Great Graduation Gifts

Graduation is a day of relief, happy that all your time and money have been well-invested and the late nights and worries are now, thankfully, behind you. If you want to treat a graduate friend or relative, or drop a few hints yourself, we have just the thing...

A Job

Once the classes and parties are over, the job hunt begins. A little help with this can earn you a graduate's adoration forever. This can mean a little cash or a word in the ear (or Linkedin recommendation) of an influential acquaintance.

Some classes, perhaps in catering or languages, can help them find some work to tide them over while they're on the lookout for that perfect job.

Relax and Rewind

After all the studying and stress it'd be great to give your graduate a well-earned chance to relax. Depending on your budget, you can treat them to a luxurious spa day or a simple trip to the local cinema.

Or, if you're feeling particularly generous, there are some great deals on sites like Lastminute.com for weekend breaks to cities around the world.

Gourmet Goodies

It's always nice to have a meal after graduation, but the graduate would be doubly impressed if you also slipped them a voucher for their favourite restaurant, deli or sweet shop.

Some might prefer a picnic after all the excitement, which lets you spoil the graduate by cramming all their favourites into a fancy hamper. You can even make one yourself, loading it up with chocolate, cheese, jam, olives and not forgetting a bottle of wine with one of our personalised graduation labels on it.

Get Wired Up

A gadgetless graduate is at a severe disadvantage in today's jobmarket. A good laptop or notebook is an essential piece of kit for many careers. A quality smartphone also allows the graduate to browse for jobs, send and receive emails on the go and hold overseas conversations with potential employers for free via Skype.

Mementoes

Some want a little something to remind them of their big day. Personalised mugs, pens and class hoodies are old favourites, but there is something to be said for the DIY approach.

For example, Bryan Martin bought his daughter a copy of Dr.Seuss's 'Oh, The Places You'll Go!' thirteen years before her graduation. The book, which Brenna Martin found “moving, touching, nostalgia and thoughtful” was filled with comments from every teacher Brenna ever had.

More Customised Party Wine Labels

Happy Summer Folks!! Hope the weather's good where you are.

Our Father's day labels proved to be a big success, so on the back of that we've been busy again creating more sticky customised wine labels.

We've a new wine label suitable for 'Any Birthday Age', a '60th birthday label', a '35th' and a '45th'.

Hope they make a great personalised birthday present!

The 5 Most Awful Wedding Gifts

Wedding presents are difficult to get right. You need to find something tasteful, which suits both bride and groom, while trying not to break the bank. Still, you'll see it could be worse, as we show you the worst sins against wedding gifts.

Post-Gazette

Re-gifting

There's nothing lazier and more insulting to a couple than giving a gift that is obviously just being passed along. Bad gifts that Brides told Wedding site The Knot, include“A regifted apple peeler” and “A regifted gravy boat that was broken.”

Worse yet, is to open a gift that you had given to someone in the past. Though it is hilarious in Old School when Frank (Will Ferrell) keeps trying to get rid of his breadmaker, the bride and groom might not find it so funny.

Money Woes

Couples on The Knot also talked about strange donations they recieved, like $10 in scratch cards,

a graduation card with $7 in it and a pair of Boxers with money in them.

The strangest has to be the tale told by 'Mrs Knitting' about a guest who cancelled the $300 cheque he'd given the couple because he didn't get enough alcohol at the wedding!

Inappropriate

It goes without saying that anything risque is a no-no, lots of people have been pretty embarrassed when on the receiving end of a copy of The Kama Sutra.

Although giving the groom a card for a divorce lawyer is bad, the most insulting gift we could find was a set of scales given from parents to their daughter with the touching sentiments;

To help insure our wedding dress investment, please buy some scales of your choosing with this money and weigh yourself once a week.

The Frisky

Awkward 

There are some gifts that will only lead to an awkward silence. Alcohol, like a microbrewery kit, is best avoided as is the sometimes daunting presentation of baby clothes...

Make sure to check everything you buy to make sure of its quality. You might think that's a bit overboard but imagine being the person who presented the bride with towels reading "Home Sweet Homo."

Nothing

The greatest sin of them all is to turn up empty-handed. At the very least you should make the effort to make a joke out of it, with this packet of Nothing, advertised as being “for the person who has everything.”

Totally-Funky

Practically anything you can think of is better than these gifts, but, if you're struggling check out our Wedding Gift Guide for proper gifts.

5 Great Father's Day Presents

Why not ditch the novelty mug and slippers or that same shaving kit for the 20th time this Father's Day - June 17th - and get your dad something he'll really appreciate?

Sports Fans

With Euro 2012 underway and the Olympics just around the corner there's loads of options for sporty dads, like the latest football shirt or a chance to enjoy the games with friends and a BBQ. More active dads might relish an offical Euro 2012 ball for a garden kickabout.

Red Letter Days offer special gifts from the opportunity to brew your own beer or take a Poker Masterclass to taking part in a Medieval Joust and the chance to drive a Steam Engine!

Red Letter Days

Memories and Momentoes

Surprise your dad by getting his workmates, school friends, teammates and buddies to help get together some old photos and newspaper clippings to make a scrapbook or bring old camcorder footage back to life by putting it on a DVD. Be careful though, it's all too easy for someone to slip in a few of your embarassing baby photos!

The Personal Touch

You can get some really fancy personalised gifts these days. notonthehighstreet.com have something to suit everyone like a silver plectrum for the old-school rockers or an apron for a foodie. Instead of a card, a personalised chocolate plaque from Thorntons will go down a treat.

Any whiskey lover would be proud of their very own personalised glass. Personalised wine glasses will also go perfectly with a bottle of wine bearing one of our brand new Father's Day labels on it.

 

A Little Break

Trips away don't have to break the bank. A weekend in Paris or Rome for your parents can cost as little as £130.  Or better yet, you can get them an InterRailing pass, which allows unlimited train journeys for a week or more to 30 European countries.

Or send them off to visit friends/family in style by upgrading their flight to first class or booking a local restaurant for them when they arrive.

Keep It Simple

There's no need to go wild. Making your father's favourite meal, or bringing him breakfast in bed could well make his day. Moonpig.com also offers a great range of small gifts and cards.

Then there is always old favourites like watching a favourite movie, taking a trip to the beach, or perhaps a quiet day fishing.

Cooke & Berlinger

 

New Father's Day Wine Label Gift Designs

Glad to say we've been busy and created 4 spanking brand new personalised Father's Day wine labels. As a father myself I'd be only too happy to receive a personalised bottle of wine or 2!

5 Great Gifts for a 40th Birthday

The Big 4-0 is a great excuse to get your friend something really special. Thanks to you, they can spend their day throwing themselves into a new hobby or out of an airplane. After all, life begins at 40...

Showtime!

Whether the birthday boy/girl loves nothing more than seeing a good play, or a ticket to the latest Hollywood smash, there's plenty of ways to spruce up their night. Most theatres and cinemas offer VIP packages, so you could find yourselves in extra-comfy balcony seats watching the show with a glass of bubbly.

Luxury Travel Magazine

Or let them decide with a voucher for their favourite venue, or a Ticketmaster Gift Card, meaning they can choose from hundreds of music, comedy and theatre shows.

Get Your Pulse Racing

 

Sports fans are easily pleased with tickets to see their favourite team. Most sports' venues also offer some luxury extras, like a tour of the stadium or an opportunity to meet the players.

Better yet, you could sign them up (and perhaps join them) for an exciting class like climbing, salsa dancing or zumba. Or get them out on the water with a day of surfing, canoeing or on a jet ski.

 A Day To Remember

Companies like Virgin offer a wide range of fantastic days out. There's something to suit everyone with sky-diving and the chance to drive a Ferrari for adrenaline junkies and relaxing Vineyard tours and Chocolate tasting sessions for the more mellow.

While a spa day is a great gift, the new GlossyBox can pamper your friend all year round, as a box of beauty products arrives at the birthday girl's door once a month.

Oasis Stores

Game On

A Wii or Xbox Kinect is a great gift for anyone. Parents and kids alike can get involved with games like Tennis and Boxing, have a karaoke party and experience the world of modern, online gaming.

Destructoid

Or for the nostalgic touch, a table-top arcade machine can help kids of the 80's relive their childhood through Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

Memory Lane

 

If you want to plan the perfect surprise party, dig out old numbers and hunt down teachers, colleagues and exes (if you're feeling brave) to make up a 'This is Your Life' evening, which should prove a memorable, if somewhat embarassing, night for everyone.

Or, if for some reason you can't make it, you can drop off a bottle of wine with a personal message on one of our birthday labels and a DVD of your friend's 'best bits' when you get the time.

The 2012 Wedding Gift Guide

Having developed a range of labels for wine at weddings and given you tips for choosing wines, we thought we'd help you out even more with a guide to the hot gifts of the year, be it high-tech wonders to recession proof delights. 

A Gift to Last

Some gifts never get old. Many brides will cherish a comfy pair of slippers or a fancy dressing gown for years. A couple of connoisseurs would relish a bottle of scotch and wine that will mature with them. You can even add a label with a message and a date for opening (perhaps a landmark anniversary?) to the bottle for as little as £1.

There is also lots of funky, homemade kitchenware to be found online. Who ever said matching mugs were cheesy?

Etsy

Use Your Talents

Being a bit strapped for cash can be a blessing in disguise. Use the opportunity to get your friends something meaningful while others are splashing out on extravagant gifts that will only gather dust.

Those with skill in the kitchen can help with the reception or even bake the wedding cake. There's also the couple's pets to consider, you can save your friends the cost (and anguish!) of sending the dog to the kennels by offering to take care of it while they're away.

Treats for Techies

There's never been a better time to buy gifts for gadget lovers. Bookworms with limited luggage space will love a Kindle pre-loaded with some of their favourite reads.

The gift that really keeps on giving is a subscription, whether they love downloading new music (iTunes), playing games against people worldwide (Xbox Live) or having access to a huge library of great TV shows and movies. (Netflix)

Netflix

 

A Honeymoon To Remember

A surprise on the couple's honeymoon could make their trip all the more memorable. If you know the place they are going you can sort out a day trip, tour or meal for them. 

Or better yet, you can upgrade their plane ticket to first class, or call their hotel to have a bottle of champagne soaking in ice waiting for them when they arrive.

Gastronomic Gifts

If the happy couple are eager foodies, then a voucher for their favourite restaurant or deli will go down a treat.

Hampers to suit all tastes can be ordered online and delivered to the couple. The Eden Project pride themselves on their eco-friendly hampers crammed with organic, fairtrade goods, including the popular Cornish Hamper...

Eden Project

If you're feeling creative, have a crack at designing a hamper yourself. Fill it up with cheese and olives or strawberries or whatever they're into. Don't forget to add a bottle of wine, with a little note on one of our labels.

And, if all else fails, cash is always welcome, you never know, tucking a few bills into a photo frame or book could make you the couple's favourite guest!