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As a Private Music Teacher, it can be difficult to come up with inexpensive Christmas gift ideas for your music students – no matter what instruments you teach.
If you have more than ten students (and let’s face it, most of us have quite a bit more than ten), the cost of gifts is a hefty one. Especially around the holidays, when we are buying Christmas gifts for the other people in our lives, there just isn’t a lot of money left to get gifts for music students in your studio.
However, I believe that it’s important to show your love and appreciation to each of your students (and their parents) – they are loyal customers of yours, and it’s important to acknowledge them and thank them for that.
So the question remains: What Christmas gifts can I get my students that won’t break the bank?
I have compiled a list of some of my favorite inexpensive Christmas Gift ideas for Music Students, some for students of specific instruments, and some that are great for any student, no matter what instrument they’re on.
Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Piano Students
A Fun Lesson (or two)
This one is my absolute favorite gifts for music students – special Christmas lessons! I take the very last lesson before Christmas break and we take a break from our usual curriculum to play games, play and sing Christmas Songs, even get some of the rest of the family involved (depending on the family – I only do that part when I’m relatively close with other parts of the family). Of course, we still learn, but it’s a great little break and some quality time learning with my kiddos.
Novelty Pencils and Erasers
If you are anything like me, I spend far too much time waiting for my students to find their pencil. These guys are great gifts for music students because not only are they fun and colorful, they are distinctive and easy to find! It’s a great way to ensure that your student always has a pencil by designating that this fun musical pencil is their “piano pencil” and stays on the piano! Plus… they’re just so cute. The erasers aren’t super effective, so I would recommend grabbing some separate erasers to include in the gift.
Their Next Book, or a Supplementary Book
This is one I like to use if the student shows interest in a particular kind of music, or particular song or genre. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, because you can use it through the next year of lessons as supplementary material that they love and want to learn! I put together a list of some of my favorites in our Beginner Piano Lesson Book Library.
Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Voice Students
Tea and Mug
Every voice teacher has a tea that they swear by for vocal health – and I am no exception. I’ve been using Good Earth Sweet & Spicy tea for over 15 years now to eliminate sore throats and sweat out fevers – and it’s delicious. So I recommend it to all my students!
Throw a few of your favorite tea bags in a mug for a practical and delicious Christmas gift for your students. To go the extra mile, decorate and bake the mug for each student!
Water Bottle
If you’re a voice teacher, you know how vital water is. It’s vital to life in general, of course, but it is also so important that your students be hydrated – it keeps the voice healthy and at smaller risk for straining. So a simple reusable water bottle or tumbler is a great gift for any vocal student.
Plus, if you have a studio, you can slap a logo sticker on it for some extra marketing!
Manuka Honey Throat Drops
I know, throat lozenges don’t sound like the most interesting gift, but if you’ve had Manuka Honey, you know that these are basically candies with added benefits. Especially on the cusp of cold and flu season, they give singers extra boosts to their immune system and help them sing through milder illnesses – I personally use them regularly to keep my voice in tip top shape during the colder months. Grab the 2-pack on amazon and parcel them out into little candy bags, and you’ve got gifts for all your voice students.
Inexpensive Christmas Gifts for Music Students
Christmas Candy Bag
What kid doesn’t like candy? Assembling your own gift bags is quick, easy, and affordable, and sure to be a hit with each of your students. The best part is, you can grab everything you need to make them on amazon – candy, little bags, and cute tags to label them – it’s almost too easy!
Music Ornaments – buy in bulk on amazon!
Especially if you have a larger studio, buying Christmas presents for each of your students can get pricey. I love amazon not only because they have such competitive prices, but they offer many products in bulk – even Music-themed ornaments!
Discount on Lessons
This one has to be one of the easiest gifts for music students a music teacher can give – something as simple as a gift card or promo code for $10 off the next lesson, or 10% off the next month of lessons is no money out of pocket, and it takes a minimal chunk of revenue. Square makes it really easy to make gift cards that parents and students can apply to any invoice they like. Of course, this is a great one for whoever pays for the lessons – a small child won’t appreciate this one much!
Inexpensive Christmas gifts for music students don’t have to be hard to find – you just need to get a little creative!
And isn’t that one of the reasons you got into this business in the first place? I know it is for me – the creativity required to run your own business and teach music is not one that is for everyone, but is a huge asset in every facet of my business!
If you have any questions or suggestions, leave a comment or shoot us an email! Have a great holiday season!