Ali + Julie
Co-Founders, GroupTogether.
Life’s busy. That’s why we’re here to make it easy for you to collect money from a group. Less wasted time, less packaging waste, and spending a little less but giving a lot better!
Gift Ideas
The Top Graduation Gift Ideas For A Special Day
Graduation is an exciting time for everyone, parents start to wish their children good luck on their journey into adulthood and children revel in the freedom of leaving education behind, whether that be high school or University. Something a lot of people forget to speak to is the huge amount of anxiety that comes with graduating for so many people. They’re losing their ‘student identity’ and start to search for what they want to get out of their life. That’s why we think graduation gifts are important, they don’t just say congratulations for surviving school, they’re also keepsakes that some people will treasure for the rest of their lives. So let’s dive into a few graduation present ideas to celebrate your new graduate!
By Ali + Julie
July 9, 2024
Gifts Under $50
Graduation Card From The Group
A special keepsake to celebrate their graduation. Give a graduation or congratulations card signed by the whole gang. Perfect for family, friends or work colleagues. Send it digitally or download as a PDF to print and give. Everyone can add a message and photo online. So nice!
Housekeeping Skills Book
Perfect for your new grads from high school who haven’t yet lived out of home or great for your friend who is moving into their new place. The book is filled with a bunch of great life hacks. Books like this make great graduation gifts as they’re filled with practical tips they can take with them through life.
Home Made Cookbook
Grad gift ideas for the chef of the group don’t come much better than this. This book is teeming with a collection of 80+ recipes from the best Melbourne chefs, cooks and restaurants. They’ll be their housemate’s favourite cooking up all these recipes at uni!
Frank Green Cup
Is your friend graduating with an environmental science degree? Or maybe they just care about the planet. Frank Green cups are the ultimate reusable for them! They’re beautifully designed, and maintain your drink temperature and taste for hours. Plus, you can feel confident knowing it won’t break or spill in your bag – simply click it closed and you’re good to go!
Quarterlife Breakthrough Book
Remember how we said graduating can feel pretty daunting for many people? Well, graduation gifts like this could help your not-so-little one navigate the confusing new world of adulthood. The Quarter-Life Breakthrough provides fresh, honest, counterintuitive, and inspiring career advice for anyone stuck in a quarter-life crisis (yes that’s a thing) figuring out what to do with their lives. It shares the stories of many twenty- and thirty-somethings who are discovering how to work with purpose (and still pay their rent)!
Paire Socks
I know, I know… socks? Really? For grad gift ideas? We haven’t lost our minds, these are special socks and we bet your kiddo won’t buy them for themselves as they’re broke from studying! We love these socks as they’re lightweight, durable, and odour-resistant, so no one has to feel self-conscious about taking their shoes off after parading around at work all day.
A Game
Maybe your friend is heading off to a new state for uni? Graduation present ideas like this would be a great game for them to play at their sharehouse. The Voting Game is an adult party game that uncovers the hilarious truth about your friendships.
Gifts $50 - $100
Framed Photo
Another great grad gift is a framed photo of their family or friendship group. If they’re off to a new state to work or study graduation gifts like this can provide them with comfort. There are a whole bunch of frames to choose from so you can pick a style that would best suit your friend's aesthetic.
Sleep White Noise Machine
White noise machines for adults are quickly becoming a ‘thing’. We love this for grad gifts as we all know the stress of starting your first big job makes for a few months of restless nights. We love the classy, minimalist, design which makes it fit perfectly into any home.
Marble Bar Tool Set
If they’re just getting their home bar up and running, help them spruce up it up with this luxe bar tool set. The set comes with everything they will need including a Hawthorne strainer, fruit knife, bottle opener and double shot jigger, all in steel with a marble holder. Graduation presents like this are gorgeous keepsakes that will remind them of their achievements.
Personalised Leather Passport Holder
Are they going to celebrate their graduation or go head off on a gap year? For our travel-loving friends we know they don’t want a bunch of stuff they’ll have to lug around with them. So grad gift ideas like this personalised passport holder is perfect as a cute, functional and practical gift. We love the variety of colours you can choose from and the pebble grain leather gives it a luxe feel.
Oven Mitt Set
Help spruce up the kitchen of their overpriced rental with this cute oven mitt set. No one ever feels like cooking when they get home from work but cute pieces like this just might help them not order uber eats! Graduation gift ideas like this are perfect for your friend moving out of home.
Wine Glass
How cute are these wine glasses? We wish we got these as grad presents! The perfect addition to elevate their dinner parties. We love the ribbed bottom, contrasting colours and shape. We say buy them two, just in case someone breaks one at pres!
Hommey Apron
More cute grad gifts for their new digs. Hommey makes fun, high-quality pieces and this apron is no different. If you have the budget and want to splurge on your friend then we say grab the mitt set, wine glasses and apron for as a grad and moving-out gift.
Candle
If they’re leaving uni straight into their first big job, candles make great graduation presents. They help your loved one unwind after a busy day learning the ropes in their new position and having to look after themselves for maybe the first time in their lives. We love that this one smells like the ocean and comes in cute packaging so it will look nice on their bedside.
Pen
Graduation gifts that elevate their every day will always be well received. This may sound like a niche gift but imagine them starting their new job with this gorgeous pen. We love the playful design and that they can refill black or blue inks at the Swarovski stores.
18-Month Monthly Planner
Graduation gifts for your friend who loves to stay organised! Choose them this 18-month planner with Monday-Sunday spreads and monthly overviews, they can plot their To Do lists, take notes, make gratitude lists and more.
Gifts $100 - $200
Perfume or Cologne
Scents as grad presents are always winners. We love the warm swirl of cardamom and clove, and the woody base of Sandalwood that this scent carries. Aesop always carries the best high-quality unisex fragrances.
Bitsossi Tumbler Set
We think this tumbler set deserves a spot on your list for graduation ceremony gifts. The set of two is handblown in Turquoise, revealing a stunning array of sea greens mixed in with subtle hints of white - gorgeous! The perfect set for a spicy marg in the sun.
True North Coin Necklace
Jewellery as grad gifts are always well received. We love this piece for it’s high-quality and versatility, they can wear it with anything in their wardrobe. The compass symbolizes guidance and direction. As a grad embarking on their journey post-education, a compass can remind them to stay focused on their goals and navigate through the challenges they encounter.
Orbit Key Nest
Home office pieces make great graduation presents. We love this Orbit Key Nest, it's perfect for the new office setup, especially if they’re working from home. The portable and customisable desk organiser has an in-built wireless charger–helping you declutter and stay organised, wherever you are.
Daily Blooms Yay Bundle
Perfect for celebrating her achievements, this bundle comes with a small Colour Bouquet, YAY Gift Pack; Loco Love Twin Chocolate & Just A Glass twin wine pack. Graduation gifts for her can be this easy and gorgeous!
Dinner Ladies
Going into a new job and well…adulting in general is stressful. As a young adult, it takes you a while to get into your groove of working, keeping up a social life, relaxing and eating. So we think you can never go wrong with a meal service like Dinner Ladies for graduation gifts. Gifting homemade meals could mean they eat more than tuna past for the first few weeks of their new role.
WeWander Bucket List Experience
Graduation gift ideas for your travel-loving child! Now they’ve graduated and ticked school off the list, they’ll be off jet setting. We love the We Wander bucket list box as they can choose from a huge variety of experiences and it comes in a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Wahl Multi Purpose Grooming Kit
Graduation gifts for him can be tricky to find. Guys always need a good grooming kit and likely won’t splurge themselves. We love this one as it comes with 4 interchangeable head attachments: Standard T-Blade, Standard Trimmer Blade, Dual Foil Shaver and Vertical Ear, Nose & Eyebrow Trimmer.
JBL Headphones
You can never go wrong with a good pair of headphones, especially for graduation gift ideas as they can use them on their commute to work. JBL Live Pro 2 earbuds deliver up to 40 hours of sound (with 10 hours in the earbuds + 30 hours in the case), speed charging, and Qi-compatible wireless charging for when your batteries need a boost. They’ll be stoked with these for a grad gift!
Blys Massage Voucher
An at home massage with Blys would be welcomed as graduation ceremony gifts. A massage can help them relieve all the pent up stress from their final semester and all the woes that come with job hunting.
Hommey Bath Sheets
Kitting out a new apartment gets pricey so grad presents for their new home will be welcomed! These cute XL bath towels from Hommey have been engineered with the perfect mix of hand feel and absorbency. With a luxurious weight and irresistibly soft texture, their towels will help elevate their everyday.
Koko Black Chocolate
A forty-nine-piece assortment of Koko's most loved pralines. Including a selection of white, milk and dark chocolate their chocolatier's selection boxes are perfect grad gifts.
Fitbit Watch
A Fitbit watch makes great graduation gifts for him or her. It’s the perfect gift to help them stay on top of their health goals, whether they want to move more, stress less or sleep better. It has up to 10 days of battery life and offers a range of features and functions including reminders to move, menstrual health tracking, call, text and app notifications and so much more.
Gifts $200 - $500
Retro Mini Bar Fridge
How cute is this mini bar fridge for graduation presents! It would be the perfect addition to their new pad. We love the fun, retro vibes and that it has great storage for its size. Plus it comes with a 3 year warranty!
Weekender Duffle Bag
July’s pieces are gorgeous and make great quality graduation gifts. Perfect for if they’ve moved out of home and need a cute duffle bag to visit.
Crock Pot Pressure Cooker
Another great kitchen gadget is this pressure cooker. Perfect for your friend who loves their meal prep. We love these as you can just throw everything in and you don’t have to worry about cooking, perfect for those busy work weeks. Practical graduation gifts for her that will make her week - big yes!
Film Camera
Cameras make great grad gift ideas as they help your friend capture their early memories of proper adulthood. Film cameras are all the rage right now, we love that his half-frame camera also allows them to capture double the images on a roll of film, so they can spend less time reloading and carry fewer rolls of film as they travel.
Tent
One of the best ways to de-stress is to get out in nature. Tents make great graduation present ideas as they are the perfect portal for memorable experiences in nature, perfect for post-graduation exploration and reflection.
Cos Women's Coat
How gorgeous is this boxy coat from Cos? The perfect piece for a new grads wardrobe that’s still edgy but professional. A winner as far as graduation gift ideas go.
Unyoked Cabin Getaway
These adorable cabin getaways make great graduation ceremony gifts. You and your not-so-little one can go away before they move away to uni or start their new job. We love experiences like this as the memories live on rent-free in your head forever.
Handbag
How cute is this tiny handbag? Handbags like this make great grad gifts for your not-so-little one. This piece will hold all their essentials for a work night out, so they aren’t stuck having lost their house keys.
Hommey Bedding Bundle
As we said before, home essentials are very welcomed grad gifts. We love the Hommey Bedding Bundle, it comes with their choice of a fitted or flat sheet, quilt cover and a pillowcase pair. Designed to be mixed & matched to curate their space. A bundle like this will give their bedding a much-needed refresh as they’re moving out of home.
Gifts $500+
Mustard Made Locker
Mustard Made Lockers are fun and practical graduation presents. We love the range of colours they come in, they would add the perfect playful vibe to their new room or office if they’re working from home.
Apple AirPods Max
These are spenny but worth it for those who love over-ear headphones or want to be down with the latest trends. We suggest coming together as a family or friendship group with GroupTogether for these bad boys. A great set of quality headphones like these would make gorgeous graduation gifts, they can use them on their commute to work, working out or on their hot girl walks.
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