Nikki Miller and Paige Sudlow

With graduation around the corner it means going to graduation parties, and finding the perfect idea on how to say goodbye. Sometimes simple words don’t hold enough meaning. If you are looking for a special way to say goodbye to someone you love, there are a lot of simple and  meaningful ways to do so.

If you’re willing to spend some time making the perfect gift for a graduate, a T-shirt quilt is the perfect gift!

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All you need is a needle, some thread, scissors, and the T-shirts they want to include. It’s something that will be used often, and whenever they look at it they can reminisce on all the great memories they had throughout the years. Websites like

For someone that loves to reflect on all the experiences they have had in life, a travel or adventure book would be just the right thing! This allows them to design it the way they want, but also remember that it came from someone special, and they’ll be forever grateful for it. When they grow up and have children they will be able to show their kids all the cool things that they encountered. You could also make a scrapbook for them with high school pictures through the year. This would allow them to look back on all the great times you had shared!

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Friendship mugs are a great idea if your loved one is a big coffee drinker! Customize the mug in a personal way, so he or she can start their day off right. It can have anything on it such as their favorite quote, a picture of the two of you, or something the both of you have in common.  

Customizing a picture frame is a way to spice up your going away gift in an inexpensive but memorable way. There are a variety of ways to customize a frame, even if you aren’t the most creative person. Even if there is a simple design around the picture frame, the actual picture is what will mean the most.   

A more personal idea is to gather up letters from all of the graduate’s close friends. The letters can contain anything such as simple memory the two had together, what the friend loves about them, or how proud they are of their friend. Once all the letters are compiled put them in a box and write a letter to place on top explaining what the inside entails. It’s a great gift with sentimental meaning that will be sure to make them feel good about themselves!

Going along with the letter idea, you could write the graduate “open when” notes to open for situations that they will encounter on the new chapter of their life. Some ideas could be “when you’re stressed”, “when you miss your friends”, “before an exam” and even happy events such as “when you get your first A”, “when it’s your birthday”, or “when you meet a significant other.” This is a neat way to show the friend you’re giving it to that you’ll always be there to give good advice, and to let them know you’re thinking about them when they come across any situation in life.

If creativity really isn’t your thing, money is always a good gift along with a thoughtful handwritten card. College is expensive so any amount of money will benefit a person going off to college and the card will put sentimental touch to the gift! Write about how proud you are of them, and that you can’t wait to see what great things they do with their life beyond high school. To add flair to the money,you could give them the amount of money in the year they are graduating in. For example, this year would be $20.14.