It’s hard to believe that the school year is coming to a close in just a couple of weeks. If you’re like me, you’ve left end-of-the-year teacher gifts until the last minute, and now you’re scrambling to find special teacher gifts in Calgary.
As a teacher myself, I’m often asked by friends what types of gifts teachers like to receive the most. The truth is, the most meaningful gesture a teacher can receive is a hand-written note from yourself or your child just to say thank you. If you do want to go the extra mile, here are a few suggestions of gift ideas from local YYC vendors that your child’s teacher is sure to swoon over.
Thoughtful Ideas for Teacher Gifts in Calgary
A Sweet Card From Little May Papery
As I mentioned, a note of thanks is a truly special gift that any teacher will appreciate. Putting it on an adorable card just makes it that much more memorable! Add an adorable vinyl sticker, weekly planner or notepad to take their desk drawer to the next level.
Price range: Under $11 | littlemaypapery.com
A Cake They Don’t Have to Share
There’s something kinda special about having a cake all to yourself, and Just Baked YYC has the perfect plan to make sure you get to enjoy every bite. Choose from 20 different flavours of perfectly portioned cake jars that can be stored for 2 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer (although I seriously doubt they’d last that long at my house!) Mouth watering flavours include Lemon Drop, The Chocolate Fix, 24 Carrot and Cookies Extreme. They even have a gluten free option. You may just need to order a jar or two for yourself!
Price range: Under $12 | justbakedyyc.com
A Delicious Treat from Going Nuts
Going Nuts is guaranteed to have a treat that’ll make any teacher’s mouth water. Their sweet and savoury nuts come in fun flavours like Apple Crumble Pecan, Key Lime, Salted Caramel, Butter Rum, Cajun, and Mango Chili, just to name a few. They also have chocolate, granola, and energy bites, as well as other products like salad toppers. You can find Going Nuts at Granary Road Market and Calgary Farmer’s Market, Symons Valley Ranch Market Store, Mercantile at Avenida Food Hall, Bearspaw Farmers’ Market, and your local Safeway (although Safeway has a smaller range of flavours).
Price range: Under $15 | goingnuts.ca
A Box of Chocolates from Master Chocolat
Chocolate is a quick way to any teacher’s heart (I promise!) and there’s no better chocolate maker around than Bernard Callebaut himself. The options for chocolate treats are just about endless at Master Chocolat – you can find boxes of chocolate, chocolate bars, chocolate treats like chocolate-covered gummy bears and pretzels, chocolate sauces and spreads, and even chocolate for those teachers with special dietary needs, like vegan and sugar-free. This year there are a few treats just for teachers on the menu, including 9 and 18 piece boxes of chocolates, a hollow milk chocolate apple, and a grad cap lollipop. You can find Master Chocolat at their storefronts in Marda Loop and 130, 560 – 69th Ave SW, as well as at the Calgary Farmers’ Market. Truly one of the sweetest teacher gifts in Calgary!
Price range: Under $20 | masterchocolat.com
An Oil and Vinegar Pairing from Soffrito
Olive oil and vinegar is a classic pairing, but Soffrito takes this match made in heaven to another level with delicious flavours that’ll make the perfect addition to any teacher’s charcuterie board. Think olive oil flavours like cilantro and roasted onion, Persian lime, and Tuscan herb, and balsamic vinegar choices like cranberry pear, wild blueberry, and dark chocolate and you’ll have an idea of the good stuff we’re talking about! The mini gift packs are $14 for an olive oil and balsamic vinegar pairing and are the perfect taste testing size! You can find Soffrito at their storefronts in Canyon Meadows and Mahogany, as well as at the Calgary Farmers’ Market and Granary Road Farmers’ Market.
Price range: Under $20 | soffritto.ca
Some Handcrafted Honey from the Honey Merchants
I’ve gotta be honest – I had no idea that there were so many flavours you could get honey in, and now I need to try them all! Lavender, strawberry, lemon, chocolate, cinnamon, and even hot honey are just a few of the creations you can get from The Honey Merchants online or at their next market appearance.
Price range: It’s up to you! | piejunkie.com
Something Spicy from The Silk Road Spice Merchant
If you’ve heard that your child’s teacher is a whiz in the kitchen, The Silk Road Spice Merchant has everything they’ll need to take their cooking game up a notch. From spices to dry rubs and chilli powders you won’t find anywhere else, you may just have to ask if they’ll invite you over for dinner! In addition to spices for their favourite foods, The Silk Road also has bitters and cocktail supplies to mix up the perfect summer beverage. Look for their storefront in Inglewood!
Price Range: Rubs & Spices under $10, Bitters Under $25 | silkroadspice.ca
A Tasty Summer Beverage from Hello Someday Wine
If your child’s teacher is a wine lover, I’d definitely recommend gifting a bottle of Pinot Gris, Riesling, or Cabarnet/Malbec/Merlot Blend from Hello Someday Wine. Hello Someday Wine was started by Jim and Jaime love – a husband and wife team from Calgary with a dream of owning their own winery, someday. Until then, they’ve partnered with an award-winning Okanagan wine maker to craft some seriously delicious bottles of wine, and named their brand after their someday aspirations. Check out this directory to see where you can find Hello Someday Wine locally.
Price range: Under $25 | hellosomedaywine.com
One-of-a-kind Jewelry and Pins from Wonderland YYC
Wonderland YYC makes beautiful, fun and delicate bracelets, earrings, and necklaces that pay homage to our home near the mountains. For the teacher who loves to explore, why not pick up some beautiful compass studs or a mountain peak pendant? For students in grade 6, the moon phases necklace would be the perfect memento of the sky science unit all kiddos in that grade covered this year. Wonderland also has some cute and colourful enamel pins that would look great on a backpack or jean jacket! You can find Wonderland YYC products at Granary Road Farmers’ Market and on Etsy.
Price Range: Under $30 | etsy.com
Something Artsy and Fun from 2AMIllustrations
Does your kiddo’s teacher love to decorate their laptop with fun stickers? Is their classroom a bonafide art gallery? Are they an organizational whiz? 2AMIllustration makes customized and pre-designed stickers, art prints, notepads and more that will take any teacher’s desk space to the next level of style. If you’re looking for something a little more teacher-focused, these weekly planners, agenda magnets, and teacher icon magnets are both thoughtful and cute!
Price range: Under $30 | etsy.com
A Cute Terrarium from Plant
If your kid’s teacher is a plant lover (and who isn’t these days?), they’re guaranteed to love just about anything you pick them up from Plant, located in Inglewood. The store is filled with beautiful planters, fun giftware and accessories, and, of course, a huge range of plants. There are succulents, cacti, and tropical plants just waiting to be plunked in the perfect pot or terrarium (and there are tons of gorgeous ones to choose from). If you just can’t narrow it down, there are DIY terrarium kits and gift cards to grab as well.
Price Range: Under $40| plantshop.ca
A Candle from Milk Jar Candle Co.
Who doesn’t love a delicious-smelling candle – especially when it’s a clean-burning coconut soy candle with a 50-60 hour burn time? Milk Jar makes two lines of beautiful candles – one scented with plant-based essential oils and the other with phthalate-free fragrance oils. These candles are a great alternative to traditional paraffin wax candles and they smell incredible. As an added bonus, $1 from the sale of every product is donated to a non-profit supporting children with disabilities in Alberta. Check out this map to find a Milk Jar Candle Co. stockist near you.
Price range: Under $40 | milkjar.ca
The Perfect Teacher Tee
Show your kid’s teacher just how cool you think they are with a statement tee from Perfectly Imperfect Designs. These super soft, cotton-poly blend T-shirts come in unisex sizing from XS to XXL, meaning there’s a fit to flatter just about everyone since they can be worn long, tucked or knotted. There are all kinds of fun designs to choose from, but we think any teacher would be proud to wear the “Teaching Is A Work of Heart” or “Rainbow Teacher” graphics.
Price range: Under $40 | perfectlyimperfectdesigns.ca
A Super Sweet Classroom Goal Tracker from Grow & Co.
If your child’s teacher uses a point system to help the class reach their goals, Grow & Co. has a range of adorable class stars container. You can add a magnet (to stick on the class whiteboard) or a stand, choose the regular size (holds 20 stars) or the XL size (holds 50 stars), and customize the frame color and wording if you’d like. There are a variety of styles of goal keepers to check out, with fun tokens of different colors and shapes! Grow & Co. also makes adorable customized desk signs, teacher magnets, card keepers, bookmarks and more.
Price range: Under $45 | growandcompany.com
A Gift Card to a Local Coffee Shop
It’s no secret that many teachers are connoisseurs of coffee, so why not treat your kiddo’s to a gift card from a local shop they may not have tried before? There are many amazing roasters based out of Calgary. Some of my personal favourite cute coffee shop stops are Analog, Higher Ground Cafe, Neighbour Coffee, Monogram, Our Daily Brett, Phil and Sebastian , and Rosso Coffee Roasters. Many of these spots aren’t just known for their incredible cups of joe – they may also have delicious sandwiches, soups, snacks, and more.
Price range: It’s up to you!
A Pie Junkie Gift Card
If you’re not sure whether your kiddo’s teacher prefers a snack that’s savoury or sweet, let them choose (and maybe even get the best of both worlds) with a gift card from Pie Junkie. They’ve got 8 different sweet pie flavours, including flapper pie, rhubarb and chocolate peanut butter, ice cream pies with flavours like banana split brownie, and pot pie delights like steak and mushroom, butter chicken and shepherd’s pie, which come in individual portion sizes that are perfect for heating up for a school lunch!
Price range: It’s up to you! | piejunkie.com
Have you started thinking about ideas for teacher gifts in Calgary this year? We’d love to hear about your plans and favourite makers in the comments!
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