Graduation Gift Ideas

My daughter is graduating from High School next week (YIKES!) so I have been asked this question many times. She has told me she really wants gift cards or money. She loves the idea of picking out things for her dorm. I've never seen her so excited at looking at bath towels and sheets! Don't feel bad that a gift card or money are impersonal, because it's what they really like. If you want to be creative, think of a unique way to wrap up the card or money.

The best graduation gift I ever got was a gift basket with cheap walmart bowls, plates, cups and such. It has lots of various small, simple kitchen items that were great for the dormroom. I really like the Ramen noodle book too and my dad got the me a self help book that explained everything from tire changes to fixing a leaky facet. It was great.

When my daughter graduated from high school I bought cheap, glass, piggy banks for her friends. Think they were from Walgreens. Some of them had sports things on them etc... as they were in sports together. I put quarters for when they went to college and needed money for laundry. They all seemed to love this inexpensive gift.
Anything they can use in their dorm rooms, ex. small fans, towels, shower flip flops, etc... is also greatly appreciated.
Also think you can never go wrong with gift certificates or money-even if only a small amount.

http://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You-Be-Rich/dp/076114748...

We got this book for a niece who's graduating. It's geared towards 20-somethings. It teaches you to be smart with your finances - to not get in debt, have savings, have a retirement plan, etc. It's very easy to follow. I wish I'd read it 20 years ago. ...and it's only $12.

HOw about gift cards? Maybe one to Target or Bed Bath & Beyond for the H.S. grad to help with dorm supplies and/or school supplies. Maybe one to somewhere nicer for the college grad, like to Pottery Barn. I think $20 each would be nice if that is within your budget.

I love giving engraved items from Things Remembered like pens, photo albums.

Hi,

We just purchased at Amazon.com a book for our High school grad called "101 things to do with Roman Noodles" for $10.85 (including shipping). We plan to add a case of noodles for about $5 and it is a fun gift too. Good luck.

You can always ask the parents what the kids want. I have had several parents ask me, and then give them a gift card. For college graduation, clothes store cards are very nice. Good luck!

Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go! is a classic graduation gift for college or HS.

Chrissy

Go to the itunes site and purchase either a $15, $25 or $50 gift card. My 16 yr old daughter loves to purchase music this way!

C. Wand
____@____.com

A roll of quarters. This is especially a great gift if the person is going off to college. Quarters are like gold in college. You always need them for laundry, for copies in the library, for the pop machine, ect. I have given a roll of quarters for years and even if them don't show appreciation that day, they always come back and say thank you for the quarters later.

I love the laundry basket idea--wish someone had thought to give me that when I started college!
I am from Hawai'i, where everyone gets a flower lei on special occasions. I've adapted that now that I live on the mainland and make lei out of candy or little needed items, such as travel-sized toothpaste, mouthwash, mini deodorant, lotion, etc. It can be as inexpensive (Tootsie rolls) or as nice (small wrapped gifts or gift cards) as you'd like. I use cello-wrap and spread it out on the floor, line up the items to be included on top of the cello-wrap, and then fold over the wrap on both sides over the items. Then use ribbon to seperate each "compartment" and tie the items into place. It will look like a big caterpillar until you connect the ends into a circle and add a pretty ribbon and curl up the other ribbons. It would be easy to make several lei at once to remember many friends, as long as someone helped keep your baby out of the way. ;)
I've never had this idea flop, since the presentation is unexpected and unique. It's fun to receive at a party. I often use ribbon and cello wrap to match the school colors of the graduate. My brother-in-law actually wore his candy lei in his graduation ceremony and we had no problem picking him out! (Plus, I think he was sneaking snacks during the long ceremony.)
Best wishes!

Having had 5 younger siblings graduate over the last ten years, and having graduated from college myself, I have to say that the best gift is a gift card or money. It is hard to know what they will need in the next step of life, and a gift card will get them exactly what they want. I know it sounds unpersonal, but it really is the best. If you are looking for something with a little more thought, I got a cd playing alarm clock for my highschool graduation TEN years ago, and I still use it everyday. It was the best non money gift I got, and the only thing I still have.

I got a cute bath towel wrapped up in ribbon with a card from one of my friends' parents and it was great since I was heading off to college!

For College graduation... I got mostly money :)

I love giving the book "Oh, the places you'll go!" by Dr. Seuss for graduates. And adding a small money gift as well.

Hello M.,

I am a consultant with Homemade Gourmet. We sell dry mixes for everything from dips and soups to main meals, drinks and desserts. You could put together a great little gift basket for the graduates who will be soon out on their own and need food and meals that are super easy to prepare. Please call or email me with any questions

www.homemadegourmet.com/AllisonHood

A. Hood
###-###-####
____@____.com

Gift cards to Wal-mart or Target. Also, I've given I-tunes gc in the past and whether it's a HS grad or a college grad...they love it!

Hi!

Last year my graduating daughter had 8 friends who were very close to us. I couldn't afford to give them each the money or gift cards I would have liked but we found something they all appreciated.

I shopped around and found nice medium sized photo albums for $6-$8. I had many photos we had taken through the years of these kids with my daughter and each other. We sent them to Walmart.com photo center and picked them up locally. Each album had about 20 photos and room for more. They loved them and took them to college with them to remember their friends!

I even wrapped them fun! I bought inexpensive gift bags that fit the size of the albums and at the party section found kiddie sunglasses. I drew faces on the bags and added "Your future's SO bright, ya gotta wear shades!" They had a blast with the glasses too!

Don't know if this will work for you but it was fun!

For a high school grad you could put together a cookbook of cheap and easy meals. Will they be attending college close to home? A gift card for gas might come in handy. Or even a laundry basket with laundry detergent and some quarters.

A college grad will probably appreciate a gift card or money the most. Lots of bills to pay off. :)

For High school graduation I make fleece blankets. I only do cards for college graduation.

I have a girlfriend whos does chocolate suckers for any occassion. They are great inexpensive gifts.

Here Business name is The Chocolate Sucker (Jaime Buck)
Email: ____@____.com

Hope this helps,

C.
Little Journeys World, LLC

M.: Mary Kay has some great gift ideas. They can be put together for you, gift wrapped, and delivered (for free) all our gifts are 100% satisfaction guaranteed. you can contact me: ____@____.com (for gifts it's best to work with someone local--so i'm in Denver) or go to www.marykay.com put in your zip code and find someone close to you.

good luck!

A roll of quarters, a laundry basket and some detergent. Money, I-tunes, gift certificate to Walmart, Target, the grocery store, the campus book store, lottery tickets. What are their interests? Camping gear, books, crafts, ect.

Gift Cards, Gift Cards, Gift Cards!!! I think these are some of the best gifts for graduation unless you know specifically what someone wants. You pick the amount and go for it. Depending on who you are giving it to you can pick just about any kind. For the high school graduate I would get a Visa gift card that they can use at the mall. For the college graduate if you know them and their situation you could customize the card. Are they getting married?(Bed Bath & Beyond/?) Are they buying a house? (Home Depot/Lowes) Are they going on a trip after graduation? (Visa) Are they in debt with student loans? (Massaga/spa:)...anyway you get the point. If you do not like the idea of gift cards and want to buy an actual gift, then I would do some snooping with relatives/friends and find out what they like and then go to the store and buy an actual gift, however, depending on what they like/want this could be expensive. If you are tight on money the gift cards are a way of saying I am thinking of you/Congragulations, and they can take your card and mix it with another one they get and buy what they want. Hope this helps!