13 Creative Birthday Gifts to Surprise Someone

Trying to find that perfect gift for your friend, partner or family member seems easy, but sometimes, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed. There are endless amounts of products out there to give as gifts, and the longer you spend searching, the more impossible it may feel to find the one.

All that said, you don’t have to lose hours looking high and low for the right coffee mug or sweater. Instead, get creative and think of something out of the box to surprise the guest of honor or even leave them speechless. If you need help getting creative, find some inspiration below.

13 creative birthday gift ideas

When choosing a gift for that special someone, you’ll want something that shows the person how much they mean to you—it’s the thought that counts. Think about what this person enjoys, how they might use a new gift, and what gifts might ultimately leave them with a smile on their face. Any of the below perfect birthday gift ideas might do the trick:

1. Self-care box

Give your loved one the gift of relaxation and wellness with a self-care box. You can create your own DIY self-care box to make sure everything is tailored to your loved one’s preferences or find a premade, ready-to-go box. If you’re making one yourself, consider adding face masks, hydrating body lotion, fuzzy socks, and a scented candle for a relaxing day at home. To make your self-care box even more poignant, figure out your loved one’s favorite aromas and how your loved one de-stresses for a truly customized package.

2. Personalized jewelry

You can almost never go wrong with the gift of jewelry, but instead of giving that special someone the same ‘ol heart-shaped necklace, surprise them with jewelry that has their name written all over it – literally. Whether you want to customize a necklace with their initials or give them a bracelet with their name in the handwriting of someone they love, the thought behind it will certainly show just how much you care.

If you’re buying jewelry for your significant other, a perfect gift could include a pendant with the coordinates or date of where and when you two met. Your loved one can walk around with a constant reminder of how much the relationship means to each of you.

3. Monthly subscription box

Although a birthday only lasts one day, the gifts don’t have to stop when the clock strikes midnight. Instead, keep the celebration going every month by giving your loved one a monthly subscription box. Every month (or quarter), a delightful new box filled with surprising goodies will appear on your loved one’s front doorstep. Not sure what type of box to go with? Not a problem – whatever their interests are, there’s most likely a subscription box to go along with it!

4. DIY bath bomb or salts

If your significant other is celebrating another year around the sun, instead of a birthday gift, you could arrange a birthday date night at home. After all, your significant other could probably use a calming night – we all need to relax every now and again – and a DIY spa experience is the epitome of an at-home birthday gift.

For your DIY spa, add warm, romantic lighting to your home, cook a delectable birthday feast, and finish the evening off DIY bath bombs or salt. This way, you can create a luxurious, relaxing spa right in your own bathroom. With the BlissLights BlissBulb, you special birthday honoree will be able to make a wish under thousands of glittering laser stars – it may even beat making a wish over birthday candles.

5. Wine or food tasting set

Wine lovers might dream about celebrating their birthday at a vineyard in the warm sun surrounded by fresh grapes and friends. However, it may not always be possible to bring the birthday celebration to the winery – but you can bring the wine tasting to the birthday. Send your loved one the great gift of a personal wine experience, or open the experience to a group through a virtual wine tasting.

If your friend already has a robust collection of vino in their home wine cellar, a food tasting set can complement their bottles of pinot gris, chardonnay, and merlot. From a cheese tasting board to a chocolate platter, there’s something for everyone to munch on while sipping their wine.

6. Diamond art painting

Instead of gifting art, consider giving your loved one a piece of art they can build themselves. They can get to experience the fun and relaxation that comes along with a diamond art painting kit. These shimmering pieces of art involve placing thousands of tiny gems to paint a pretty picture that will be fitting in any room of their home.

Available in all shapes, sizes, and designs, diamond art paintings can also be customized to reflect the interests and personality of the birthday friend. After all the diamonds are placed, the piece will come to life and your friend or family member will relish the satisfaction of finishing the canvas.

7. Meditation supplies

For some birthdays, your friends, partner or family may just want to marvel in peace and quiet rather than partying and staying up late. Mediation supplies can come in handy whenever they want to unwind, whether they already have an at-home meditation area or are new to the practice. Supplies such as candles, a white noise machine, and essential oils can all help to create a peaceful atmosphere.

To further enhance the meditative experience, you can gift your friends or family laser lights to evoke a calming ambiance. With the BlissLights Ark Ambient Aurora Light, meditation can happen amidst drifting blue nebula clouds and soothing green laser auroras. Pair these lights with music, and it’s easy to forget that anything else is happening.

ARK Aurora Light

$29.99

Transcend reality with a moving abstract aurora.

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8. Custom jigsaw puzzle

A personalized jigsaw puzzle is a great way to wish any puzzle lover a happy birthday. There are many sites that can place a photo of you and your friend, their pets, or any other image and onto the ultimate jigsaw puzzle challenge. Once your friend finishes putting together their gift, they can either frame it to mount on a wall or take it apart to experience the joy of solving it over and over again.

9. Online classes

Encourage the guest of honor to rekindle their passion for photography, baking, cooking, music, or another favorite hobby by providing them with online classes. These classes allow your loved ones to pursue their favorite activities without leaving home. This creative idea allows the VIP to learn from some of the very best in their chosen industry – just imagine learning how to cook a beef wellington from Chef Gordon Ramsay himself.

10. Plants or succulents

Birthdays, while exciting and fun, can also be stressful for some. Maybe your loved one doesn’t want to celebrate because coordinating a birthday event is too much work, or maybe the weather outside is so cold and clammy that their mood is in the gutter. In both cases, you can brighten your loved one’s day with houseplants. These wonderful gifts bring the feeling of an outdoor garden into your loved one’s home while improving their mood.

11. Pet portrait necklace or bracelet

Does the birthday honoree have a full camera roll of photos of their furry four-legged friend? If so, take one of those cute adorable photos and turn it into a pet portrait necklace or bracelet. Many sites can engrave the picture of any pet onto a gold, silver, or rose gold pendant along with the name of the fuzzy pal. Your loved one will have so much fun showing off their pet at any time of the day to anyone they meet.

12. “Adopt” an endangered animal

When it’s time to blow out the birthday candles, a true animal lover might make a fantasy wish for a pet koala, cheetah, or penguin. Obviously, this thought is just a fantasy – well, mostly. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) offers symbolic species adoption to help protect wild animals and their habitats, and you can give this adoption as a gift.

This gift will not only be a miraculous surprise for the birthday VIP but a great way to support a charitable organization. Your loved one will receive an adoption certificate, a plush of their chosen animal, and photos of their newly adopted wildlife friend.

13. Galaxy lights

Everyone, no matter their age or birthday excitement levels, will adore the captivating effects of galaxy lights. If you’re feeling ambitious and looking for DIY gift ideas, DIY galaxy decor, including sparkle lights and galaxy-inspired paper lanterns, can transform anyone’s room into a personal planetarium.

Complete the galaxy theme with laser light projectors that create brilliant, out-of-this-world patterns all around the room. Send your birthday friend a BlissLights Sky Lite Laser Galaxy Projector so they can celebrate turning one year older under a nebula of swirling clouds and twinkling stars.

Sky Lite Evolve: Smart Galaxy Projector

$49.99$39.99

The latest evolution in smart galaxy lighting.

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Surprise the birthday star with the unique gift of BlissLights

Birthdays are a time for celebrating, appreciating those around you, and, of course, opening gifts. This year, try surprising the birthday honoree with unique gifts that they’ll remember for years – for example, the gift of BlissLights laser lights.

BlissLights provide jaw-dropping light shows that can mentally transport your loved ones to a state of pure happiness – exactly the right mental destination for a good birthday. Browse the BlissLights collection to find that special birthday gift your friends will never forget.