Teacher, Neighbor and Secret Santa Gifts - Quick, Cute & Easy

I love a gift that has a touch of handmade and a color coordinated theme.  They're fun to plan and pull together, fun to make and give, and fun to get!

Gift cards may seem impersonal, but I think they make a great gift when dressed up creatively.  The extra doesn't have to be expensive to be cute!  With our kids being in junior high and middle school, they have multiple teachers each...it's a lot of gifts.  We try to do a larger gift for their homeroom teacher and smaller treat to let the others know we appreciate them too.  I can't help but feel that any gift seems a bit paltry (besides a new car or Caribbean vacation) compared to the amount of thought, caring, and work that goes into teaching a class full of children.  No trips or cars this year though, so a thoughtful little gift and a "thank you" it is!

This year, it's a hot cocoa theme for us, with a little variation.  One is "Cookies and Milk for Santa YOU!" with milk bottles from Target, the other is with a stainless steel mug (Walmart set of four for $20) and more of a snowflakes and cocoa theme.  We added instant mocha packets, small packages of cookies, peppermint sticks and a gift card.  A little tissue or crinkle and a handmade tag with twine or ribbon added some cute.

Isn't this one by A Life On A Dime cute?  Tea, a tea bag rest and essential oil.  

Last year, I made cinnamon rolls for our neighbors, adding a pretty bow and greenery pick to the aluminum tray.  This year, I'm making cranberry orange scones, and spiced coffee to give in re-purposed coffee cans with painted lids and covered with fabric.

I've included some gifts we've done in the past, for teachers, neighbors and pals.

Peppermint scented homemade play dough for our neighbor families with kids...we added some cookie cutters to go along with them.  My kids enjoyed helping with this one.

Small plate, package of napkins, and gift card to a local bakery.  

My daughter made the cupcake tag for a personal touch.

Handmade travel tissue envelopes, hand sanitizer, nail polish...you could add lotion, chapstick...perfect for spring allergy season or change the colors to something more Christmas-y.

This one, I'm almost ashamed to put it on here as it's a liquor gift for a teacher!  So here's my disclaimer: *You would have to know I knew her, her class was a complete handful (though lovable, it was a tough bunch), we both value practicality over perfection (you know all those framed perfectly cut crayon initials on pinterest and then...wine), and she STILL posts this pic on Facebook...four years later.  SO...worth a share, judge me or don't, ha.

Do you have a favorite go-to gift?  What is your favorite way to give a gift card?