Graduation is a huge milestone in everyone’s life. One of the best ways to congratulate your friend or family member on their accomplishment is to give them a thoughtful, handcrafted present. It can be difficult to come up with original present ideas—you don’t want to just hand the graduate a check or a copy of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” If you’re stumped on what to give the young adult who has everything, we’ve picked our favorite unique graduation gift ideas just for you. Check out our Graduation Shop to get started on creating graduation cards, gifts, and decor.
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Personalized Graduation Gift Ideas
We’ve gathered a unique list of the best graduation gifts for both high school and college graduates. We found high school graduation gifts that help students with the stresses of study groups and finals. We’ve also included personalized gifts for college graduation, that will be useful to graduates who are about to enter the “real world.” Graduations are a big accomplishment to feel good about and look forward to the future – celebrate that with our array of graduation gifts, from all things sentimental to practical. The following unique graduation gift ideas are sure to let the graduate know just how much you care.
Graduation Photo Posters
No matter if you are creating this for a high school or college graduate, your elated senior will love that you took the time to make a personalized graduation photo piece featuring of some of their best memories. Use Shutterfly’s premium poster or collage poster templates to feature a photo collage they can even put on display at their graduation party.
Custom Throw Pillows
Make your grad a personalized pillow with a picture, their name or a great graduation quote to give them a little piece of home while they’re away in their dorms. Include pictures of family members, pets, and their friends to give them lasting memories of their loved ones at home.
Personalized Coffee Mugs
Upgrade their dishware collection with a custom coffee mug they can use for their morning coffee or tea that helps them wake up. Add favorite family photos, their monogram, or a favorite quote for a college or high school graduation gift they’ll reach for every morning.
Personalized Jewelry
Personalized jewelry is a sweet choice as a graduation gift for girls. Instead of buying something mass produced, opt for a personalized charm to add to a necklace, bracelet, or keychain. Every time your new grad is feeling homesick, they’ll have your gifts to remind them that they’re cherished. You can even design jewelry with their favorite photo or their birthstone on it. If you aren’t crafty, but still want a gift that is completely custom, this is perfect gift idea that you can create on Shutterfly.
Custom Journals
A personalized journal is a great way for your new grad to jot down notes in their classes or at their new job. Every time they take out their journal or notebook to write down their thoughts and ideas, they’ll think of you and the thoughtful graduation gift you designed just for them.
Photo Blankets
Choose between different photo blankets – fleece, plush, sherpa and photo to gift to your new grad. This gift is perfect for both high school and college graduates. A high school graduate will love having the homey item in their dorm room, and a college graduate will be able to proudly display the quilt in their apartment. This is especially great for those who will be traveling somewhere with a cooler climate. Customize their throw blanket with graduation photos or their graduation year so they remember their hard work and dedication every time they use it.
Personal Planner
A practical gift for a busy grad is a planner. Both high school and college graduates need a good planner to keep track of classes, work commitments, and plans with friends. Our selection of practical customized planners will help even the busiest of graduates keep track of their schedules. There are also empty pages in the planner where they can jot down thoughts or ideas, and you can customize the calendar in their school colors to make this graduation present extra unique.
Coffee Tumbler
If your graduate has a great sense of humor, this gift is for them. A travel tumbler is portable, and perfect for class or the office. Young adults don’t often have too much money lying around, which is why this refillable cup is great for iced coffees and teas from the house.
Tote Bag
Prepare them for always being on-the-go with a custom tote bag to store all of their most essential items. Personalize this unique graduation gift idea with their favorite photo, monogram, or meaningful quote so it perfectly fits their one-of-a-kind style and personality.
Photo Book
A graduation photo book is a heartwarming and sentimental custom graduation gift for your loved one. Customize a photo book featuring photos of their school years, extracurriculars, and most special moments on campus. Include their clubs, all their friends, and all the activities they participated in during those four years. They’ll love flipping through the pages of this personalized graduation gift for years to come to reminisce on all the fun they had.
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Motivational Wall Art
Include a picture of their special day along with a quote to wish your new grad on their future endeavors. Include pictures your new grad will cherish and love to see while displayed on their walls in their dorms or apartments. Perfect for their dorm room or new apartment, art prints can be customized to feature pictures, quotes or even special hand written messages from loved ones to make a great grad gift that doubles as a special keepsake.
Custom iPhone Case
No one goes without their smartphone nowadays. Instead of buying the same style case everyone else has, gift your grad a customized iPhone case. Not only will it keep their phone protected from clumsy moments, their phone case will be as unique as their style. Use pictures or favorite quotes to help their personality shine through. These personalized graduation gifts are the perfect way to say congrats to the student in your life.
Keepsake Box
A keepsake box designed with a graduation photo or their initial is a thoughtful gift for them to store important items as they move into the next phase of their life. Perfect for meaningful jewelry, watches, or other sentimental items, this is a great college graduation gift that honors their hard work and dedication to their degree.
Water Bottle
An essential item for any student or working adult, a reusable water bottle will be the best gift you can get your high school graduate. Keep them hydrated and environmentally conscious at the same time with a customized stainless steel water bottle they can easily identify among their friends’ or roommates’ bottles.
Puzzle
For a fun gift that’ll help your high school grad once they’re in college or at a job, create a custom photo puzzle they can put together to de-stress and relax after a long day of classes or work. Paste a photo of them and their friends for a challenging yet fun puzzle that is sure to be one of the best graduation gifts they receive.
Wall Art
Whether they’re moving into a dorm room, apartment, or new home — a custom piece of wall art is the perfect way to celebrate their incredible accomplishments. Photo tiles are great for rentals because they are easy to stick and re-stick on the walls without damage. Canvas prints designed with photos of their family, graduation ceremony, or favorite travel destinations are great custom graduation gifts that double as housewarming gifts. For more wall decor options like acrylic and metal prints, check out our Wall Art page for tons of unique styles.
Magnets
Photo magnets are great for sticking notes or hanging greeting cards or pictures on their fridge or whiteboards. Customize their set of magnets with pictures of family members or their favorite sports team. These graduation keepsakes are great gifts they can take with them when they move out of their parent’s home, dorm room, or first apartment.
Candles
After all their hard work in their classes and finals, what better way to relax than with a candle? Design your loved one a personalized candle with their favorite photos from school or a vacation that they can light to get them happy and relaxed after a difficult day.
Personalized Back-To-School Pencils
These vibrantly painted personalized pencils will inspire your graduate as they enter the next phase of their life. Every time your graduate goes to write, they’ll see your messages and feel encouraged.
Shutterfly Gift Card
Gift cards don’t have to be impersonal, allow your grads to get anything they want with a Shutterfly gift card. They’ll be thrilled to get new decoration, personalized home goods and printable pictures that will keep them energized as they take their next big step in life. Let your grad decorate their new dorm or apartment with personalized canvas prints and wall art to make their space more like home.
Luggage Tags
If they’re planning on traveling after graduation day, gift them with custom luggage tags perfect for their next getaway. Add pictures, their initial, or a favorite quote to make the best graduation gift they’ll receive. This is a thoughtful way to help them accomplish their dreams of traveling the globe.
Reusable Shopping Bag
Reusable shopping bags are a practical gift that’s essential for all young adults. Perfect for the grocery store or shopping for school or office supplies, personalized reusable shopping bags designed with pictures of their favorite memories are a great way to remind them of home.
Resources Related To Unique Graduation Gifts
Still looking for some other options for great DIY graduation gifts? Browse our personalized graduation gifts such as mugs, blankets, pillows, stationery, canvas prints, and more. You can also visit our list of graduation quotes and messages to complete your graduation card.
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