Employee appreciation gifts are a great way to highlight a team or an individual’s hard work and achievements. Promoting accomplishments not only improves employee morale, but it ensures that everyone feels respected and valued. A thoughtful reward program also helps retain and attract top talent.
Although it may seem daunting, a meaningful recognition program doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. We’ve compiled a list of fun employee appreciation gift ideas to help you get started!

1. Office awards
Give kudos to employees by presenting awards! Use trophies or framed certificates to recognize positive behaviors, like great customer service. Or sprinkle some humor into the mix with “most likely to” awards. Get as creative as you can!

2. Employee of the month
Let the whole team know who’s putting in extra effort by featuring them as the employee of the month! Display their framed photo in a designated spot where everyone can celebrate it (make sure it’s a professional headshot to keep the look consistent). If your organization has one, add them to the company newsletter, too!

3. Work anniversaries
Reward employees who have been loyal to your team by recognizing their yearly work anniversaries with a framed DIY certificate or an engraved plaque. If possible, include a short thank you note acknowledging their time with the company. Employees will appreciate the extra touches that show you care!

4. Professional accomplishments
Celebrate important professional milestones with certificates that detail noteworthy achievements such as graduation or training program completion. Allow employees to hang their certificates or diplomas in their offices, or choose a dedicated communal space to hang them all together!

5. Inspirational quotes
Give a shout-out to impressive employees with inspirational quotes. They’re a great way to boost creativity and productivity! Consider framing your quotes and adding a matboard that matches your company colors.

6. Company photo
Take a company-wide photo of your team, have it framed, and gift it to new employees. It’ll help new employees feel more welcome and they’ll get to know coworkers a lot faster. Don’t forget that we can print, frame, and ship to locations across the country!

7. Peer-to-peer shout outs
Get the whole team involved by having them recognize each other’s accomplishments. Create your own certificates or ribbons (or you can use colorful post-it notes too!) so employees can give accolades to their colleagues who have gone the extra mile. Choose a spot in the break room so employees can display their accolades for everyone to see!

8. Employee wall-of-fame
Create a gallery wall dedicated to showcasing your top employees by adding their framed photos to a wall of fame. Make sure to include details about why they were selected! If you’re feeling especially inspired, consider swapping out normal headshots for fun caricature drawings.

9. Decorate the break room
Employees love relaxing in a nicely decorated break room! As a team reward, consider adding indoor plants, framed colorful art pieces, throw rugs, and comfortable seating to make your break room extra inviting. Need more ideas? Check out this nifty guide on designing a break room employees love!

10. Printed newsletter
Print a bimonthly newsletter (let’s face it, we all get too many emails anyway). Have employees submit their own pictures or art for the cover. Fill it with company news, new employee bios, and shout-outs to awesome employees. Add each edition’s cover to a frame on a gallery wall. It’s a great way to showcase your employee’s creativity and chronicle your organization’s history. Plus, it visually dresses up an otherwise blank wall!

Final thoughts about employee appreciation gift ideas
Now that we’ve introduced you to our favorite employee appreciation ideas, it’s time to start thinking about which strategy works best for you! Each concept is relatively affordable and is sure to make a big impact on your team. Get imaginative with your strategies and refine them with employee feedback. We hope this has inspired your creativity, so don’t forget to share your framing projects with us on social media!
And before you go, make sure to explore how our white labeling program can help businesses just like yours!
Download Free Certificates of Appreciation
Looking for something quick and fun to show your appreciation for your team? Join the Frame It Easy business-focused list and not only will you receive information on how we can help your business with our frames, you’ll also get some downloadable Certificates of Appreciation to fill, print, and frame!
This post first appeared as 10 Creative Employee Appreciation Gift Ideas on Frame It Easy - Learning Center for Custom Picture Framing.
