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Pizza Box Teacher Appreciation Gift
Last updated on: May 18, 2025
I’m so excited that I can finally show this to you! The ONLY problem with having friends and family who are dedicated readers of my blog is that sometimes I have to wait to post gifts UNTIL they have been given because I don’t want to spoil the surprise. We dropped off our Teacher Appreciation Day/Week gift to Lily’s wonderful teacher today, so the cat is officially out of the bag.
I’m a big fan of gift card gifts for teachers because I remember how much I loved to receive them as a teacher.
The trick, however, with gift cards is that you really need to find out what store/restaurant the teacher likes. For example, a Starbucks gift card isn’t a super great gift for a teacher who prefers Dunkin or doesn’t care for coffee. So if at all possible, do a little sleuthing to find a great gift card match for your kids’ teacher(s). I knew that I wanted to give Lily’s teacher a dinner and a movie themed gift. She has young kids and I thought this would be a present that the whole family could enjoy – either at the restaurant OR via takeout.
I asked another teacher in the building to find out the teacher’s favorite local pizza place and picked up a gift certificate at the restaurant. When I was at the restaurant, I asked for a new pizza box to use to hold the gift and they were happy to oblige. Then I grabbed a Redbox gift card to add to the box. (I know that Redbox is not as popular these days – this post was first published in 2014! For a great present-day movie-at-home option, consider a gift card to a streaming platform. Amazon gift cards are also a great idea as they can be used to purchase video on-demand.)
I had Lily copy a note that she helped me write. Then she drew a picture of herself with her teacher (yes, apparently she included a really nice blue ponytail for herself.. this was done on purpose and she was very pleased with the end result.). LOL I thought that the handwritten note and the picture put the perfect personal touch on the gift.
You know that I had to incorporate my trust Silhouette machine into the mix somehow, so if you look below, you’ll notice that the letters on the box are vinyl. I cut them on the Silhouette and affixed them to the box. They look great!
Here’s the finished product!
A Few Extra Ideas to Take It Up a Notch:
- Add a Cozy Touch: You could toss in a pair of fuzzy socks or a small bag of popcorn to complete the “movie night” vibe.
- Swap the Theme: Not a pizza fan? You could easily adapt this idea to Taco Tuesday (with a chipotle or Mexican restaurant gift card) or Breakfast & a Book (gift card to a brunch spot + bookstore).
- Include a Printable Tag: Something like “You’ve got a pizza our hearts!” or “No one delivers like you do!” would make a great punny addition.
- Get the Class Involved: This could also be turned into a class gift – each family chips in for a bigger restaurant gift card and students can each contribute a drawing or note to fill the box.
Whether you go simple or extra, this teacher gift is so easy to customize and gives you a chance to create something thoughtful and useful. And the best part? It can fit any budget and is fun to assemble.
Don’t forget to snap a pic before you gift it – this is one of those ideas that’s worth remembering for next year, too!
