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12 Amazing Birthday Present Ideas, Perfect For Him Or Her
How to find the perfect birthday present for him or her
Nikki Waterson
The challenges of finding unique birthday gift ideas
It can be challenging coming up with unique birthday gift ideas for anyone in your life. Finding inspiration for the perfect present on your own can feel impossible.
A special note on this list: This list is separated into gifts for him and gifts for her as this is how many people still separate out their present ideas. Of course, you can make the best possible birthdays for him, her or anyone by taking from this list. Personally, I want more of what is on the 'him' list than the 'her' list!
Ideas for birthday gifts for him
If you're struggling to find birthday gift ideas for him, here are a few ideas to get you started...
1. Inspiration for birthday gifts for the beer and sock lover
Finding a birthday gift for the beer lover in your life is about as easy as finding a birthday gift for the collector of socks in your life. Male or female, honestly, these two loves across a range of age groups. I fall into these categories, for instance.
There are so many great craft breweries available online, as well as subscription boxes that you can give to your beer lover friend to create a top birthday experience.
Check out Bucket Boys, for instance, who not only do regular subscription boxes but even virtual tastings.
And they aren't even limited to beer, check them out for a range of drink subscriptions at bucketboys.com.au
And as mentioned, if you're looking for socks to gift to your special person, I adore these ones from Peggy & Finn, an Australian sustainable fashion label who do fashion for weddings, but when I used to wear a casual suit... I wore these to work, and they were terrific.
Their patterns are Aussie natives from Australian artists, and I just love them.
Go to Peggyandfinn.com.au for some sockspiration (yes it's a new word I made up!)
2. Birthday gifts for him to taste it up
Have a look at Top Food and Wine Toursin an area near you. You can go on a tasting tour where a local will take you through some of the best eateries for a nibble at each.
Spending the night filling your stomachs has got to be one of the best birthday propositions for any human!
Check out Topfoodandwinetours.com.aufor a guide on where to get started with this special gift!
3. A chef? Birthday gifts to give him something to drool over
Or if he likes cooking for himself, consider getting him a new recipe book. There is always a vast range of great recipe books at a reasonable price on Amazon and a great selection for your Kindle or other E-Reader too!
Plus, if he has kids this is a great way to know they will get involved. And enjoy the outcome of his new chef experiments!
Side note, I'm a massive fan of the eccentrically fabulous Katherin Sabbath. So if he likes baking sweet treats, get him Bake Australia Great for a new, edible take on the classic Aussie icons we know and love!
Featuring the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Opera House and Big Banana, if he likes sweet treats he'll love this book
4. Find birthday gifts hiding amongst his loves, and give him an extra-special hobby?
If he has a niche, or even not so niche hobby, search online for his hobby and the word 'kit' - you could find him a special DIY Vegan leather-tooling kit, for instance, if he is a big fan of his leather accessories.
Even a coffee maker, cold-brew coffee setor other coffee lover set would be a great way to delve into making an old love into a hobby. And choosing something you know they already love is one of the best birthday gifts!
The best thing about these gifts is that while often the outlay is not free, the maintenance can be.
And some might even earn a bit of extra cash! Something for him to try something new and have a bit of fun while still providing that extra touch, the perfect gift!
This Cold-brew coffee set is a great idea for a coffee lover. Especially if he's a fan of Iced Coffees in Summer!
Summing up for men
There are tons of unique birthday gifts just waiting out there that men (and many women) would love to receive as a birthday present!
Be it something sentimental such as an heirloom piece or a new fancy leather wallet - you can always be sure that he will appreciate whatever you give him on this special day.
The best birthday gifts for her
If you're looking for birthday present ideas for a remarkable woman in your life - choosing something that fits your budget and also makes for a unique birthday gift can be tough. The ideas below will make this task a lot easier!
1. Special birthday present ideas if she wears jewellery
When it comes to birthday presents for women, jewellery is often a great choice. You could look at buying a pendant necklace or brooch - so long as it's not too tacky.
I am currently obsessed with some gorgeous modern jewellery. For instance Button Cute Boutique's range of handmade of clay polymer earrings in various Australian flora, fauna and other legends (like the snag sandwich or the fairy bread, amazing). For a pair she will love for a lifetime.
These fairy bread earrings are the perfect blend of cute, quirky and nostalgia. Or for those of us who still occasionally eat fairy bread, just cute and quirky.
2. A gorgeous, unique scarf she will treasure forever
Bring instant warmth to her closet with a stunning scarf from an Australian small business like Scarves Australia. I absolutely love these scarves, and they are great for young girls through adult women, with a fantastic range of only the best.
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They sell a range of stunning scarves made from various materials - natural through blends for extra softness.
Offering same-day express shipping with orders before a certain time, you will not be disappointed with the gorgeous range of scarves. Some are event hand-painted!
This gorgeous Lilac Floral Scarf With Tasselsis beautifully soft and is my absolute favourite
3. Birthday present ideas from her favourite brand
And of course, searching for a gift set version of her favourite brand or one of her favourite things is always a winner. A few amazing Aussie brands offering gift packs in various categories are:
- 1. Goodwill Wine is an Australian social enterprise - they donate 50% of profits to charity, and you get to choose the charity!
You can buy incredibly Aussie wines from various wine regions, casesof it if you like. Or start with a smaller and affordable gift pack, like their Oak and Amphora Gift Pack for instance.
They have a Vegan range, a weekly giveaway if you sign up to their newsletter, and they have incredibly fun and cheeky labels.
Goodwill Wine have a huge range of delicious wines (I can confirm), and all of them are Vegan as well. Plus with 50% of profits donated to a Charity you choose, you're helping make the world a better place. What an amazing birthday gift!
- 2. LVLYis another Australian business that does gifting a little differently. Have you ever had trouble getting flowers delivered to particular parts of Australia and knowing that the flowers will look like they do when you purchase them?
LVLY aims to fix this problem with using florist networks, and provides next business day delivery Australia wide - pretty incredibly if you ask me!
You can get personalised jars for your flowersto send a special message, and a range of cheeky, delicious or sentimental additions to your gift box, choose from a range of great gifts to add on!
With a create-your-own box style or ready-made gift set, there truly is a gift box for everyone. I recently ordered a gorgeous set of native flowers, a customised jar, a cookie and two espresso martinis in a gift bundle for my best friend who had just finished her PhD.
She loved it, and they did look amazing.
Check out the Bestseller range from LVLYfor gorgeous gifts like this, with sets starting around $60AUD and extras adding to that price, perfect for a birthday gift
Wrap it up, add a special note, and have a purpose behind your gift card for it to be extra special for her birthday
5. Gifts are much harder since Covid-19
And obviously, with the Covid-19 Pandemic, it might not always be possible to spend time in person with a family, even for important milestone birthdays. And while magically making Covid-19 go away would be the best birthday gift in the universe, we unfortunately can't make that happen.
So there is an assumption that a birthday party is off the table at the moment. But I think it's still one of those top birthday gifts.
- Personally, I'm about to have my 30th birthday, which I'd planned to have a fantastic night in Sydney with friends and family for, now I am coming up with a way to have a party from a distance. The best birthday gift I could have is someone choosing to organise this for me!
While restrictions are coming and going all across Australia, offering to pay for a party for her birthday or, if not a party, an online get together maybe what she needs to have the best birthday she's had in a long time. Either way it's a birthday celebration!
So many people, myself included, will never make an event about themselves. So by being the one to pay for it (particularly for a milestone like her 40th) you give her the freedom to say yes to a party. In a sense that's the best birthday gift you can possibly give!
And what a great way to reconnect with family and friends in this difficult time where we are all so far apart? And instead of a disappointing birthday, it can be a birthday celebration.
Throw her a party, online or in person and let her be the centre of attention - if she wants it!
6. Gift her a unique online experience
There are lots of fun online activities that you can give her to help her have the best birthday possible.
There are online quizzes you can give her or little games through Facebook that don't require much effort from you, but she'll enjoy them! What about an online escape room?
I've tried the escape room at Agent November - a small business based in London that delivers seriously fun escape experiences and can be a really fun way to celebrate where all the work is done for you. They even allow kids as part of the experience, so this can bring some birthday joy to the whole family. Plus, it's the best way to avoid gift shopping for the big day, win-win! Oh and Agent November even does gift vouchers, so if your not sure on an ideal date, choose that!
This one can be an instant hit and such a fun gift when coming up with online-based birthday present ideas.
I highly rate Agent November Online Escape Rooms at at agentnovember.co.uk. Serious fun!
7. Beauty and Skincare products as birthday gifts
Or why not get her a luxe, all-natural skincare set of products that she would never buy for herself because it is too expensive, and make her feel extra special? This is always a perfect birthday present idea if the special someone you're buying for best friends or siblings!
- 1. Take a look at Botanicals by Luxe, Aussie brand where you can get day to day skincare as well as face masks for that extra salon-at-home feel. A seriously great gift and exactly what she may want to be spoiled. And the perfect way to give something that will last a long time, and she will use. Not sure what items to get her? Get her a gift voucher!
Botanicals by Luxe Combination Complete Set from $220.00 at botanicalsbyluxe.com.au
- 2. Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics are another luxury cosmetics, skincare, hair care and complete bath and body care range with a great selection of products to give you plenty of birthday gift ideas. Lush is the perfect way to spoil her.
Their products are unique and eye-catching, so if you're searching for something unique that is eye-catching and a unique birthday present, this is a great choice. And, these birthday gifts smell amazing.
Buying a gift bag of goodiesfrom Lush will never disappoint. They also have gift sets for men, by the way! Yep, birthday gift ideas for everyone!
Lush Twilight Gift Set from $64.00AUD at lush.com.au (and it's Vegan!)
- 3. Then again, if you're unsure, the safest way to gift her some of these products is to let her choose herself! Do you know she loves MAC or MECCA Cosmetics? Gift her gift vouchers to spend big and not have to worry about where the money is coming from!
These lip kits from MAC Cosmetics are the perfect little gift sets
8. Birthday Gifts that Give Back
And of course, here at Paws for Giving, we have arguably (I'm arguing it!) the best birthday gifts! Who doesn't love a wine glass that gives you permission to drink alone (with a fur-baby anyway)?
Our 'it's not drinking alone if your dog/cat is home' cup is exactly what you need! The search is over for the perfect present, honestly. Make her laugh, and all within a tight budget for an instant hit! Honestly who wouldn't want this, even for a milestone birthday! My call is this is one of the top birthday gifts of 2021. I'm biased, but I'm right.
These wine glasses are the perfect cheeky gift for a friend... or yourself
And how can you resist giving presents from our selection of gifts for animal lovers? Including customised pet portraits in a gorgeous watercolour style. Not a gift for a night or but a gift that could be treasured for a lifetime.
If your special someone is an animal lover, they'll be sure to love this portrait of their furry best friend. This truly is one of the most unique birthday gift ideas, and it will pay off!
Not sure what kind of portrait she might love? Get her a Paws for Giving gift voucher instead, and then you can be sure she'll get the perfect birthday gift - one that she chooses!
A Custom Watercolour Pet Portrait is the purrfect present for anyone with a pet
These portraits come in different frame styles - white, black and medium dark faux wood, and truly match any home decor. Our customers rave about them and they truly tick the box of 'cool birthday gifts'.
Bette yet, the best gifts give back. You'll be gifting the better way - knowing you're helping save animal lives by buying gifts!
Get the instant gratification that will make you warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that your presents were bought from a social enterprise donating 50% of profits to animal rescues!
AND, we even do humans, or pets, or both!
These portraits come in different frame styles - white, black and medium dark faux wood, and truly match any home decor. Our customers rave about them and they truly tick the box of 'cool birthday gifts'.
Bette yet, the best gifts give back. You'll be gifting the better way - knowing you're helping save animal lives by buying gifts!
Get the instant gratification that will make you warm and fuzzy inside, knowing that your presents were bought from a social enterprise donating 50% of profits to animal rescues!
They can be digital, unframed or framed and are printed on gallery quality stretched canvas
My summary on birthday gift ideas
The birthday gift ideas you've read about in this blog post should be able to help you find the perfect present for your loved one. Still looking? Checkout my other guides on giving gifts:
Remember:think outside of the box! You never know what might just surprise them until they open up your thoughtful gift. If you find something brilliant and thoughtful to gift someone special, leave a comment below!