Teachers will really appreciate if you can gift them something, which is handmade. It may not be a very expensive and exclusive item but it will show the effort you have put in making that gift. It can be a handmade card or some handmade artifacts like a flower vas with some artificial flowers or any decorative items for home. Customized coffee mug with some decoration by you. A candle and a candle stand, showpiece items, etc. These gifts are mostly given before the school closes for Christmas so you have ample options to choose from. You can gift him or her Christmas ornaments, Christmas tree and other Christmas gifts. Homemade cookies and candies can be a very good gift option. You can make a gift basket where you put in homemade baked food items like cookies, bread, candies, quick breads, etc. A box of chocolates in different flavors can be a wonderful gift items, small plant like herb in a small ceramic pot can also be give.
Among the generic gift items you can go for pen stand, diary, which he or she can use to write down everyday lesson plan for class. A nice hand made card or a letter in appreciation of the teacher. Anything for the classroom: games, writing equipment, books, rulers, things to decorate or theme objects. You can also gift her leather bag or a purse to carry everyday to school and if your teacher is a man you can gift him a gents bag. If your teacher likes watching theatre, opera or movies than you can buy them passes to these shows. They will also be happy if one day you go to your teacher's place and help him or her out in their daily chores. It will be a wonderful gift item for your teacher. These are some of the gift ideas you can try out to gift your teachers. Hope these ideas will be of some help to you.