How to Choose Graduation Gifts

High School and College graduation dates mark a special time in a young person's life, an ending and a beginning. You want to choose graduation gifts that are appropriate for the recipient as well as appropriate for the giver.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Choose graduation gifts that reflect your relationship to the graduate. Family members can of course be more elaborate or personal in their gift choices.
   
   If the graduate is your son or daughter, you may wish to get them started on building a good credit score. Apply for a gas credit card in the graduates name, but with your home billing address. Set a minimum credit line of maybe $250.
   
   Enclose the new credit card into the Graduation card. Instruct your son or daughter that this card is to be used for gas, oil and automobile maintenance only and that you will be paying the bill each month for the first year.
   
   Overseeing the use of your son or daughter's first credit card will help to ensure the graduate gets off to a good start building their credit rating. With the card comes responsibility and misuse of the card revokes the deal.

2. 
    
   Hometown newspaper

   Find out if the graduate has created a graduation gift registry on a website such as MyRegistry.com. Choose graduation gifts from the registry either in person at participating stores or order online and you can choose to have it shipped directly to the recipient or to your home address.
   
   Another option is to purchase a gift subscription to the local newspaper and have it sent to the graduate's new address. Familiar places and faces can be a source of comfort and/or entertainment to a young person away from home for the first time.

3. 
    
   T-shirt memory quilt

   Choose graduation gifts that are meaningful and useful too. If you're handy with a sewing machine, make the graduate a t-shirt quilt. Remember that every graduate usually has tons of t-shirts from organizations they belonged to and with the t-shirts come the memories.
   
   Make a quilt yourself or hire out the sewing. Check Craigslist or even Ebay for people who are experienced in sewing these special memory quilts.
   
   It's a good idea to involve the graduate in selecting the t-shirts used to make up the quilt. Just know that whenever the actual quilt is received, it's always a welcome surprise to the recipient.

4. Buy a simple Graduation card and enclose a gift card from a store such as Target, WalMart, KMart, Office Max, Best Buy, to name a few. Buying gift cards allows you to choose graduation gifts that will be helpful to the graduate purchasing dorm necessities and stationary supplies.
   
   Don't fret over the right graduation gift. If you know the graduate well, the gift idea will probably come to you more readily. If this isn't the case, you can't go wrong with a gift card. Looks like Congratulations are in order! :)

Tips & Warnings

• If you hire out a memory quilt, ensure the person offering the service has good feedback and examples of their previous work. Also, inquire whether they can incorporate portions of a t-shirt, or do any mending, etc. All costs should be up front (including postage WITH signature conformation) before handing over the t-shirts or your money.

Resources

• How to Sew a T-shirt Pillow

[AnneZ]

on 5/13/2009 Thanks for the tips on buying a graduation gift! My nephew is graduating from High School this month! 5* and a REC.

[FrazzledNanny]

on 5/5/2009 Great tips! I have a second grader who will graduate 5th, 8th and 12th grade. Then she will graduate college. I have another daughter who will graduate college in three years. Your article is VERY helpful. 5*

[local8b0y8]

on 4/26/2009 thanks for the ideas!

[bossypants]

on 4/25/2009 Clever and resourceful ideas for graduation gifts! Who wouldn't love any of these thoughtful and useful presents? Thanks for the terrific suggestions!

[Alrady]

on 4/23/2009 great tips for finding the meaning for the gift. thanks