Best Friend Birthday Gift Ideas

When you are in search of some great best friend birthday gift ideas, simple, yet meaningful is what you need to remember.

Over the years as I have shopped for my friends' birthday presents as well as for my kids' best friends, I have found that you can't go wrong when you keep the following in mind:

Birthday Gift Budget- Always know before you head out for the store exactly how much you have to spend on the present. This will help you stay within your budget as well as stay focused when shopping.

What does she like? Why spend money on something that you're not sure that your friend will even like? It is so easy to stay within your budget and spend less on a gift if you are in tune to what your best friend likes and enjoys. Also, when you give a gift that shows that you took time to consider your friend's interests, it makes the gift even more special. For example, I have a best friend who is interested in making jewelry but doesn't know how or where to start. For her last birthday, I gave her a subscription to a jewelry magazine. I have another friend who loves unique kitchen items. For her birthday, I gave her a set of fun measuring spoons with little teapots on the end of each spoon. These are things that my friends usually wouldn't buy for themselves, but will enjoy thoroughly. What a treat!

One of the neatest best friend birthday gift ideas that I have found is both inexpensive and fun to receive and give. It is one that I once got as a gift. It is a movie bowl basket. To make this, just simply fill a medium sized plastic bowl with fun tissue paper or shredded colorful paper filling. Then fill the bowl with a box of popcorn, a candy bar, a gift card to your local movie rental store, and a sweet note to remind your friend to take time to relax with popcorn and a favorite movie.

Birthday baskets are great!- I have found that giving a birthday basket is one of the best friend birthday gift ideas ever. I have fun putting the baskets together and my friends always love getting them. Here are just a few that I have either given to my friends or have received from my friends. To make a birthday basket, first decide what your friend enjoys or is most interested in. Then create the basket around this theme like the movie rental basket mentioned above.

Manicure basket - Fill a cute basket or tin pail with a nail dryer, fingernail files, and nail polish.
Ice cream sunday basket - Fill a cute bag or medium sized plastic party tub with cute bowls, a tub of ice cream, different varieties of sauces, candy sprinkles, etc.
Personalized notepad basket - This is my favorite basket. Fill a cute tin pail with brown beans, green peas, or any other uncooked bean that looks like grass or dirt. Add a flower pen (wrapped in floral tape) and a couple of personalized notepads. For an added touch, you can punch holes in the tin and add some ribbon.

Handmade Gift Ideas- My absolute favorite gifts to give my friends are handmade ones. If you are a crafty person or even if you aren't and you can follow directions, then why not try making your friend a birthday present?

Practical, Personal, and Perfect Best Friend Birthday Gift Ideas- Sometimes your best friend might seem to have everything, and you just can't think of anything to give. When this happens, I usually try and get something practical yet personal that my friend would never buy herself. This usually comes in the form of a gift card to her favorite place or a magazine subscription that she would never subscribe to otherwise like a craft magazine, a cooking magazine, a sewing magazine, or a jewelry magazine.

Don't worry if you are having trouble coming up with some great best friend birthday gift ideas! Just remember to always keep the person's interests in mind when making a gift or shopping for one. Your friend is going to love any present you give her, simply because it came from you!