Graduation Gift Ideas

May 03, 2019

Graduation Gift Ideas

Graduation time is right around the corner. It’s been four years since I graduated with my Bachelor’s Degree from FIU and tomorrow, it’s my sister’s turn. School is no joke, especially when it costs so much money! Graduates put in a lot of work to earn that degree and they deserve a gift for it. There’s so many directions you can take when thinking about a graduation gift. Here are my top 10!

1.) Money

We’re not going in any particular order here, but what college graduate doesn’t need money? We all know life isn’t cheap, might as well give them some help to get going. You can do something as simple as a useful gift card for gas or the grocery, you can keep it easy with a generous check or cash in a card, or you can make a cute DIY gift.

2.) Photo collage

If you have a bunch of photos together, or if you have access to any of their photos throughout their life or college education you could make a cute photo collage to remind them of how far they’ve come. It could even act as decor and is something that will last forever.

3.) Words of wisdom jar

They sell jars like this on places like Personalization Mall, or you could put in a little bit of time and make one yourself. Add in some folded up pieces of paper with the best advice you can think of. Use lessons you’ve learned to make it more meaningful and relevant to things they might experience.

4.) First aid basket / Emergency car kit

They sell pre-made kits like this at the store, but it’d be even better if you put it together yourself. Buy a basket, or container, and fill it with all the essentials to keep them prepared for any situation.

5.) Cleaning supplies

This is along the same lines as the previous gift. Buy a cute basket that could double as decor, or just keep it simple like the plastic one shown below, and fill it with all of your favorite cleaning supplies. Homes always need to be cleaned and this is a gift that is sure to be put to good use.

6.) Kitchen supplies

College students aren’t known for cooking a bunch of meals themselves, but that’s bound to change as they adjust to a new lifestyle. Supplying them with pots, pans, baking sheets, etc. will provide them the opportunity to experiment in the kitchen more. But speaking from experience here, keep the tupperware gifts to a minimum.

7.) Tools

Tools are about as necessary as cleaning supplies. You’re guaranteed to need them at some point. You can get them a pre-made set of tools or put together your own little basket with the most used items. You could keep it as small as hammers and screwdrivers, or take it a little further and gift them a ladder or something they’re less likely to buy themselves.

8.) Appliances

Not every house or apartment comes with appliances like a washer and dryer, a microwave, a fridge, etc. These can be bought in advance or you can shop with them to make sure it fits their place and needs. If you wanted to go a little smaller, you could choose something like a toaster, a coffee maker, or a blender.

9.) Vacuum

It’s highly underestimated how exciting something like a new vacuum can really be. And when you get the right one, cleaning the floors is something you actually look forward to. Steam mops are a good companion gift to a vacuum. The Shark Navigator Deluxe and the Hoover TwinTank Steam Mop are two of the best.

10.) Travel-related gifts

A lot of graduates will travel after college as a chance to reward themselves and see the world. If you wanted to be their favorite, you could always contribute to some of their travelling costs, or you could just buy them a nice piece of luggage. Hardshell seems to be the best option because they’re more sturdy and last longer.

Whatever graduation you’re celebrating, these gifts are sure to be both meaningful and useful. Even if you’re just celebrating a birthday, any young adult would appreciate gifts like these. College is a lot of hard work and those that complete it deserve to be recognized.

If you found this post helpful, please feel free to share it using one of the buttons below. If you have any questions, leave them for me in the comments. Do you have a graduation coming up? Who are you celebrating?