21 Birthday Gifts To Celebrate Your Best Friend

Your bestie’s birthday is coming up and you’re almost more excited than they are? All you need now is a special gift for your special friend. You don’t have to spend all your savings to show them how much they mean to you — a gift that comes from the heart is worth more than anything money can buy.

We curated a bunch of gift ideas to help you find the perfect birthday present for your best friend. Whether you wanna stick to a budget, do some crafting, take them out for an experience they’ll never forget or get them something that’ll make them wonder how they ever lived without it, browse through our list to get inspired!

Affordable Birthday Gift Ideas

If you’re on a budget and crafting isn’t really your thing you can still get your friend a gift they’ll appreciate. Here are a few of the ideas we came up with to make your friend and your wallet happy!

1. A cookbook

Yes, we know that you can find virtually any recipe online these days. However, oftentimes you have to read someone’s entire life story before even getting to the ingredients and touching your phone screen with greasy hands because it’s gone black is just no good. A cookbook is not only a beautiful piece of decor, it’s also an excellent source of inspiration and easy to navigate. If your friend loves to cook or bake, this gift will certainly be a memorable one.

2. A picnic

Going out to dinner can get quite expensive. No matter the weather and your cooking skills, you can always put together a picnic to celebrate your friend’s birthday. Better yet, if you’re in charge of throwing the party this year, host a backyard party for your bestie that they’ll never forget. Whether you plan an outdoor movie night, a barbecue or put out all the yard games you can find, celebrating outside is always twice the fun.

3. A new houseplant

Ask any green thumb if they could ever have enough plants and the answer will likely be never. If your friend is a passionate plant parent, contributing to their collection is a beautiful way of supporting their hobby. Next time you’re in their home, take note of the plants they already own so you can pick one out at the nursery that they don’t have yet. A plant parent will also appreciate a new pot, high-quality plant food or a pretty watering can. And if you think there’s no more room for plants at your friend’s house, don’t forget about hanging planters!

4. A cute tote

While a new purse may be out of budget, a pretty tote is definitely an affordable and useful gift! Whether they’ll take it to the beach, the library or the grocery store, with their new tote they’ll always be in style. If you can’t find a cute one in your favorite store, check out a few local businesses or stores online for a tote with a pun that fits your friend’s humor or maybe even get a custom logo or quote printed on the fabric. Fill the tote with treats like a magazine, candy or a few cosmetics and you have a wonderful gift full of surprises!

Useful Birthday Gifts For Your Bestie

A present that’s fun and can be put to use? It’s like the best of both worlds. If you’d like to give your friend a useful gift, we have a few ideas of what that could look like.

5. A new journal

If your friend loves to write or sketch, get them a new journal! Journaling is good for the soul and every time they open the book, they’ll think of you and feel grateful to have such a thoughtful friend who encourages their hobbies and helps them take care of their mental health.

6. A babysitting voucher

Any mom or dad will probably jump at the opportunity to get a night off from their kids. Since you’re a close friend, they’ll have no issues trusting you to take care of their little ones. You can take this gift a step further and add a gift certificate for a restaurant or movie theater. If you don’t want this voucher to collect dust, write down a few days that work for you to encourage your friend to schedule a date!

7. A polaroid camera

Oh, the thrill of taking a picture and waiting for it to develop just to find out everyone’s eyes were closed… With everyone having camera phones in their pockets at all times, a polaroid picture (no matter how badly lit or terribly cropped) is a great way to hold on tight to a moment that can never be tampered with. Besides, the cameras look cute on a shelf and are just fun to play with. Make sure to take pictures together right after your friend unwraps their gift to capture the moment.

8. A flower arranging class

A new skill can always come in handy! If your friend loves creating a beautiful home, they’ll be thrilled to attend a flower arranging class at your local nursery with you. You can always bring this experience home by buying a variety of cut flowers and taking an online class or watching free videos that explain how to arrange flowers into beautiful bouquets.

Birthday Presents For Friends Who Have Everything Already

Coming up with gift ideas for someone who buys everything for themselves, lives a minimalist lifestyle or simply doesn’t care too much about “stuff” can be a real challenge. Here are some ideas that’ll help with picking out a gift for a friend who already has everything.

11. A wine tasting

Unless your friend has a wine cellar in their home or lives on a vineyard, going out for a wine tasting is always a great time. Some vineyards allow you to bring snacks. If that’s the case, prepare a charcuterie board with all your favorite cheeses, meats and crackers. Now that’s a party! Make sure to organize a ride home so you can enjoy the day to the fullest.

12. A game

Board or card games are so much fun. New games are released every day so it shouldn’t be difficult to find one that fits your friend’s taste and isn’t already part of their collection. And this gives you a great excuse to invite yourself to the next game night! If your friend enjoys puzzles, they’re also great gifts to support their hobby and give them something new to do.

11. A bouquet of flowers

They may have absolutely everything you can think of in their house but a fresh bouquet of gorgeous flowers will brighten anyone’s day. Send them their favorite blooms or a bouquet with their birth month flowers to show you put a little extra thought into this gift. Add a personalized card with well wishes to the bouquet and you can put a checkmark on making your bestie’s day!

12. A spa day

One can never have too many spa days. Take your bestie out to get massages or manicures and gossip over a cup of hot tea (or a fruity cocktail, you do you). If a spa day is out of your budget, just set one up at home! Prepare face masks, snacks and maybe a detoxing foot bath. That way you can gossip as loud as you want and even end the night watching your favorite movie together — there’s no one there to kick you out!

Unique Gift Ideas To Celebrate Your Friend’s Birthday

It can be difficult to give a present to a friend who’s very popular. Chances are, someone else will get them a similar gift and they have to return it. If you’re worried this might happen or just want to celebrate your friend’s uniqueness with a one of a kind birthday present, we have some ideas for you.

13. A scavenger hunt

We know that you don’t need an excuse to spend an entire day with your bestie but if you’re looking for something new to do and want to surprise them with a fun activity on their birthday, plan a scavenger hunt! You can hide clues in places that hold a deeper meaning for your friendship like the High School where you met or the coffee shop where you’d go during work breaks and take your friend on a walk down memory lane. You can end the night with a picnic in the park or a drink at your go-to bar.

14. A photoshoot

Your friend may have everything but do they have enough pictures of the two of you? Since there is no such thing as too many great pictures immortalizing your friendship, let us answer this question for you: no! You can book a session with a photographer in a studio or out in the open air. If you like, you can invite other friends to tag along or bring your pets to the photo session. Make sure to frame the best shots or put them together in a scrapbook to remember this special day forever.

15. A custom painting

It’s much easier and probably more affordable than you think to get a custom painting done these days! You can find talented artists on small business platforms that offer custom pieces. If you still have some time until your bestie’s birthday and you want to give them a truly special gift, this is a great way to surprise them with something they probably would never get for themselves! The piece of art can show the two of you, your friend with their pet or a fantasy version of your friend hanging out with a fictional character (maybe baby Yoda?) or idol they wish to meet some day.

16. A flower cake

Anyone can give a birthday cake but if you want to go the extra mile and surprise your friend with a baked good like no other, a flower cake is the way to go! If you don’t want to buy a cake, you can bake it yourself at home and decorate it with edible flowers like carnations, karma orchids or violas. This will certainly be a showstopper at the birthday party!

DIY Birthday Gift Ideas

What did you say? You’re actually a pretty talented artist? Whatever your specialty, your friend will love to receive a unique gift for their birthday that you’ve crafted with your own hands. Here are a few ideas for birthday presents that you can DIY to amaze your friend.

17. A scrapbook

A book full of memories that define your friendship — sounds like the perfect gift for your bestie! You can fill it with photographs, concert tickets and notes you’ve written to each other in High School. Maybe there’s a quote or song lyric that you connected over or a movie you watched together that has become a favorite. You can print out small versions of movie posters or CD covers and add stickers throughout or doodle to fill the pages. This will be a truly unique piece of art that your friend will cherish forever.

18. A piece of art

If you’re a talented artist, you can create a piece of art for your friend’s birthday. You can paint a picture of the two of you, carve a statue that holds a special meaning, or create a hand lettering sign with their favorite quote. If you’re into pottery, maybe craft a pot or key tray and paint it in their favorite color. They’ll be happy you took the time and effort to create something that no one else has.

19. A custom pillow case

An embroidered pillow case is not just pretty to look at, it’s also fun to craft. If you don’t feel like picking up embroidery you can still create a custom pillow case, blanket, tote or T-shirt for your friend with tie-dye or fabric markers. Scour the internet for some cool design ideas or quotes and give your friend a unique and personalized gift.

20. A scented candle

Or a whole set! You can make your own candles by melting wax and adding dried petals, essential oils or even coloring. No limits are set to your imagination when it comes to creating your own scent-blends and colors. If you want to make this candle extra special, you can place a small treasure like a guardian angel figurine or a toy ring at the bottom of the jar before pouring the hot wax in. If you use gel wax, you’ll be able to see the treasure once the wax has hardened.

21. A piece of jewelry

Crafting your own jewelry can go far beyond a braided friendship bracelet. There are plenty of tutorials online to craft pretty earrings, cute bracelets or stunning necklaces. You can find everything you need at your local craft store and can even create a second piece for yourself so you and your bestie can match.

Don’t forget to add a cute card that has a personalized message or birthday quote written inside to make your friend’s birthday the best day ever. In case you can’t celebrate with them in person, sending them birthday flowers will certainly show how much you care and make their day a little brighter.