Looking for graduation gift ideas? Graduation season is upon us. As part of my series on creating an awesome graduation party, here are 10 awesome graduation gift ideas to make your own graduate’s party perfect.

I started this series on graduation party ideas because, as I have shared in other posts like 10 easy graduation party food ideas and 10 fun graduation party decorations,  when my oldest graduated from high school we had a lot of fun throwing a big graduation party to celebrate her achievements!

And now the other 2 kids have graduated as well, so we are old pros at this! 🙂

So, here are some of the ideas we used and others we found at other graduation parties we attended.

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1. A perfect graduation gift idea is a mason jar decorated with graduation cap and full of money.

2. Pizza box with money “pizza.”

I got the idea for this one here.  Because what better graduation gift could there be than pizza money?  Write on the inside of the lid: One cannot live on pizza alone.  You also need a little “dough!” We got $25 in dollar bills from the bank and taped them down in the center with double-sided tape.  We attached the pepperoni quarters the same way.

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3. Another great gift idea for the graduate is a Water bottle full of quarters.

For laundry, snack machines, and parking meters.

4. Clever congratulations card using candy.

Use your imagination! We had a lot of fun with this one. It was challenging but worth it! It was the hit of the grad party.

You can see how much my graduating daughter liked it. 😉

Here is another example.

5. “Life is like a box of chocolates.”

Like Forrest Gump, we don’t know what we’ll get, but make your graduate’s day by putting money in a chocolate box to make it even sweeter. (It’s up to you whether you eat the candy or give it to them, too…)

6. Umbrella raining money “for a rainy day.”

They’ll need a good umbrella for those rainy day walks between classes and it gets even better if you tie money to the ribs of the umbrella!

7. Inspirational books for the graduate.

There are so many good ones out there.  And, as a librarian, I know you can’t ever have too many books!

Of course, as a retired librarian, I am partial to Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Here are gifts for ALL the bibliophiles in your life (maybe even you)!

8. Fill an over-the-door shoe bag with snacks so the graduate will be set in their dorm room.

Btw, shoe organizers are inexpensive and so very versatile. Here are 25 ways to use shoe bags to organize all kinds of things (even shoes)!

9. Make a laundry kit for the graduate soon to be on their own.

Fill a laundry basket from the dollar store with laundry supplies and quarters. Click on image to get free printable label.

10. Freshman survival kit.

Snacks, laundry supplies, money, stamps and stationery, gift cards to favorite shops, gas stations and restaurants.

There you are – 10 great graduation gift ideas for your favorite graduate!

And if your graduate is heading off to college soon, check out my complete gift guide for them!

Let me know what gifts you have given (or received) for graduation.

~ Pam

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