It’s never been easier and quicker to get a gift than it is today. We are only ever a few clicks away from being digitally presented with thousands of birthday presents that are, we’re assured, perfect for the person we’re looking for. And whilst it’s tempting to take up the offer to get them something hastily before moving on with our busy lives, when it comes to gifting for a landmark birthday, we advocate the crafting over the getting. For taking the time, digging deep, and creating an all round more meaningful offering.
After all, what matters (and what turns an ordinary item into a keepsake treasured for years and years) is the thought put behind it, the feelings and memories it elicits, and its capacity to magically transport them to the good ol’ days.
Whether it’s for your daughter and you’re hunting for creative 30th birthday gift ideas for her eagerly anticipated day, or you’re pondering on 50th Birthday ideas for your husband, there is a tried and tested formula that never fails to make them feel special.
Throw in a bit of effort and make it personal to them.
To get you started we’ve come up with 5 truly thoughtful birthday gift ideas that you can make your own. Make them a feel good birthday video celebration.
1. Make them a feel good birthday video celebration
When we see photos of our loved ones, the happy areas of our brains light up, and we experience heightened levels of dopamine and serotonin, i.e. the hormonal co*cktail of happiness. Imagine then, the chemical explosion when you present them with a collection of heartfelt and humorous birthday video messages from their loved ones. And a video celebration message is not only a show-stopping group present that will make their day. It’s also a forever gift that they can come back to again and again to top up their good vibes.
If you’re looking for meaningful 30th birthday ideas for a friend or relative but you can’t all be with them in person, distance doesn’t have to get in the way of a merry celebration – grab 30 of their favourite people for an unforgettable collective show of love for them.
You can make a video celebration for free here. But before you jump right, in here are some of our favourite birthday video message ideas to get you started:
- Karaoke it
There’s nothing like a song to lift the spirits and make someone’s birthday really special. Sing a song between you by giving everyone a verse or chorus. Stevie Wonder’s ‘Happy Birthday’ or the Beatles ‘we love you yeah yeah yeah’, are winners every time.
- Let them know why they are so special
You don’t have to wait for their birthdays to do this, but birthday video ideas that make them feel seen and appreciated do make for a truly thoughtful birthday gift. Try asking family and friends contributing a video these questions:
- What makes Lee such a legend?
- What’s your favourite memory of Miles?
- What’s your favourite story involving Simon?
- What do you admire most about Mary?
- How’s your life been impacted by Paul?
- Dress up
Hide behind that bushy moustache, Venetian mask, or silly wig. Any prop will add colour and humour to your video.
2. Take them on a trip down memory lane
Our memories are always inextricably linked to a place. That unforgettable holiday in Miami, the night we moved into our new home together and ate takeout on the floor, the spot on the beach where we said ‘Yes!’. By including within your selection of birthday present ideas a gift that features the places most meaningful to them, you’re also happily reminding them of the good times. For gifts that creatively capture memories of a place read on…
- A personalised map is a creative way to transport them back through a heady cloud of nostalgia to places filled with memories. A special moment somewhere to relive over and over again. There are lots of customisable maps on the market these days, but to make our offering of personalised maps extra personal to them we’ve added multiple markers, ample room for a meaningful dedication and a place to add a picture that captures the moment.
- Another unique gift for a milestone birthday is to take them on an illustrated stroll down memory lane with a personalized ‘Birthday Street’ art print from yourmemorylane. You have the option here to collect and represent all the most meaningful memories in one street.
3. Remind them of old stories
Regardless of what age our birth certificate tells us we are, approaching a milestone birthday can be met with a mixture of appreciation and resistance. We might feel grateful for the life we’ve lived and the wisdom we’ve gained whilst also quietly (or loudly) protesting ‘not another year…’. One remedy for this resistance is to gently shove aside all thoughts of increasing maturity and instead focus your birthday celebration ideas on gifts that retell some of the juvenile mishaps you’ve orchestrated between you. Your inner imps will relish in revisiting the stories of the trouble they got you into over the years.
- A unique way to collect and share your stories is to enlist the timeless cheekiness of the much loved Dennis the Menace and make them a Beano inspired Wise(ish) Words. The ideal gift for mischievous Dads or anyone who grew up with the Beano. Try it out for yourself
- Or as the old adage goes ‘A photo tells a thousand words’. So a photo book could be the perfect way for you to remind them, and you, of the good old days. The Little Moments Photo Book will help you tell their story in a flash.
4. Revel in nostalgia
Nostalgia is a big hug from the past It induces a surge of optimism and a feeling of connectedness to those around you. They say it even boosts your immune system making you resilient and ready to face the future. Likewise, when we commemorate a milestone birthday that marks the end of one decade and the beginning of a new one, it feels natural to take an affectionate and celebratory look back before stepping into the future. For this reason a gift that is both nostalgic and personal gets our vote every time. Below are some heartfelt and funny gifts that are sure to make them happy to reminisce on their birthday.
- First up is our own offering, The Book of Everyone, a unique gift that is both nostalgic and brings people & their stories together in one place. As well as filling it with fun facts about the year into which they were born we’ve also included plenty of places in the book where you can add photos of them throughout their life. It’s a gift that allows you to let them know both creatively and humorously just how special they are to you. To create a book that is made just for them you’ll need their date of birth, some photos and a little bit of time.
- If you know that they’ll favour a piece of wall art over a book then we’d recommend the birthday ‘Nostalgic Times’ newspaper poster. Fully customizable, you can add all the events and facts around the year they were born into.
- A back to the 80’s wall calendar from The Calendar King has something that will remind everyone born in this era of something that’s now in the past but still lives on in their hearts. OK so this one isn’t personalised to them, but we still love this fun 40th birthday idea for all the 80’s kids!
- For the old schoolers out there searching for birthday ideas for husband or birthday ideas for wife, the personalised ladybird books for adults take a humourous look back at their archetypal definition of ‘The Husband’ and ‘The Wife’. You can personalise the books with their name and message in the book.
5. Make them a mixtape
At the top of the Birthday party ideas list must surely sit the task of planning the tunes. Bright decorations, a bountiful array of beverages, and little nibbles all play their part in a joyful celebration. But let’s face it, whether you’re a dancer or not, the best parties are the ones in which you really loved the playlist. So if you’ve enlisted yourself to help organise their birthday antics you’re in the perfect place to make sure they begin the next chapter of their life with a rockin’ send off. Here are some ideas on how to make them a mixtape that will stand the test of time.
- Organising the perfect playlist is an essential task! Leaving the tunes to the fancy of whoever happens to be closest to the controls leaves the soundtrack vulnerable to being hogged by a handful of enthusiastic wannabe DJ’s. Plan ahead in order to sculpt the ‘democratic playlist’. In advance, ask each birthday party goer to contribute one song to the playlist that is known and loved by the birthday person and reminds them of the good times. They’ll love you for creating them an unforgettable night and playlist.
- Spotify is making life very easy for us these days, but if you want to go the extra mile make them a downloaded playlist that they can keep forever. Here’s a guide for you on how to make a mixtape in the digital age
- If the birthday person is more analogue than digital you could create them their own custom vinyl record. Vinylify makes personalized vinyl records on demand. You decide what music you want on your record and create your own cover art.
This brings us to the end of our thoughtful and nostalgic birthday ideas list. We hope you’ve found some inspiration here to go forth and create a feel good & memorable contribution for their special milestone birthday.
