teacher appreciation gifts

I absolutely love giving Heritage Makers for Teacher Appreciation Day or year-end thank-yous.  Other popular gifts are flowers or gift cards, but I don't like how those are used up and gone (and forgotten) before the summer is over.  

Especially when the teacher is excellent, and you want to truly thank her/him for being fantastic for your child, I feel like something heartfelt is just irreplaceable.  And guess what--the same price as you'd pay for flowers or a gift card.  I love that.

Here are some of the books I've made over the years for some really fabulous women.

These are from just my child, with the whole book completed by him/her.  

I've also made books from the entire class as teacher thank-yous, and those are equally wonderful!  The teachers always think it's the best thing they've ever gotten.  Because it is!  

These are not all the books I've made, but they give you a good idea of the possibilities.  I will admit I have made more than one teacher cry (and then I cry, too).  But teachers deserve something special and heartfelt for all their amazing work!!

I have made mostly 5x5 hardbound books (about $26), but I've sometimes made 8x8 books if all the class is contributing (they're about $37, so only a few dollars per person).

And they're WAY BETTER than flowers!!

UPDATE 2022:  Heritage Makers is currently being updated to a new software platform that doesn't require Adobe Flash to run (which Adobe discontinued at the end of 2020).  I also recommend Forever as an excellent company with heirloom-quality books and a photo privacy promise.  Something great about Forever is that is has three different print platforms, from "easy button" to quick and simple templates to full digital scrapbooking with total flexibility and creativity, and you can learn about the options here to find what fits you best.