It’s that time of the year when many of your friends or family members graduated and are inviting you to their grad parties. Giving money is sometimes confusing because there’s always the question of, “How much do I give them?” or “ I want to get them something meaningful, but I don’t know what to get.” Personally, I’m the type of person who would rather give a gift than money if they are one of my close friends because it’s more thought out and sentimental. So, here are ten thought out grad gift ideas that can help you out or give you ideas if you are in a buckle of what to get a graduate this year!
1. Picture collage pillow
I would visit Shutterfly for this! They have loads of options to choose from and help you create the perfect pillow collage your friend/family member will love!
2. Collage photo frame
Again, Shutterfly can give great photo frame options where the photo is a part of the frame, and you can even personalize it further with a theme!
3. Photo album already filled with pictures and descriptions
I got something like this for when I graduated high school from my best friend and it was probably the best present I received. When she gave me a photo album that already had been filled and put in chronological order, I was amazed! This had obviously taken a lot of time and effort and it was definitely very sentimental, and meant and still means a great deal to me!
4. Shadow box
This is an easier option than the photo album, but still can be just as meaningful. Any arts and crafts store would have tons of supplies to create this, and you can personalize it however you want, giving it a specific theme or making it just an abstract collage!
5. Bracelet with school symbol charm
If you are short on time, this is a perfect solution! Many jewelry stores carry charm bracelets (Pandora, for example). Simply go to one and pick out a chain and charm that represents something from the school they are graduating from or that represents what they studied. For example, if they went to Marist, you can look for a fox charm or even just an “M” for Marist, and if they were an education major, you can look for an apple or pen and paper charm.
6. Picture blanket
Again, Shutterfly! You can personalize a soft and cozy blanket with either one photo or a collage of photos which the grad can either use to snuggle with on cold days or as decoration for display!
7. Business apparel
If you know they have a lot of interviews this summer or a job lined up with business/business casual dress attire, you can get, if a boy: ties, cuff links or a handkerchief, if girl: cardigans or a blouse.
8. Gift card assortment
This is great if you wanted a unique gift basket idea! Just get a bunch of gift cards from your grad's favorite restaurants, stores, and/or cafés and put them in a card with quirky descriptions or make a basket out of them!
9. Hand-painted or purchased canvas assortment
This is great for grads you know will be moving out after graduation to start them with some inspirational or just cute canvases to decorate the walls of their new place. It can even work if you know they have a job lined up with an office or cubicle of their own!
10. Graduation basket
This is the big kahuna! First, start off with a basket size of your choice. Then, add an apparel item or items from the school they graduated from, a gift card to their favorite place to eat, a bottle of champagne (because it’s time to celebrate!), a shot glass with their school's logo, their favorite candy, and a photo album to put all the photos of college memories!
Happy grad shopping! And I hope this helped with some ideas for what to get your grad(s) this year!
