Creative and Unique Birthday Gifts

Think beyond the obvious and give them birthdays to remember.

Your beloved friend or relative is celebrating a birthday, and you want your gift to stand out from the crowd. Delight the birthday celebrant with something unexpected and fun. Forget about dull, practical presents like new socks and gas-station gift cards and turn your attention to ideas and experiences that reflect your friend's personality and hobbies. Astound your recipient and enjoy the accolades you reap from your insightful shopping efforts.

Hot-Air Balloon Ride

This birthday balloon will thrill its recipient.

Instead of the Mylar balloons emblazoned with "Happy Birthday," give a hot-air balloon ride. Consult your local phone book or an online directory of balloon ride providers to find a vendor near you. Book a short trip for two and you'll be sure to delight the recipient -- whether it's an ecstatic 9-year-old or a 40-year-old who looks forward to enjoying a bottle of wine with his wife as they float among the clouds. Most rides are about an hour in duration and provide beautiful views during the slow and gentle travel.

Theme Basket

Package up everything for a movie night from funny DVDs to gourmet popcorn.

Target her interests with a basket of goodies tailored to her favorite hobby. If the birthday girl is a movie buff, fill a popcorn bucket with DVDs, candy and soda or stock an old-fashioned popcorn popper with gourmet flavorings like truffle oil and hot-pepper blends. A child with a summer birthday will appreciate some sidewalk chalk, bubbles, water guns and a hand-cranked snow-cone maker cellophaned together and tied with a bright bow. Focus on the recipient's most frivolous enjoyments -- sparkly nail polish and decal stickers for the manicure aficionado or a mixing bowl of drink mixers and garnishes like limes and cherries with a pair of margarita glasses for a 21st birthday.

Inspiration

Give him the supplies to refine his creative skills such as cooking or kickboxing.

Tap into the birthday boy's creative side with the gift of a new hobby. Put together a kit for making paper airplanes or origami, gather some grill tools and a manly cookbook on how to assemble an entire meal on the barbecue or choose three bottles of wine and a beginning oenophile's guide book to set the recipient up for a fun evening learning something new. Reserve him a private kickboxing lesson if he's athletic, pick up items so he can build a birdhouse or choose some charcoal and a sketchbook for the artistic friend. Broaden their horizons with a delightful indulgence from your local craft or home-improvement store.

Photo Book

Immortalize the fun you've had together by putting together a photo book.

Forget scrapbooking. Scan your old family photos or upload the pictures you snapped with your cell phone at the bachelorette party you all attended. Compile images of the birthday boy or girl and make a photo book online or using the software of your choice complete with funny captions reminiscing about the trouble you've gotten into together or the inside jokes you share. Include both sweet and silly shots to make it a truly personalized gift.

References

• Hot Air Ballooning: FAQ's
• The Custom Basket: Make Your Own Gift Basket

Resources

• Shutterfly: Photo Books and Photo Albums
• Gifts: For Men