The best teacher Christmas shirt at Marie Gems depends on whether you want to press it yourself. Six teacher and school staff Christmas designs are ready-to-press DTF transfers from $2.00 each, and two finished shirts, a tee from $14.52 and a sweatshirt from $34.20, need no pressing at all.
I run Marie Gems, a DTF transfer shop in Wichita, Kansas. This post is about shirts: six designs you press onto your own blanks, and two finished ones. If you are shopping for a teacher mug, ornament or tote instead, my post on personalized teacher Christmas gifts covers those.
At a glance: eight teacher Christmas shirt picks
| Pick | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Merry and Bright Teacher | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Merry Christmas to an Amazing Teacher | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Preschool Is Merry and Bright | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Kindergarten Christmas Magic | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Santa's Favorite Bus Monitor | Ready-to-press DTF transfer | $2.00 to $4.00 |
| Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas Teacher Unisex Graphic T-Shirt | Finished tee, Sand or Sport Grey | From $14.52 |
| Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas Custom Graphic Sweatshirt | Finished sweatshirt, Sand or Sport Grey | From $34.20 |
Which teacher Christmas shirt designs can I press myself?
Six designs are ready to press: five teacher designs, which are Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas, Merry and Bright Teacher, Merry Christmas to an Amazing Teacher, Preschool Is Merry and Bright and Kindergarten Christmas Magic, and one school staff design, Santa's Favorite Bus Monitor. Each one comes in 4", 6", 8", 10" and 12" at $2.00 to $4.00 for a single transfer. My size guide lists 10" as popular for adult shirt-front designs and 12" as the full-size option for larger adult shirts, so a 10" transfer at $3.50 suits a standard adult shirt front and a 12" transfer at $4.00 suits a larger shirt or a bigger design. Press at 320°F for 15 seconds with a cold peel; the steps are in my guide to applying a DTF transfer at home.
Which teacher Christmas design fits which grade or role?
Match the design to the classroom. Preschool Is Merry and Bright is a preschool classroom design, and Kindergarten Christmas Magic is built as a Christmas gift for kindergarten teachers. Santa's Favorite Bus Monitor is a school staff design made for school staff shirts and family matching sets, so it covers a role most teacher shirts skip. Merry Christmas to an Amazing Teacher is a heartfelt holiday appreciation message, Merry and Bright Teacher pairs the classic holiday phrase with a teacher theme, and Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas pairs a teacher message with festive styling for any grade.
What if the whole school staff wants to match?
Any of the six ready-to-press teacher and school staff designs can be ordered in a bigger quantity for a matching staff set. At 12", ten transfers of one design cost $34.00, which is $3.40 each, and twenty cost $64.00, or $3.20 each. Ten teachers on a grade-level team can each press one shirt for $34.00 in transfers plus whatever blanks they choose. There is no minimum order, so a team of three can order three singles at $4.00. For the price math on all of the quantity tiers, see my singles vs. 5-pack vs. 20-pack comparison.
Should I buy a finished teacher shirt or a transfer?
Buy the finished shirt if you are giving one gift and do not own a heat press, and buy the transfer if you are making several shirts or want your own blank. The finished Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas tee is $14.52 with nothing else to buy. A 12" transfer is $4.00 and you supply the shirt and the heat press. The transfers only win on price when you already have the equipment or you are making a group order.
Which teacher Christmas shirt can I give without pressing anything?
Marie Gems has two finished, made-to-order options, both in Sand or Sport Grey: the Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas Teacher Unisex Graphic T-Shirt from $14.52 and the Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas Custom Graphic Sweatshirt from $34.20. The tee is a cozy holiday shirt for the teacher who makes the classroom feel like home, and the crewneck carries the same message.
Where can I find a matching mug, ornament or tote?
The Teaching Is the Heart of Christmas artwork is also on a mug, a ceramic ornament and a tote bag. I cover those finished gifts in my post on personalized teacher Christmas gifts, so this post sticks to shirts. The Teacher Gifts collection lists the finished items in one place.
Making a set for a whole school staff? Browse the Teacher & School DTF Transfers collection, or upload your own design if your school has an idea of its own.