<p>Hey guys--</p>
<p>I've got to buy graduation gifts for the seniors from our homeschool support group and I have about $10 to spend on each. They will be presented at our end of the year event. Most are going to college, a few into the military or family business. Since they are headed different directions, I'm having a tough time coming up with ideas.</p>
<p>In the past, we've done commemorative coin sets, but those are beginning to exceed my budget.</p>
<p>Anybody got any ideas????</p>
<p>A thoughtful note with cash is always welcome by students. If you have any photos of the group, or your child (senior picture?), that would be a nice touch too.</p>
<p>Some gifts my DD received last year that was very much appreciated:
Bed Bath & Beyond store discount cards-they are mailed to you-don't cost you anything but helps saves oodles of money for the student when they buy items for their new dorm room, starbucks gift cards, pre-stamped post card marked "Send Cookies!" - and then plan to send them cookies upon receipt, and CASH!</p>
<p>I'm looking for something to give them from the group, and there are a bunch of them, so I need something not terribly time consuming. Thanks so much for your ideas!!!</p>
<p>If it's a close-knit group and you have lots of photos, you could create a photo book at one of the online sites like Snapfish or Costco. You do one book, and order as many copies as you want. If you look for discount coupons online, you could probably bring the price down within reach.</p>
<p>Another idea would be to get T-shirts printed up with a design done by one of the students. Or if there are not many students, have each student draw a design with his/her name on it, about 2"x2", and patch them together to form one big design.</p>
<p>Along the same idea as rainmama, go to Walmart or similar and buy each kid a photo album and some stuff to make their own scrapbooks. At our homeschool group, the kids then had a scrapbook day and everyone brought pics, bookmarks, odds & ends, and the kids built their own. It was nice because the kids also signed them like the public kids did in their yearbooks. Total cost: about $8/kid, plus snacks for Scrapbook Day.</p>
<p>Starbucks gift card, Barnes & Noble gc, I-tunes gc. Easy to buy--put it in an envelope or buy a card, and you're done. You could probably buy them on-line. I think Starbucks may have a $15 minimum.</p>
<p>How about an alarm clock? I think BB&B has throws on sale - 2 for $14.99. With a 20% off coupon, that would be a great deal. What about a keychain that has a class of 2009 hanging from it?</p>
<p>A t shirt with everyone's signature on it would be nice. I mean, have them all sign a piece of paper and then make this be the design on the t shirt.</p>
<p>Various other ideas - keychains, nice pen, nice notebook/journal, or other stationery store type items.</p>
<p>Photo items - walmart and many other online places have things made from photos.</p>
<p>Food is always nice - a selection of candy or other snack items in a pretty basket or box from your local crafts store/walmart .</p>
<p>Any group themes or things in common? Everyone into flamingos, or there's some injoke about a tv show? Get something related to that</p>
<p>From American Science & Surplus:</p>
<p>20x loupe with LED light, five bucks. A great tool, misc purpose--take out
splinters, read engraving on ring, sort butterfly eggs, you name it.</p>
<p>Left with another five bucks to spend? Powerful magnets, many styles.</p>
<p>Gas cards - ten bucks isn't much for gas these days, but I always like to think my kids have SOMETHING so they won't get stranded. I've tried to tell them to always keep an emergency $20 in their wallet, and replace it when they've spent it, but they forget, so a gas card is useful!</p>
<p>A female student had mentioned this idea for girls on another thread (a friend of her parents gave it to her and she loves it and uses it often):</p>
<p>6 in 1 Flower Hammer (look it up in google). They go for around $5.50.</p>
<p>You guys are great!! What a bunch of terrific ideas!</p>
<p>I love the scrapbook idea, but our group does have a yearbook and most of the seniors are active on the staff. (We have a huge homeschool group - hundreds of kids). That would be a great idea for any group of close friends, though. </p>
<p>I'm going to spend tomorrow looking up all these ideas. I knew I could depend on you folks to come up with clever stuff fast!</p>
<p>I agree with Barnes and Noble. Many campus bookstores are B/N. AND you do want to encourage the kids to read.</p>
<p>A nice picture frame with a photo of the group, and maybe, a grad bear people can sign?</p>
<p>Great ideas! Address book with their friends' addresses (from a school directory?) and phone numbers...reproducing this when they lose their cell phones is always tough... A person I work with has a daughter that gave plants to her friends for their dorm rooms, as part of a $10 "going to college" gift exchange. Key chains with one of those inexpensive mini-flash-lights. Medical kit with a few band-aids, aspirin, etc. I love the photo and frame idea. If there's a great group photo, you can have a copy enlarged to 5 X 7 for them.</p>
<p>Pocket knife. It's not $10 but maybe there's a knockoff: I love my Leatherman Micra. I gave them to my kids a few years back and they're still on their keychains.</p>
<p>You can find very inexpensive "Initial" notepads or stationery/notecards at various stationery/gift store type places.</p>
<p>I like the idea of travel alarm clocks.</p>