Your best friends are the best – of course! Naturally, you want to spoil them on their birthdays. Picking out a gift that the recipient will love involves care and thought. You want to make sure your friends will appreciate what you pick out for them, and you certainly don’t want to give them the same old things. Before the next birthday in your squad, draw some inspiration from the following suggestions. We promise that your pals will be pleased as punch by any of these presents.
The Gift of Birthday Bling
Birthday jewelry is a fantastic gift for your besties. Regardless of aesthetic, age, gender, or style, the odds are good that you can find a piece of birthstone jewelry or jewelry that somehow celebrates their birth month. From charm bracelets and pendant necklaces to earrings and rings, birthstone jewelry is incredibly popular and often quite lovely. It won’t hurt to ask some gently probing questions to make sure your friends like their birthstones. You can also do a little digging to learn more about their jewelry preferences. If you have friends who don’t often wear jewelry, then you may want to look for a different birthstone trinket, such as a keychain.
Next-Level BFF Jewelry
Those broken heart necklaces from your grade school days were adorable, but you’re a grown-up now, and you have more besties. That calls for something more polished. Fortunately, BFF jewelry is still a trend among friends. You can find chic necklaces, bracelets, and rings, jewelry that all of you can wear happily, because it’s stylish, not kitschy. Of course, there are plenty of cute, kitsch pieces, too. It all depends on you, your friends, and your personalities.
Something to Make Memories…
Gift-giving comes in all sorts of fun packages. One of today’s top trends, especially among friend groups, involves sharing experiences rather than traditional gifts. People often feel like they have so much stuff already that they’d rather have an experience that allows them to make memories with their closest friends and loved ones. For each of your best friends, think about an activity or adventure that they would love. Talk to the rest of your friend group about planning the occasion. You can all go in together to make your pal’s birthday a memorable occasion. Try this for every birthday in the group and you’ll have a year full of memories.
…And a Way to Remember Them
You and your friends need a way to capture all those memories. That gives you several options for gift ideas. How about a modern Polaroid? The ability to get those old-fashioned-looking snapshots right away is delightful. That’s a gift you can get for each friend on their birthday. There are also mini photo printers that offer instant gratification, making it more likely that everyone will print and display their pictures. A photo frame is never a bad idea, either, particularly when it’s personalized in some way.
A Modern Watch Band
How many of your friends wear smartwatches? From Apple watches to Fitbits and beyond, smartwatches are becoming as ubiquitous as phones. Now, you have to be super close with someone to buy them a phone cover – those are intensely personal, after all! – but if you know all of your friends’ favorite colors and patterns, then you can easily pick out a watch band for each of them. Choose sporty bands for your active pals and jewelry-inspired pieces for your fashion-forward friends. It never hurts to have a spare watch band or two, so the gift will surely be appreciated by your besties.
Make It a Monogram
What is it about monogrammed items that make them so special? People love seeing their monogram, so that’s a fantastic way to personalize a present for your most prized pals. You have no shortage of options here, either. Does one friend adore home decor? Consider a gift of monogrammed guest towels, throw pillows, or a lovely wall hanging. Monogrammed jewelry is a must-have for friends who love sparkly things. Monogrammed tee shirts, fashion tops, and caps will work for your stylish friends.
A Blossoming Birthday Gift
Did you know that every month has a flower or two? Find out the birthday flowers for the months in which your friends were born. From there, you have a range of possible presents from which to choose. A botanical print, especially a watercolor, is the perfect idea for the art lovers in your group. Do any of your friends have green thumbs? If yes, then surprise them with a planting kit containing the seeds of their birth month flower(s), careful instructions, and pretty planter pots.
A Personalized Cocktail Mixture + Tumbler
Thoughtful gifts mean the world to the recipients, especially when they’re clearly tailored to the receiver’s preferences. Think about all the times you’ve gone out with your buddies. Who has a signature drink, something they always order or try when they see it on the menu? Whether you take that as a guideline, rely on what you know of your friends’ favorite flavor profiles, or comb through a cocktail recipe book for inspiration, this gift will be a hit. Give your friends all the necessary ingredients to create a craft cocktail (or mocktail) based on what they like. Put together a cute basket, along with a personalized tumbler to keep their cocktail cool and ready to sip.
A Fun Gift for Game Nights
If your friend group has regular game nights, then everyone will benefit from this gift idea. It’s especially helpful if you rotate from house to house. Surprise your friends with game night gifts that ensure you all have fun together. That could be a new game, an organizational gift, or something tangentially related, such as a cocktail setup, a Bluetooth speaker for easy access to your game night play lists, or a charcuterie board to guarantee delicious snacks every time you get together.
What types of gifts do you typically give your best friends on their birthdays? Let us know how these ideas go over!