Choosing high school graduation gifts can be tough, especially if you don’t want to just gift someone with a card and cash. Make the gift more thoughtful by picking one of these high school graduation gift ideas instead! There are thoughtful gift ideas, DIY gift ideas, and even just more creative ways to gift money since every graduate is okay with money!
High School Graduation Gift Ideas
I’m around teens graduating from high school all the time through my volunteer work with the youth in my church and having a large family with kids that always seem to be graduating. No matter the year, the graduating class still seems to enjoy getting the same type of gifts.
I’ve included gifts from all different budgets below so that you can choose what makes the most sense depending on your relationship with the graduate. If you know the graduate well (a grandchild, relative, etc.) you’ll likely be looking at something bigger than if you’re just a family friend going to someone’s graduation party!
Thoughtful High School Graduation Gifts
Let’s get this graduation party started with some of my favorite thoughtful graduation gifts. These are typically going to be best if you have a strong relationship with the graduate and can do something that’s actually personalized to them, not just their graduation year. You can always add these to cash as well if they’re something small.
T-Shirt Quilt
don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love a t-shirt quilt. I have one and can’t tell you how much joy it brings! I love the simple reminder of all the good times had with good friends.
Even if you don’t actually use it, having all of your t-shirts in one place to remember those memories is seriously amazing. You can either use a tutorial like this one to make your own or save the time and buy a professionally made one instead! One note – if you’re going to do this, I personally recommend giving them a gift card to get it done so they have a say in which shirts they’re okay getting rid of.
Personalized LEGO Keepsake
As a boy mom, I love these so much because you can personalize them with their school logo, make the mini figure look like them, and include text with their name and graduation year. They’re inexpensive enough that you could easily do this along with a gift card or cash.
Carpe Every Diem Book
This book has the advice from tons of popular graduation speeches, perfect to add as an actual gift to go with a gift card. Even better if you write your own personal advice for the graduate on the inside cover!
Move Mountains Necklace
All Bryan Anthonys jewelry comes with a sentiment and I love this move mountains one for a graduate who is about to move onto the next step of figuring out who they are. They have a ton of other options as well – choose one that’s personalized to your relationship with the graduate. Another favorite of mine is the find your fire one.
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Graduation Gift Bouquet
Make a gift bouquet with flowers, pictures, their favorite treats, and other gifts that you know they’ll love to celebrate the graduate! I love this trend so much because it can be so personalized to the graduate and give them the things they really want but in a much prettier package than a typical card!
Filled Grad Letters
Fill the letters of this grad letter box with their favorite treats, gifts, and even rolled up cash for a fun personalized gift for the graduate!
Adulting Pocket Guide
I love this little book that’s full of tips for adulting like laundry, cooking, and more. It’s funny but also practical and useful! Slip this into the gift bag with a gift card (for when cooking is too much) for a gift that’s sure to get a laugh!
Creative Ways to Gift Money and Gift Cards
I said it once before but most graduates would be extremely happy to get some sort of money or gift card. Here are some more fun ways to give money or gift cards to help get them started on the next chapter of life.
Gift Card Photo Album
This photo album comes with 24 photo album cards with sayings like for grabbing a bite on a busy day, for a quick bite between classes, and so on. Add you have to do is add money or a gift card then slide the photos into the album for the perfect gift!
Graduation Cap Money Maze
If the graduate likes puzzles, games, or escape rooms they will love getting the money in this graduation cap maze. They have to complete the maze to get the money out – it’s a game and gift all in one!
Confetti Cash Box
Want to guarantee a shocked reaction? This fun exploding cash box has an exploding mechanism that will have everything inside popping out when it opens. Confetti, cash, and anything else will shock your graduate in the best way!
Gift Card Holder Book
This fun gift card holder is designed to look like a graduation book but when you open it up and pull the tab, there are a bunch of gift cards inside. You can fill it with. various gift cards from their favorite restaurants, entertainment places (for date nights) and practical ones like Amazon.
Funny Money Card
Grab one of these funny money holders – they have like 10 different designs to choose from – and add your own cash to the cash. It’s a much more fun way to gift money than just putting it into a normal card. I guarantee the graduate will get a kick out of the sentiment!
College Survival Kit
Give them a personalized college survival kit that’s filled with little notes and gift cards (or cash) for specific things that will likely happen during their first year at college! You could probably make this on your own as well, but I love the cute little cards that are already done for you and fit right into the box. All you need to do is add the actual gifts!
Magic Money Box
We’ve received these for birthdays and they’re always a huge hit! You tuck the money into the box and then when they pull the first bill out, it just keeps pulling. It’s like the magician pulling the scarves out of his sleeve that never end!
Money Bouquet
This kit includes everything you need to gift your graduate a bouquet of money flowers! This would be such a fun thing to take a graduate for their actual ceremony or to give to them during a party! Way better than real flowers!
Pizza Dough Money GIft
This fun pizza inspired money graduation gift is not only clever but also hilarious! Plus, graduates will love getting a little cash in this clever packaging. And now you can buy boxes like this with the sentiment to make it even easier! You could even add a gift card to a local pizza place if you wanted to go above and beyond!
U Did It Money Gift
This is such a clever way to gift money to a graduate! Just grab a cheap frame, fold up money using the instructions, and personalize it with their name and anything else you can think of. Or just go with the basic frame and money!
A little Dough Gift Basket
Get them a basket with some edible sugar cookie dough, some money, and one of these fun printable dough gift tags for the sweetest high school graduation gift!
Adventure Fund
Gift this adventure fun box to give your new grad aa a head start on their adventure and travel fund! Everyone needs a little adventure after all the hard work and changes of the past few years! This one is especially great if you know the graduate is doing something other than going to college after school!
Cash Cake
Forget the actual cake and get one of these graduation money cakes instead! Pretty sure this is the sweetest gift you could give and a great way to celebrate a major milestone! I like this one because it’s just a temple so once the graduate (assuming your kid or someone you know well) gets their money out, you could use this again and again!
Money Frame Keepsake
This cute wood keepsake is something they can keep for later after they take the money out! They could even replace the money with a picture of their graduation – so much more fun than just giving them a card!
Money Lei
Make a money lei that you can put right on the graduate at their actual graduation ceremony or graduation party! You can add their favorite colors or just skip the papers and do just cash instead! It’s super simple to DIY this one!
Graduation Gift Cup
Grab a basic water tumbler, add a black card stock topper, and a tassel keychain to make this simple graduation cup gift! It’s simple but a creative way to gift money and bonus, they get to keep the cup and tassel too!
Rainy Day Gift
And out of all of the list of high school graduation gifts, this DIY umbrella for a rainy day gift from Skip To My Lou might be my favorite ever. Can you imagine their face as they open the umbrella and realize there’s actually money inside?
Graduation Cap Card
This tutorial teaches you how to make your very own graduation gown and cap out of money for a much more creative card than one you just grab at the store! It’s not too difficult and I’m sure the graduate will get a kick out of it, especially if you use two $100 bills!
More Creative Gift Ideas
- You’ve been booed ideas – all sorts of creative gifts to give along with Halloween boo signs!
- 30th birthday gift ideas – 30 creative ideas to give to someone turning 30 (not too far after graduation!).
- Orange gift tags – orange you glad you’re my mom, my teacher, my friend – all sorts of fun orange themed gift ideas!
- Date night cards – gift an entire year’s worth of dates in this fun DIY gift idea! Plus over 150 date night ideas!
- Candy gram ideas – all sorts of fun ideas for giving someone sweet treats (with tons of fun sayings!).
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