The season of giving can be a stressful time if you aren’t sure exactly what to get those you love. I know personally, there have been many years where I had no idea what to get my brothers or certain friends. After moving to Chicago from Ohio, my best friend that I saw everyday turned into a long-distance best friend. We see each other as much as we can but it still isn’t the same. In the following few months, I’m moving to Europe for five months and we’ll have an even bigger distance between us. Here’s a guide I came up with some gift ideas for your long-distance best friend (honestly it could do for a long-distance boyfriend also!).
Ideas That Require Some Cash
- Friendship Lamps – $149.99
Although it might be pricey, this is a cute way to make it known that you guys are thinking of each other at any time of the day. I’ve seen these all over my social media feeds and I wish I had enough money to get one for my long distance best friend.
- Customized Wine Glasses – $20.80
More affordable than the lamps, this is a great way to show your out-of-state best friend that you love them and no matter the distance, you guys are still inseparable. It’s a plus that you’re supporting a small Etsy business!
- Matching Initial Bracelets – $9.99
With this gift, you could give them your initial, and get yourself once with their initial and have classy matching bracelets. This is basically the grown-up version of Claire’s Best Friend necklaces. It is a classy way to match your best friend and everytime you wear it, you’ll think of them.
- A Homesick Candle – $34.00
A great way to make sure your best friend doesn’t forget about you is to fill their home with the smell of the state or city you are living in! For example, since I live in Chicago and my best friend lives in Ohio, I would get her a Chicago Homesick candle so she can always smell where I live and think about me. This is also a great way to get your best friend a gift to remember her hometown.
Ideas That Are Priceless (and require little to no cash!)
- DIY Open When Letters
If you have the time (or energy) to write a few letters, this can be a great personalized gift. You can fill a box full of letters for scenarios that you can’t be in-person to deal with like “Open When You’re Sad” or “Open When You Miss Me.” This is a great way to still be there even if you’re miles away. If you aren’t in the mood to be too creative, they have kits for this kind of thing but many blogs have a list of ideas for you!
- Messages or Memories in a Bottle
Sometimes, the hardest part of being long-distance best friends is not getting to see them on a regular basis so this is a great gift to help them know you are thinking of them daily. If you don’t have a mason jar laying around (am I the only one who bought a thousand when I was in grade school and now have a warehouse of them?), you can get one at the dollar store. Once you have your jar, fill it with a little piece of paper that has some of your favorite memories on it. I love to throw a few messages in here like “I love you!” or “You’re doing great!”. They can pick one whenever they miss you or need a little boost.
- Photoalbum
A classic idea is a little scrapbook or photo album to keep on their coffee table to look through whenever they want. Another idea to make it a tad more personal (like it isn’t personal enough..) is to leave little notes of memories and/or letters within the pages for a nice little surprise! You can find some great books at the dollar store if you are in the mood to spend a little bit of money but you can easily create your own with some paper laying around the house. Pro Tip: If you are printing out photos, find a nice coupon and the price will go down tremendously!
- DIY Picture Frame
Find a wooden frame at Walmart for a dollar and if you don’t have paint laying around, you can get it for 50 cents from Walmart also. Once you have all your supplies, you can paint the frame all one color, then draw the two states you and your best friend are in and draw a dotted line between them with the phrase “Best Friends Forever. Never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart.” This is the quote I chose for my gift but you can find any quote you love and make it as personalized as you can!
Now that you have a little guide, I hope you have a good start to your gift! Whatever you get, understand that it’s the thought that counts but I totally understand trying to get the “perfect” gift. Just know they’re probably stressing just as much as you are on finding the right gift! Happy Holidays!