Find a great gift for a college graduate

When considering a gift for someone who is graduating from college, many people feel comfortable just giving cash. However, sometimes we feel like giving something a little more personal instead of or in addition to money. Especially if we are one of the few family or friends who were invited to a ceremony.

You can find a good gift for a college graduate by considering their upcoming plans:

Moving away from friends and family? Give gifts to keep connections and memories strong.
Do they have travel plans this summer? Help them make the most of their summer plans.
Do they need time to relax? Buy them self-care items or experiences.
Are they going straight into their career? Give them gifts to ease the transition.

Even if you don’t know their plans well, you can give personalized practical gifts for college life or symbolic gifts of luck such as items that contain 4-leaf clovers.

Highlighting Good Times and Growth

Graduation celebrations can be a great time to acknowledge the accomplishments, growth, and happy memories of the graduate. If you know enough about the graduate’s experience in college, you might have an idea about aspects of their life that you can highlight with a photo, collage, or inspiring message. Then you could capture those memories with a laser engraved photo on wood (from Etsy), a 3D laser engraved photo (from Etsy), a canvas print (from Etsy) or a film roll keychain (from Etsy). If you go with an inspiring message, you could give a personalized wallet card (from Amazon). If you know what they majored and they enjoyed it, you can tailor your gift or message to reflect it.

Honoring Special Connections

If the graduate is moving away from close friends and family, you might give a gift that honors special bonds and how those connections can still thrive despite long distances. There are a variety of accessories that are designed for long distance relationships such as keychains (from Etsy), necklaces (from Etsy), and bracelets (from Amazon). You can also get items like mugs (from Amazon) or wall decor (from Amazon). If the graduate is part of a small tight-knit group or club, you can give puzzle-piece accessories such as this 5-piece necklace (from Etsy) or this keychain set (from Amazon). If you are close to the graduate and they will likely feel homesick at times, you can upgrade to giving a pair of friendship lamps (from Etsy). They connect to wifi and each will light up the same color as the paired lamp(s) when one lamp is touched.

Summer Plans

If the graduate is planning to go away during the summer, you can give a gift they can use on their trip or that they can use to reminisce about their travels. If they don’t already have one they might appreciate a personalized passport cover (from Etsy). Perhaps they are going somewhere where they could use a personalized compass (from Etsy) or personalized duffle bag (from Etsy). There are an assortment of wall maps that could be great gifts for avid travelers. If they focus on the United States, you could give, a scratch-off (from Etsy), cork (from Amazon), wooden (from Etsy), or a photo map of the United States (from Amazon). For a world traveler, you could give a cork (from Etsy), canvas (from Amazon), or a wooden world map (from Etsy) to reflect their wider travels.

Relaxation and Hobbies

When basing a gift off of the graduate’s free time, consider their hobbies and what they do for relaxation. Maybe everyone knows that they worked hard throughout their college years and could just use some downtime. If so, something as simple as a bath bomb (from Amazon) could show that you value their self-care. Or, if you know their hobbies and interests, you could get a gift that is related such as:

For starting their career

Some graduates are moving straight into their careers. If that’s the case, there are an assortment of items that can be useful in this stage of their life:

Personalized Practical Items for the home or apartment

Some graduates know what their living arrangements will be after college. If you know they are moving into an apartment or house for the first time on their own, you might consider gifts that can make their new place feel more like home. Recent college graduates could use a variety of personalized items:

Even if you don’t know their preferences very well, personalized beverage containers are versatile and useful:

Gifts that Symbolize Good Luck

Since the graduate is starting a new chapter in their life, they will definitely need some good luck in their journey. While 4 leaf clovers are rare, there are more than we think that are picked and supplied to independent artisans to create gifts with genuine four-leaf clovers embedded.

Here are just a few of the items that you can find as gifts to spread good luck:

Cards

Whether you are crafting a detailed message of inspiration or writing just a few words, it’s important to include a card as well. Here are some options that can stand out from the rest. Some cards are specifically designed as graduation cards, such as this 3D card of a wise graduating owl (from Etsy) or a 3D paper bobblehead card (from Etsy) that you can personalize using image of the graduate. You can also design your own card with a general 3D personalized card (from Etsy). If you know the graduate’s interests and hobbies, you could add an extra personal touch by giving a card that reflects something important to them. For example, there are blank 3D cards featuring a camera (from Etsy), drum kit (from Etsy), musical notes (from Etsy), or a soccer player (from Etsy).

We hope these suggestions help you find suitable gifts for college graduates as they celebrate their accomplishments and look forward to the next adventures. If you’re looking for more handmade gifts that can add a personal touch to your next gift-giving occasion, feel free to check out our main page at givehandmadegifts.com. Thank you!