. I have never made it before two weeks ago, and if you have never made your own soap, it’s really exciting! Homemade soap also makes a lovely gift.
So here are a few thoughtful, frugal, and mostly easy gift ideas:
- a little container, pail, or cute box
- garden gloves
- granola bars
- handmade soap
- homemade sewing projects
- indoor and outdoor plants
- gift card like Jamba Juice or Starbucks
- baked and homemade gifts (like cookies, breads, jams)
- homemade coupons for serving, for example “1 hour of Weeding”, “Window Washing”
I wouldn’t do this for normal people (whatever normal means) but I LOVE practical gifts and I have a good friend who I know needs to add apple cider vinegar to her regime, so I thought that would be fun and funny to include that in her little teacher appreciation gift pail.
My favorite portable gift that I keep going back to is granola bars, because it is a totally sweet but healthy treat and guys like it, too!
Really the gift ideas are endless, but I wanted to share what we are doing this year. What are you doing this year for Teacher Appreciation Week or Mother’s Day?? Do you have any gift ideas to add to the list?
No matter what you end up doing, the point is to express your appreciation and thankfulness to the teachers and mothers who help influence and shape our lives and the lives of our children. Give them a card or share with them a few kind words, and whatever you do, “…be thankful.” Colossians 3:15
Have you read…?
- Re-thinking Gift-Giving: Part One, Kids & Gift-Giving?
- Re-thinking Gift-Giving: Part Two, New, Homemade & Used Gifts & Intentions
- Giving Healthier Food As Gifts & Cost Breakdown
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Sonja
I have to respond because of a few great gifts our family has received recently. Yesterday, I attended a garden-themed bridal shower and the party favors were medium-sized peat pots with a baggie of potting soil and a packet of seeds nestled in them. Very cute and useful.
On the subject of gifts that perfectly match the recipients, a close friend brought a gift for my parents’ 50th anniversary party last week. When Mom first opened the box, she was surprised to find a bag of coffee beans. She was thankful, but it seemed like a gift only for her, since Daddy doesn’t drink coffee. Then she pulled out a big bottle of unfiltered apple juice for my juice-fanatic dad! Everyone got a huge laugh out of the gift, but it fit who they are better than any other gift!
Hi Susan. Thanks for sharing. I love the thoughtfulness of the anniversary gifts and the bridal shower party favors! What a great anniversary story! Blessings!
Great ideas for gifts! Thanks for sharing 😉
Hi Linda, You are welcome, and thanks for visiting!