<p>My daughter will be graduating in 2014 from HS, and has a really nice circle of friends. (girls) I’d like to buy each of them something special, not from her but from me. There are probably six or seven of them. I have a college friend who has an online business who makes really nice custom monogrammed pillows in all shapes and colors…was thinking maybe something like that with a monogram? or a silver plated little box with monogram from Pottery Barn that I saw. (can you tell I like monograms?) When I graduated, a friend’s mother gave me a really pretty small Caspari address book which I had until it literally fell apart. It meant so much to me that she did that. Any ideas? Budget wise I’m thinking 50.00 per person.</p>
<p>Howabout a really nice frame for a group shot ( about $25) and host a luncheon with the rest?</p>
<p>Maybe do something custom (pillow, poster, calendar, address book ?) with all their pictures on it (or a great group picture of them) which they can take to their dorm and remember their HS friends.</p>
<p>When I graduated eons ago I got a coupon from a company that sold hope chests. I went there with my girlfriend who also got a coupon and they gave us each a small wooden mini chest (size of a jewelry box) with a little lock and key. I used it for years and years and years. In fact I hope I still have it hidden away somewhere because the key is still on my key ring. So my opinion would be the monogrammed box. They can use it for anything and forever.</p>
<p>Etsy can be your friend to look for ideas of handcrafted items.</p>
<p>My D orders new “pencil pouches” on Etsy every year or two. I’m buying an extra one this year for S’s GF to go back to school with - in a color/pattern that is very “her” - I’ll stuff it with nice markers, pens, highlighters, etc.</p>
<p>Or a cosmetic bag.</p>
<p>Here’s one of our favorite Etsy vendors:</p>
<p>[Silky</a> Smooth Handmade Functional & Affordable by silkyhandmade](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■/shop/silkyhandmade]Silky”>bySilkeJacobs - Etsy)</p>
<p>Also regarding the monogramming - does your D like monogramming? Just asking because I think my teen/young adult D’s would not be monogram fans.</p>
<p>When my older D graduated from HS, she was given a tool kit as a gift. It made her very popular in the dorm. She recently bought one on Amazon for my younger D - basic hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, tape measure, etc. We’re not really a hope chest/silver box kind of family though.</p>
<p>My sister buys monogrammed towel sets in the new college’s colors as high school graduation gifts. They have been well received and no one else thinks of it.</p>
<p>We have lots of girls in our neighborhood and a couple of years ago, several of them graduated. I bought each a small, American-made leather bag with a long strap that would hold a cell phone, keys, and a credit card or cash. I added a little cash too. The link below is not the exact bag, but you will get the idea. For young men, I have bought the small leather wallets that only hold a bit of cash and a credit card.</p>
<p>[North</a> Star Leather Co.: Small Classic Leather Handbag](<a href=“Small Classic Leather Handbag: North Star Leather Co.”>Small Classic Leather Handbag: North Star Leather Co.)</p>
<p>Those are very cute MD mom.
Monograms aren’t big around here.</p>
<p>Would it be hopelessly old-fashioned to suggest pretty monogrammed linen or silk sachets that they can put in the drawers with their underwear and sweaters? You could add a bag of potpourri or lavender or rosebuds to fill them with. WHen they grow up and have a linen closet, they can use them there. :)</p>
<p>I was and am not a girly-girly, but I like things like that. It can be on the tailored side, too. I would just use the first initial.</p>
<p>My son just graduated and one of his gifts was a laundry bag in his school colors with his name monogrammed on it. It is really cute. This family gave this to all the guy graduates and the girls each got those towels that velcro that the girls wear in the dorms, in their school colors with their names on them. I thought it was a really cute idea. I know you asked for girls, but a friend of mine with boys got their friends neckties from the colleges they were attending.</p>
<p>I liked the monogrammed towels that my daughter got when she graduated. Today, you can get reasonably priced towels at TJMaxx and have them monogrammed at the mall.</p>
<p>Along the same lines, I like to give a nice (ie, good quality), oversized beach towel. Not overly personal, but who doesn’t need a big towel for sunning out on the quad??</p>
<p>I give monogrammed luggage tags. They are in school colors. One side says the school name and the other side the student’s name and home address. The gift comes with three size tags.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.tobydondis.com/CAT07/LUGla3.html[/url]”>http://www.tobydondis.com/CAT07/LUGla3.html</a></p>
<p>Monogrammed pewter cuff bracelet.</p>
<p>Bumping this up for my question. I have gotten various combinations of presents for ds’s friends. I made photo albums for ds and his three closest friends. Ds and two of the friends are going out of state so I bought each of them a Texas state flag for their dorm room. Ds’s gf is the one person staying in state so a flag doesn’t feel right. Any other quickie idea for her? They’ve just decided to stay together so I feel like I want to do something special and personal, but the kids are coming over today so I need something I can just pick up. Help!</p>
<p>The collage picture frames are always nice and it sounds as if you have some photos you could add to it.</p>
<p>I’ve already done her a 100-picture photo album. This would be the second gift, in place of he flag the others are getting.</p>