Saying thank you to the people who help take care of your kids when they’re headed off to school or at school is very important, but it can also be costly. Fortunately, there is a way to offer a heartfelt thank you without breaking the bank. With a little creativity and some thoughtfulness, you can get a gift for a coach, bus driver, teacher, or someone in a similar position without breaking the bank.
In this post, we share the best cheap teacher, bus driver or coach holiday gifts.
1. Personalized Candy Bars
What about making personalized candy bar wrappers? You just print out the wrapper design and wrap it around your standard candy bar such as a Kit Kat.
These make excellent gifts because they’re fairly cheap but they also demonstrate that you took the time to make them special and unique. Sometimes the best gifts of all aren’t the most expensive ones, but rather the ones that show the most thoughtfulness.
They have plenty of the wrappers on Etsy such as this one here.
2. Best Bus Driver Soap
I like this one because there are a lot of germs floating around during the holiday season. Simply Being Mommy suggests you stop by Bath and Body Works, get some soap or hand sanitizer and then attach a nice card.
This is a perfect gift for bus drivers in particular because they’re surrounded by people all day long, so it’s important to have some hand soap within reaching distance to minimize the spread of germs, especially during the colder months. Here is a cute printable one on Etsy here.
3. Gift Cards
Let’s face it, teachers, bus drivers, and coaches all love gift cards. In the season of giving, why not give them what they love? You can buy Starbucks cards in bulk here on Amazon. Or if you want something a little different, try buying a gift card to a local school supply store.
Starbucks is an obvious choice because odds are that most coaches, teachers, and bus drivers you know drink coffee or a similar caffeinated drink on a daily basis. And if they don’t personally drink coffee, more than likely they have a loved one that does.
Grab the pictured really cute bus driver appreciation gift card holder from Etsy here.
It’s a great last minute gift.
4. School Supply Cake
This one is a little more costly to make, but it’s definitely appreciated. By Stephanie Lynn shows you how to make the cake that’s a lot like the diaper cake you find at a baby shower. You can find crayons here on Amazon, glue sticks here on Amazon and markers here on Amazon.
5. Reusable Cup and Candy
This is a great suggestion from the Stretching a Buck Blog, take a reusable cup (you can find one here on Etsy) and then fill it with candy. Add a tag and you’re ready to go!
This is such a simple gift to make, yet it’s unique and it makes such a great present. Add a name tag around the straw of the cup (as shown in the photo above) to personalize this gift even more.
6. Personalized Pencils
Buzz Feed polled teachers to find out the best gifts they’ve ever received and towards the top of the list was personalized pencils. According to the teachers, they’re the only pencils they’re likely to get back at the end of the day. You can find some here on Etsy.
7. Giant Tote Bag
Another great suggestion from the Buzz Feed teacher poll, a giant tote bag. Respondents say it’s the best way to carry things to and from school every day. You can find these here on Etsy.
8. Fortune Cookies…and Maybe a Gift Card
71 Toes came up with this cute and original gift, though it’s a little punny. It works for coaches, teachers or bus drivers which is a huge plus. And, it’s not super expensive to make. You can find takeout containers here on Amazon and fortune cookies here on Amazon.
The picture coach gift card holder is a fun idea and something that is a great last minute gift.
Check out this coach appreciation gift here.
This Etsy shop has them in many different styles (dance coach, football, softball coach, baseball, etc).
9. Succulent
This was an end of the year gift made by Tiny Oranges, but it works just as well as a holiday gift. You can find some succulents at your local hardware store.
10. Personalized Notes
This one is courtesy of the site Hey Teach! A lot of teachers love a personal and heartfelt note from their students. Consider sitting your kids down for an hour or two so they can get to work.
11. Sharpie Flower Vase
This is a dual purpose gift. Fantastic, Fun and Learning shows you how to make a Sharpie Flower Vase. You can find Sharpies here on Amazon. May we suggest a trip to your local farmer’s market for the flowers.
12. Homemade Goods
According to Bombshell Bling, who is a teacher herself, homemade goodies are a great gift. She can share them or keep them all to herself. No judgment here.
13. Your Time
This one is free if you have the time. The Measured Mom reminds you that your time is perhaps one of the greatest gifts you can give a teacher. Offering to make copies after school, staple homework packets together or something else that takes a little work off his or her plate.
14. Personalized Mug
Another excellent gift that coaches, teachers, and bus drivers alike are sure to love is a personalized mug. For example, you could get a mug that says “World’ Best Bus Driver” on the side that any bus driver would love to receive.
Or, for teachers or coaches you could write a personalized message on the mug that refers to the sport they coach or the class they teach.
A personalized mug makes an excellent gift because it’s practical (everyone uses mugs!) and it shows thoughtfulness.
15. Personalized Ornament
Another excellent gift idea for teachers, coaches, or bus drivers is a personalized ornament that they can place around their house during the holiday season. For example, for bus drivers you could get a small bus or something similar.
Ornaments make great gifts because they’re typically cheap to buy, yet they’re something that can be used over and over again each year when the holiday season rolls around.
What do you think the best teacher, coach or bus driver holiday gifts are this year?
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