The school year is rapidly coming to a close and graduations are on the horizon. That means one thing…gifts!

Every May I find myself debating about what to do for students and teachers to commemorate the achievements and successes of another year.

Let’s begin with graduation gifts. Here’s where I need some tips. My kids are still a few years away from this momentous event, but I have many commencement announcements sitting on my desk from friends and neighbors. If finances allow, I always think it is important to acknowledge this great achievement. But how? Years ago it used to be a good pen and pencil set or engraved portfolio….wow, I’m getting old…but that is clearly outdated. Lately, I’ve gone with the standard Target gift card to cover dorm or apartment expenses. It feels a little generic….Do you have any other great ideas? What do these young people need and appreciate?

Then there are the teachers who have worked tirelessly all year to guide our children. I know how much of their personal time and finances go into making a successful school year and I like to acknowledge that effort. Some years, we’ve had a group of very involved parents, so we have pooled resources to do a gift card bouquet as you can see in the picture. Some crafty mom (not me!) creates a fun bouquet or buys a real one and everyone else contributes a card. It’s fun because the teacher gets a variety of gift cards and families can spend as little as $5.

I also like to personalize gifts, though. Some years instead of purchasing a gift, I’ve helped my children pick a famous quote about educators that matched their teachers. My kids then integrated the quote into an original picture and we framed it.

Another year, one fabulously crafty mom had the kids create individual panels of art that she put together in an apron for the teacher with culinary flair.

So it’s May again and I need some help. What are your tips for graduate gifts? What is an amazing teacher gift idea? I’d love to hear from you!