This birthday, why not give your friend something they are sure to remember down the road? When it comes to celebrating the birthdays of our friends, we want to make sure we find them that perfect gift that represents not only the years you have been friends but the journey you two of gone on and supported each other on. Buying gifts is stressful enough, and when your best friend since childhood hits a milestone or is celebrating another year of being older and wiser, you want to make sure that you have carefully thought and planned for that perfect gift.
To help with finding your friend a gift we share:
- Planning for the perfect gift
- Themes for birthday gifts
Planning for the Perfect Gift
When it comes to picking a gift for our friend, one of the first things to consider is if your friend is a male or female. Knowing the gender of the friend is going to help determine what route you take when it comes to finding them a gift. Guys can sometimes be more accessible to shop for than girls; however, there can be more pressure to make sure your guy friend likes what you give them.
The first step to take when planning for the perfect gift for your friend is the budget. How much are you willing to spend on your friend’s birthday? Now, if your friend is hitting a milestone such as 21 or 30 years old, you can probably expect to pay more than if they were turning 27 or 28 years old. Once you have set a budget, then you can start to narrow or broaden your list of gift ideas.
Once you have considered your budget, now examine the relationship between you and your friend. Did you receive a birthday invite from a friend you saw once at the grocery store? Or, is this a friend who has shared every possible life milestone with you? From the first steps to first dates, this friend is pretty much your brother from another mother. The relationship and closeness you have with your friend are going to help you determine the type of gift you want to give them, and as we share below with gift ideas, knowing your budget and relationship is going to help a lot.
Themes for Birthday Gifts
Looking for birthday gift ideas for your friend? We share some potential birthday themes that can help you decide what to get them.
A Gift of Experience
Experiences make great gifts. They can be anything that includes skydiving, a cooking class, or a paint-night. A gift of an experience is one that is sure to create memories.
One way of knowing if an experience is something your friend is going to like is to consider your past conversations or ones leading up to their birthday. Have they been hinting at something they want to try or do? Consider your discussions and the possible hints they may be dropping.
Types of gifts that are an experience include:
- Broadway or musical tickets
- Tickets to their favorite sports team
- Cooking class
- Pottery lessons
Self-Care and Wellness
If your friend is a girl, you can’t go wrong with getting her a nice spa or massage package. From manicures to pedicures, they are going to appreciate the gift a lot! If, on the other hand, your friend is a guy, he may enjoy an afternoon getting pampered – especially if it includes drinks.
Maybe your male friend prefers the great outdoors, as opposed to sitting in a hot tub. You can get them passes to hiking trails or a gift card to a sports store so that they can pick out their necessary equipment. Remember that when it comes to wellness and self-care, it does not just mean going to the spa. Wellness and self-care gifts can include yoga, meditation, or excursions into Mother Nature.
Self-care and wellness gift ideas include:
- Spa gift certificates
- Yoga class
- Meditation class
- Acupuncture
- Massage gift certificate
- A gift basket with – bath salts, facial masks, bath bombs, and lotions.
- Hair salon
Interest and Hobby Based Gifts
Remember all those long days spent making friendship bracelets? Or that time you both decided to pretend to be a hair-stylists, so you gave each other a haircut? Consider getting your friend a gift that falls in line with their interests. Do they have a hobby that you may not be a fan of? Why not get a pair of tickets to go see the orchestra together? Doing something that your friend likes for their birthday is a great gift to give. Not only does it show that you have thought about what to get them, but you have added this personal touch to the present as well by including yourself in the experience.
Sometimes doing things together is a great gift and one they really want.
Ideas of interest-themed gifts for your friend include:
- Baking themed
- Gardening themed
- Music themed
- Cooking themed
- Movie-themed
Sentimental Gifts
Looking to show your friend just how much your friendship means to you? Why not opt-in for a sentimental birthday gift? A sentimental birthday gift for your best friend could include a photo of the two of you over the years or a mixed tape of your favorite bands.
Sentimental gifts are a great birthday present because they represent just how much you know and value them. Friends like to know that on their birthday, they hold a special place in your life. With life getting complicated, and aspirations sometimes leading to friendships fading due to distance, when you have a friend you can trust and count on, why not show them just that on their birthday?
Sentimental gift recommendations:
- Personalized t-shirt
- Photo or collage
- A mixed CD of your favorite songs or bands
Whether you have been friends for 15 years or longer, find the perfect gift to give your friends by thinking about their likes and dislikes. You know them better than most, and chances are you both have gone through the ups and downs of life together, so make their birthday a special one with a special gift.
This year, give your best friend a gift they are sure to remember down the road.
