Grad gift ideas needed!

[mpatry]

One of my younger sisters is graduating highschool this year and will be going off to college in the fall. What are the best Graduation gifts you've given or received? Or something that you wish you'd gotten when you graduated?

I'm looking for something homemade or 50$ and under (Can't really afford more than that). Thanks!

Feel free to add links to any Grad kits that might be in the store too, I'll need one at the very least for the card

[lovely1m]

I gave my brother a printer for his high school graduation. I had a whole slew of them that I have a school supply kit to. That was a big hit. You could also get some picture from her high school years and scrap it for her.

[kscwgirl]

Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss. Seriously.

[rochelle789]

I'd do cash or gift cards to Bed, Bath and Beyond or Target, since she's going off to college. I know they're not the most personal, but that's what I appreciated when I graduated. I remember using the cash to go out and buy things for my dorm room. Maybe you could add a small graduation/highschool friends album or something like that to make it more personal.

[EvaK]

My oldest son is graduating this year as well. I am anxious to see what suggestions you get cuz I have relatives asking what they should get him.

I am also thinking of doing a grad themed kit. I did one years ago (long long since been retired). I am trying to decide on a color theme... which is difficult seeing that there are so many different school color combinations. My son's colors are purple and gold... but I don't think that is a common combination. Maybe I should do a poll to see what colors are the most common.

[ColleenSwerb]

Eva, what if you did something like Julie did with Gridiron Glory? She had the main kit, and then add ons for different colored jersey and hemlets and stuff. You could do the kit in your sons colors, and then off an add on in other colors for a bunch of stuff.

Mmmm.....I mostly got money, and I mostly spent it on garbage. ::shrugs::
If you think she'll get homesick, an album full of family pictures would be awesome. Or just an empty sort of album with places for photos that she can fill in herself, either with friends from home and high school, or with new friends and memories from college.

[Julie Billingsley]

I think the gift card to Bed Bath and Beyond or Target would be great. I'm making a list of all the stuff that my graduating son will be needing for college and seriously it's becoming an expensive list.

Also, I was just saying in a recent thread that I'll be working on a college/graduation kit soon too.

[nun69]

depending on if they are staing home after graduation or not, I would say gift cards they could use for decorating their space at college...gas card, if they are gonna have a car! or plain old cash! my DD will probably be staying home next year and going to community college { less than a mile from our house!!!} sp I am sure for her cash and gift cards will work but I like the idea of a family albm if they are gonna be far from home!

[Balinda]

I think you should go the more sentimental route...I have nothing that was gifted to me when I graduated. My parents gave me a one hundred dollar bill and I bought crap with it.
I got my son a digital camera when he graduated cuz I just thought he needed one..less than a year later he had cracked the screen from placing it in his pocket (hard headed kid)
I have decided that when my DD graduates (she's only in the 7th grade) she will get a pair of diamond stud earings....you can catch them on sale all the time at Kmart, Sears, JC Penny's for a fleck of a sparkle and I know that at Penny's you can always take them back and upgrade for larger diamonds at a later date.

[scrap2day]

An overnight bag that was my first piece of luggage. It was nice for when I went to visit friends who went away to college.

[Jengerbread88]

Originally Posted by EvaK

My son's colors are purple and gold... but I don't think that is a common combination.

My high school colours were purple and gold! DO IT!

[MamaBee]

Originally Posted by scrap2day

An overnight bag that was my first piece of luggage. It was nice for when I went to visit friends who went away to college.

I got that too!! It was also nice to have when you come home on weekends.

Otherwise... if the college has community bathrooms, a caddy tote and flipflops was awesome! Photo frames of family members... just the basics... shampoo, soap, towels, laundry soap, bedding, laundry bag or basket, food gift cards... I couldn't live without my microwave or in the summer had a hot pot... didn't care for the dorm food... (but you will need to check with the college dorms if this is accepted).

If you want to do a gift that goes through the year... make her cards and send them... in today's age of email, it's still really cool to get snail mail that's not a bill. LOL!