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i’m matt james

professional event producer

  • 27 years event-planning experience
  • Winner of 30 industry awards
  • Clients include:
  • Elton John,
  • Stella McCartney,
  • Sarah Jessica Parker,
  • Kevin Spacey……and more

welcome

Matt James professional event planner
CONTENTS

ON THIS PAGE

01 SENTIMENTAL GIFTS

A collection of sentimental, thoughtful, unique, or personalized 30th birthday gift ideas for men and women.

Reasons We Love You Photo Collage 30th birthday gifts ideas
My Life Story So Far journal birthday gifts ideas
Personalized Reel Viewer 30th birthday gifts ideas
Customizable Family Cookbook 30th birthday gifts ideas

02 FUN PERSONALIZED GIFTS

A selection of lighthearted, humorous, and fun 30th birthday gift ideas for men and women.

Custom Comic Book birthday gifts ideas
Custom Plush Doll 30th birthday gifts ideas
Custom Bobblehead 30th birthday gifts ideas
Custom The Simpsons style cartoon portrait 30th birthday gifts ideas

03 GIFTS FOR BOOK LOVERS

30th birthday gift ideas for lovers of literature.

Book Tree sculpture 30th birthday gifts ideas
Typography Book Page Paper Roses Bouquet 30th birthday gifts ideas
Folded Book Art 30th birthday gifts ideas
Literary Scarf featuring Les Miserable 30th birthday gifts ideas

04 GIFTS FOR FOOD & DRINK CONNOISSEURS

30th birthday gift ideas for wine, beer, whiskey, and gourmet food lovers.

Teas From Around the World 30th birthday gifts ideas
BBQ Sauce 30th birthday gifts ideas
Special Occasions Wine Set 30th birthday gifts ideas
Beer Infused Jellies 30th birthday gifts ideas

05 GIFTS FOR TECH & GADGET LOVERS

Fun or functional 30th birthday gift ideas for lovers of technology and gadgets.

Runners Safety Lights 30th birthday gifts ideas for gadget lovers
Battery Operated Handbag Light 30th birthday gifts ideas for gadget lovers
Gesture-controlled digital art frame 30th birthday gifts ideas for tech lovers
Smart-app connected Pill Bottle 30th birthday gifts ideas

06 30TH BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS

Ideas for 30th birthday invitations, decorations, food & drink, and party themes.

'celebrating 30 years' 30th birthday party dessert table tapestry backdrop with photos showing the guest of honor 'through the years'
young woman standing with a group of friends at a party holding up fan faces of her face in front of theirs
too late to die young rude balloon birthday party decorations
woman standing next to a custom pinata of herself at a birthday party
in this section

01 Sentimental gifts

the idea

GENERATIONS FAMILY PORTRAITS

These portraits, that capture several generations of one family, would make a wonderfully sentimental 30th birthday gift that you can have framed or reproduced on any number of smaller products, such as phone cases, pillows, throws, watches, backpacks, mugs, and more.

Family Portrait of Individual Pictures
Pic: Max Habich Photograph (Austria)
Generations Female Family Portrait
Pic: Pinterest (original unknown)
Generations Female Family Portrait
Photo: Pinterest (original unknown)
Generations Male Family Portrait
Photo: Pinterest (original unknown)

To achieve this effect, you need to take each photo separately with each person holding an empty frame (except the person who will be in the smallest photo at the end of the sequence). Amber Moose from Moose Photography has created a tutorial here with some great tips for how best to to take the photos.

Once you’ve taken the photos, you just need to combine them into one image using Photoshop. If you don’t use Photoshop, you can email them to one of these guys here to do it for you for around $5.

Generations of Family Portraits

Once you’ve got the final image, check out this site here for lots of ways to turn it into canvas, framed, or mounted wall art.

Alternatively, there are lots of other photo gifts that you can print the image onto, such as phone cases, watches, backpacks, pillows, and lots more.

Mobile phone case featuring custom photo
Analogue Watch featuring custom photo clock face
Tote Bag featuring custom photos and text
Pillow featuring custom photos and text
the idea

REASONS WE LOVE YOU

I came across a number of these types of photos online, where people are photographed holding up individual signs to express different sentiments, which are then combined into one grid-style image.

Often they’re used for school photos, such as “When I grow up I want to be…” or “We think teacher Stacy is….”, but I think this could also make a really special 30th birthday gift, along the lines of “30 reasons we love you…” or “What I love most about you…”.

You don’t even have to get friends and family members together to produce this. Instead you could ask each person to take their own and send it to you to arrange.

Just remember to give everyone the same instructions if you want the final image to have some consistency e.g. the type of background they should use, what color of sign, whether it should be a full length photo (which would give you more freedom to crop to size later) etc.

To combine all the photos together in one final image, you can email it to one of these guys to do it for you for around $5.

Once you’ve got the final image, check out this site here for lots of ways to turn it into canvas, framed, or mounted wall art. Alternatively, there are lots of other photo gifts that you can print the image onto, such as phone cases, watches, backpacks, pillows, and lots more.

Reasons We Love You Photo Collage
Photo: Project Kid
When We Grow Up...photo collage
Photo: Pinterest
When We Grow Up...photo collage
Photo: Pinterest
the idea

SPELL IT OUT

Another variation on the above idea is to spell out a birthday message by having each person hold up a sign with one letter or word on it. It could be “We love you Mum” or a simple “Happy 30th Birthday”.

While you could upload the final image to a site like this to create a unique birthday card or have it framed, I think these type of sentimental and thoughtful photographs are a bit wasted just on cards.

If you’ve made the effort to create something special like this, have it reproduced on something the birthday boy or girl will get more use out of, such as a phone case, pillow, throw, or mug. See here for more photo product ideas.

I'm Lucky to Have You As a Friend group portrait
Photo: Nicole C Photography (Atlanta) via Pinterest
I Love You portrait
Photo: Pinterest
the idea

30 REASONS WHY WE LOVE YOU: TYPOGRAPHY

Another variation of the 30 Reasons we Love You idea is to have friends and family contribute one or two reasons each, then collect them all together to be typeset professionally in a beautiful artwork that you can then have framed as a gift.

My favorite design is the one with the red square pictured below (although this can be any color) which is available here, but there are other designs, like the ones below, available here.

Reasons We Love You Custom Artwork
Reasons We Love You Custom Artwork
Things We Love About You Custom Artwork
60 Things We Love About You Custom Artwork
the idea

30 REASONS WE LOVE YOU: PHOTO CANVAS

Another way to reproduce the 30 Reasons We Love you sentiments is to have them arranged around a photo of the birthday boy or girl.

The examples below are from weddings, where couples have reproduced their vows, but I think this idea would work really well with a nice portrait of the person surrounded by all the reasons they’re loved by friends and family. Check out the different canvas options here.

Reasons We Love You Custom Photo Canvas
Reasons We Love You Custom Photo Canvas
the idea

READ ME WHEN….

Nobody writes letters anymore—which is what makes them so special. This gift box of “Read Me When…” letters would make a wonderfully personal 30th birthday gift.

The pack comes with nine cards and envelopes for different scenarios such as “Read me when I don’t listen to your advice” or “Read me when you need a laugh”.

Just fill in the blanks in the situation-specific letters to add your personal thoughts and messages, seal them in the corresponding envelopes, and present the box to the birthday boy or girl so they can enjoy these thoughtful notes at different moments throughout the year. It’s a great way to be there in spirit when you can’t be there in person.

Options include “Letters to My Incredible Dad”, “Letters to My Wonderful Mum”, “Letters to My Very Best Friend”, and “Letters to the Love of My Life”. Check them out here.

Read Me When...Letters
Read Me When...Letters
Read Me When...Letters
Read Me When...Letters

For a more handmade feel, this version (available here) allows you to write your letters in advance then email them to the designer who will reproduce them in an elegant script before sealing them in decorative envelopes with a personalized wax stamp featuring the recipient’s initial.

All the letters and envelopes are then presented in a kraft box also sealed with a personalized wax stamp. I think this is a lovely way to make this gift look and feel even more special.

Read Me When...Letters
Read Me When...Letters

If you prefer to hand-write the letters in full yourself, check out this option which allows the gift-giver to fill a small box with letters, jokes, photos, voice messages, artwork and more for future opening. You can even include a recordable voice card to include a person message in your own voice.

The recipient gets to open their box to find the best gift ever: their loved one’s encouraging words, laughter, voice and more whenever they need them the most.

Read Me When...Letters
Read Me When...Letters
the idea

LETTERS TO MY DAD / MUM / BEST FRIEND ETC

A slightly different take on the “Read Me When” letters above, these letters celebrate aspect of your relationship with the recipient.

Each letter starts with a prompt, such as “A special memory I have of you is…”, “From you, I learned the importance of…”, “One thing I’m glad we share is..”, “I always think of you when..”, ” I love that our family is…”, “One thing I admire about you is…”, “The best adventure we’ve had together was..”, “I’ve always wanted to tell you…”, “Thank you for…”, “In the future I hope we…” plus there are two additional blank letters for you to create your own topics.

Different options are available for Dad, Mum, Friend, Love, Daughter, and Grandchild. Check them out here.

Letters To My...
Letters To My...
the idea

My life story so far

This journal gives the birthday boy or girl prompts for recording their life’s experiences, relationships, and hard-won wisdom.

Beginning with “The Early Years,” it’s organized into nine sections, each containing thought-provoking prompts to capture memories of first dates, lifelong friendships, meaningful stories, and pearls of wisdom gathered along the way.

There’s even a section dedicated to list the things they hope to accomplish next. Check it out here.

My Life Story So Far journal
My Life Story So Far journal
My Life Story So Far journal
the idea

A DAY TO REMEMBER: The NEW YORK TIMES BIRTHDAY BOOK

These coffee table style custom birthday book from The New York Times are a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday.

There are a few different options available, such as one that starts with The Times from the day the person was born, followed by every birthday in their life, or another containing the headlines, articles, photographs and advertisements that appeared in the paper on any chosen date since 1851. It’s made even more special with a personalized premium linen cover. Check it out here.

NY Times Birthday Book
NY Times Birthday Book
NY Times Birthday Book
NY Times Birthday Book
the idea

A DAY TO REMEMBER: HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS

If you prefer a different, more local, newspaper, check out the range of historical newspapers available here, such as the San Francisco Chronicle or The Dallas Morning News.

In addition to the “Day of Birth” newspaper, there’s also a nice “This is Your Life” option with a newspaper from every special date of the recipient’s life, or a collection of front pages and articles from historical events, such as World War II or the sinking of the titanic.

Historical Birthday Newspapers
Historical Birthday Newspapers
Historical Birthday Newspapers
Historical Birthday Newspapers
the idea

PERSONALIZED SCRABBLE BOX FRAME

These personalized scrabble box frames are a cute way to communicate admirable qualities about the birthday boy or girl, or to create a combination of family names. Check them out here. Alternatively, these ones here let you include photos and a quote.

Personalized Scrabble Box Frame
Personalized Scrabble Box Frame
Personalized Scrabble Box Frame
Personalized Scrabble Box Frame
the idea

LEGO FAMILY BOX FRAME

If you’re a family member of the birthday boy or girl, these custom Lego family box frames would make a cute gift. Alternatively, they’d work just as well to celebrate a group of friends or simply just the birthday boy or girl recreated in Lego. Check them out here.

Personalized Lego-style Family Box Frames
Personalized Lego-style Family Box Frames
Personalized Lego-style Family Box Frames
Personalized Lego-style Family Box Frames
the idea

MOTHER / DAUGHTER / GRANDPARENT / GRANDCHILD LETTER BOOK

These treasured passages, a letter book between a mother and a daughter, includes 30 cards meant to be sent, shared, and treasured.

Mom acts as the “keeper of the book” and fills in some pages herself. She then uses the cards provided to spark additional commentary from her daughter. The cards include hundreds of personal prompts that encourage mother and daughter to share facets of their personality that family otherwise wouldn’t see. Once the daughter completes her part of the card, she mails it back to her mother to be included in the book.

Think of it as a scrapbook with two authors that’s rich with sentiment and a meaningful way to honor the mother / daughter bond. There’s also a version available for grandparents and grandchildren. Check them out here.

Mother & Daughter Letter Book
Mother & Daughter Letter Book
Mother & Daughter Letter Book
Grandparents & Grandchildren Letter Book
the idea

LONG DISTANCE FRIENDSHIP LAMPS

These long distance friendship lamps connect you to those you love when you can’t be there and would make a wonderfully sentimental 30th birthday gift.

Each person sets up their lamp via WiFi, then whenever they want their loved one to know they’re thinking of them, they simply touch their lamp and both light up—regardless of how far away they are. Loved ones can then respond by touching their lamp too. Check them out here.

Long Distance Friendship Lamps
Long Distance Friendship Lamps
Long Distance Friendship Lamps
Long Distance Friendship Lamp
the idea

PERSONALIZED STAR MAP / CONSTELLATION CHART

These personalized star maps / constellation charts can be customized with a specific date and location for one or more people or events.

For example, a double location star map could represent a mother and daughter’s date and place of birth, a triple location could indicate key dates for couples such as date met, date engaged, date married, whereas a quadruple location could represent four different family members’ birth dates. Check them out here.

Personalized Star Maps
Personalized Star Maps
Personalized Star Maps
Personalized Star Maps
the idea

MESSAGE IN A BAG

These handmade leather purses and bags would make for a truly unique 30th birthday gift that’s tailor made to include a personal message, favorite quote, or meaningful song lyric on the inside lining. Check out the full range here.

Message in a Bag
Message in a Bag
Message in a Bag
Message in a Bag
the idea

MY FAMILY COOKBOOK

Pass heirloom recipes on to the next generation with this customizable cookbook.

Whether it’s grandma’s secret pasta sauce or the cakes mom used to make you as a child, the birthday boy or girl can work on filling in the pages with family or ask loved ones to contribute their favorite dish, ready to be passed down to their own children. Check it out here.

Customizable Family Cookbook
Customizable Family Cookbook
Customizable Family Cookbook
Customizable Family Cookbook
the idea

SONG LYRIC / POETRY ART

These artworks are often created for couples with their wedding date sitting atop of their wedding vows, a love letter, or the lyrics of the song used for their first dance.

However, I think this could work equally well as a 30th birthday gift but using the person’s date of birth laid over some meaningful song lyrics, a piece of poetry, or significant passage from their favorite book.

Alternatively, write your own form of ‘love’ letter expressing what your relationship with the birthday boy or girl means to you. Check them out here.

Framed Song Lyric or Poetry Art
Framed Song Lyric or Poetry Art
Framed Song Lyric or Poetry Art
Framed Song Lyric or Poetry Art
the idea

PERSONALIZED POEM

What could be a more unique and thoughtful gift than to have a poet create a bespoke poem all about the birthday boy or girl?

Simply fill in a questionnaire with details about the person and that information will be use to create a unique poem filled with details about their life. These can be presented as scrolls, framed, or combined with photographs. Check out all the options here.

Personalized Poem
Personalized Poem
Personalized Poem
the idea

HOW DO I LOVE THEE FROM A-Z

A great way to remind a loved one of all the reasons you love them, this fill-in book includes 26 prompts laid out in an old school typewriter font that will encourage you to speak from the heart and reflect upon memories made together. Check it out here.

How Do I Love Thee From A-Z Book
How Do I Love Thee From A-Z Book
the idea

A YEAR OF GRATITUDE

This thoughtful gift is a great reminder of the importance of expressing gratitude. Whether it’s the opportunity to reconnect with someone from your past, or to brighten the day of someone who feels taken for granted, this set of 52 thank you cards—one for each week of the year—reminds you to be conscious of, and appreciate, both the big and small things in life.

The set also includes tips for writing more meaningful thank you notes and a guided journal to record things you’re thankful for. Check it out here.

A Year of Gratitude Thank You Cards
A Year of Gratitude Thank You Cards
A Year of Gratitude Thank You Cards
A Year of Gratitude Thank You Cards
the idea

TYPOGRAPHY PORTRAITS

The great thing about these personalized text art portraits—created from a photo of the birthday boy or girl—is that you can also choose your own text to highlight all their notable qualities. Check them out here.

Typography Portrait
Typography Portrait
Typography Portrait
Typography Portrait
the idea

PERSONALIZED WORD ART

These word art collages are another way to celebrate the birthday boy or girl by placing more emphasis on the admirable qualities that define them. These can either be framed or reproduced on a pillow. Check then out here.

Framed Personalized Word Art Collage
Framed Personalized Word Art Collage
Framed Personalized Word Art Collage
Framed Personalized Word Art Collage
the idea

A life in pictures

These personalized photo prints are a great way to illustrate the recipient’s journey up to their latest milestone birthday through photos. From baby or childhood photos of the birthday boy or girl, through graduation, or their wedding day, the photos can either spell out their name or age in words.

Another great way to use these is to create a family photo print, spelling out their surname and featuring photos of all the members of their family.

Alternatively, you could create a family tree of photos with each letter containing a photo of a different generation of their family (as seen in the “Orton” examples below). Check out all the options here.

A Life in Pictures Framed Print
A Life in Pictures Framed Print
A Life in Pictures Framed Print
A Life in Pictures Framed Print
the idea

PERSONALIZED REEL VIEWER

This is fun and unique way to celebrate a milestone birthday with a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Chart the birthday boy or girl’s life in pictures by creating a personalized reel filled with favorite memories and milestone events for them to pop in the retro viewer. Check it out here.

Personalized Reel Viewer
Personalized Reel Viewer
Woman using a Personalized Reel Viewer
Woman using a Personalized Reel Viewer
the idea

TEAM FAMILY T SHIRTS

These T shirts (below left) can be personalized with any team title, e.g. Daddy, Grandpa, or the family name, and up to 20 other names of team members so you can include kids, grandchildren, or any other family members.  Check them out here.

Team Family T shirts
Team Family T shirts
Team Family T shirts
Team Family T shirts
the idea

WISHING BALL

This hand-blown glass ball by artist Jill Henrietta David comes with 52 slips of paper for the recipient to pause once a week throughout the year and record wishes, dreams, messages of hope, or thoughts of gratitude. These are then inserted into the wishing ball to become a permanent part of the display. Check it out here.

Hand Blown Glass Wishing Ball
Hand Blown Glass Wishing Ball
Hand Blown Glass Wishing Ball
Hand Blown Glass Wishing Ball
the idea

VINTAGE CITY MAPS

These museum-quality reproductions of historic maps and lithographs dating back to the 1700’s provide an incredible level of detail with all well-known and recognizable landmarks easily identifiable. Surprise the birthday boy or girl with a vintage map of their home town. Check them out here.

Framed Vintage City Map
Framed Vintage City Map
in this section

02 FUN & GAG GIFTS

the idea

custom puppet

For the person who has everything, have a custom Muppet-style puppet made of the 30th birthday boy / girl.

Prices vary depending on the level of customization and detail required (e.g hair, facial hair, glasses, tattoos, clothing, shoes, etc) but the makers are happy to provide an estimate prior to purchase. Check them out here.

This is a truly unique and personal gift idea that is guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

woman standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of herself
man standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of himself
man standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of himself
woman standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of herself
the idea

custom portrait tree ornament

A quirky and unusual 30th birthday gift idea, these hand-crafted custom portrait wooden dolls with moveable hands and legs make fun personalized Christmas tree ornaments, although the combination of a string for hanging and a magnet on the back means they can also be displayed year-round on car rear-view mirrors, fridges, and mirrors. Check them out here.

woman holding custom portrait wooden puppet style Christmas tree ornament of herself
woman holding custom portrait wooden puppet style Christmas tree ornament of herself
custom portrait wooden puppet style Christmas tree ornament of a woman
man holding custom portrait wooden puppet style Christmas tree ornament of himself
the idea

CUSTOM COMIC BOOK

What a great gift for a 30th birthday; a personalized comic book! You can have the birthday boy or girl transformed into a superhero, star alongside their favorite character, or just be the star of their own story. If it’s for a friend or partner, you can use it to tell the story of how you met—or any other story you want to tell. Check out the options here.

Custom Comic Book
Custom Comic Book
Custom Comic Book
Custom Comic Book
the idea

CUSTOM BOBBLEHEADS

These custom bobbleheads, made from a photo of the birthday boy / girl, are a fun gift for a 30th birthday. Check them out here.

Custom Bobbleheads
Custom Bobbleheads
Custom Bobbleheads
Custom Bobbleheads
the idea

CUSTOM PLUSH DOLLS

As seen on Shark Tank, these 16″ personalized plush dolls would make a fun milestone birthday gift. Check them out here.

Custom Plush Doll
Custom Plush Doll
Custom Plush Doll
Custom Plush Doll
the idea

MAIL A MINI-ME CUSTOM PINATA

Surprise the birthday boy or girl on their 30th birthday by mailing them one of these 12″ ‘Mini Me’ custom pinatas. Just upload a photo and they’ll create a custom pinata in their likeness (or they can create them from photos of a favorite pet). Check them out here.

Mail A Mini-Me Custom Pinata
Mail A Mini-Me Custom Pinata
Mail A Mini-Me Custom Pinata
Mail A Mini-Me Custom Pinata
the idea

CARTOON PORTRAITS

This artist can create custom cartoon caricatures in a number of different styles, including these fun Simpsons style ones. Check out all the different options here.

Custom Cartoon Portrait
Custom Cartoon Portrait
Custom Cartoon Portrait
Custom Cartoon Portrait
the idea

Experiences

Another way to give an original gift is to buy them a unique experience—perhaps something you know they have expressed an interest in but have never actually done, such as race car driving or cage diving with great white sharks!

Group Introductory DJ Lesson
Private DJ Lesson
Action Hero Training Day
Action Hero Stunt Training
Hunters' Preparation Training Day
Wilderness Survival Training
Have a Unique Song Written & Recorded For You
Song Written & Recorded for You

Some examples include:

  • FLY A MILITARY JET
  • HAVE A UNIQUE SONG WRITTEN & RECORDED FOR YO
  • DRIVE A NASCAR
  • BE A ZOO KEEPER FOR A DAY
  • PLAY A ROUND OF GOLF WITH A PRO
  • EXPERIENCE STUNT DRIVING
  • TAKE A PRIVATE DJ LESSON
  • CREATE YOUR OWN SIGNATURE PERFUME
  • TAKE A NINJA TRAINING CLASS
  • LEARN TO RIDE A RODEO BULL
  • TAKE IMPROV COMEDY CLASSES
  • RENT A HARLEY DAVIDSON

Unfortunately, not all activities are available in every city, but to check availability in your area and to book places, click on the link above, then change the city / state in search box at the top to enter your chosen area.

the idea

MILESTONE BIRTHDAY T-SHIRTS

These 30th birthday T-shirts make great gifts, but as I’ve mentioned previously, avoid the corny ones that just poke fun at their age and pick ones that celebrate it. This site has the best range, but it’s also worth browsing here too for some other cool designs.

"I Put The Dirty in 30!" sleeveless T shirt
"Made in 1986 T shirt "
Vintage Jack Daniel's-style T shirt
"f**k calm its my 30th birthday bitches T shirt
the idea

FOR GEEKS AND NERDS

Check out this site for loads of really original 30th birthday gifts for geeks and nerds.

There’s everything from Han Solo in Carbonite mini beer fridges, Star Trek phaser TV remote controls that let you blast your TV to change channel, and cloth-bound box sets of A Song of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones) books, to tech gadgets such as this retro mechanical wireless keyboard for tablets or computers.

They have unusual products for all the big movie and tv shows, such as Star Wars, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Marvel, DC Comics, Breaking Bad, etc.

Han Solo Mini Fridge
Star Trek TV Phaser Remote
Game of Thrones Book Set
Retro Typewriter Wireless Keyboard
the idea

CUSTOM MINI FIGURES

Turn the birthday boy or girl into their own Lego-style mini figure with a 3D printed head created from photos of them. Check them out here.

Custom Lego-style figures
Custom Lego-style figures
Custom Lego-style figures
Custom Lego-style figures
the idea

Gag gifts

For smaller or gag gifts, check out this site for lots of fun and unusual products.

Lady Macbeth's Guest Soap
Trump's Small Hand Soap
Star Trek "Beam Me Up" Mug
Trump's Executive Orders Sticky Notes
in this section

03 GIFTS FOR BOOK LOVERS

the idea

CLASSIC BOOK FLOWER BOUQUETS

A perfect gift for book lovers, these paper flower bouquets made from the pages of classic books are fully customizable so you can send the birthday boy or girl a bouquet from their favorite book or sheet music. Much more personal than traditional flower bouquets. Check them out here.

Typography Roses
Typography Roses
Typography Roses
Typography Roses
the idea

BOOK SCULPTURES

These beautiful and incredibly unique works of art will make you look at books in an entirely new light and would make really special 30th birthday gift for a book lover. There are two different artists that create these, check out the first one here and the second one here.

Book Tree sculpture
Book Tree sculpture
Book Tree sculpture
Book Tree sculpture
the idea

BOOK ART

This folded book art—which is fully customizable—is another great way to give a unique gift to book lovers. Check them out here.

Folded Book Art
Folded Book Art
Folded Book Art
the idea

LITERARY CANDLES

These candles, inspired by classic works of literature are just so clever!

My favorite is the Green Light candle, inspired by The Great Gatsby, with it’s smell of ocean air, musk, and earthy vanilla—you can just imagine standing at the harbor’s edge staring longingly over the bay at the green light blinking on and off, day and night. 

.There’s also the Moonlit Moors, inspired by Wuthering Heights, Wild Huckleberries & Sage, inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Pemberley, inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride & PrejudiceCheck out all the options here.

Green Light Candle - Referencing The Great Gatsby
Moonlit Moors Candle - referencing Wuthering Heights
Huckleberries & Sage - Referencing Huckleberry Finn
Pemberley - Referencing Pride & Prejudice
the idea

LITERARY SCARVES

Whether they love Shakespeare, Jane Austen, F.Scott Fitzgerald, or Edgar Allan Poe, there are lots of chic literary scarves to choose from that will allow them to get wrapped up in a classic story—literally. Check them out here.

Literary Scarves
Literary Scarves
Literary Scarf featuring Hamlet
Literary Scarf featuring Les Miserable
the idea

LITERARY TABLET CASES

This range of beautiful handmade covers for Kindles, ereaders, and tablets, inspired by classic Penguin paperbacks, is a cute gift for book lovers and they’re fully customizable with your choice of book title, author, and interior message. Check them out here.

Literary Tablet Cases
Literary Tablet Cases
Literary Tablet Cases
Literary Tablet Cases
the idea

BOOK LAMP

This unique and stylish reading, desk, or night stand lamp in the style of a wooden book unfolds into an accordion and can be either laid flat in a half circle or completely open to form a sphere. Both sides can be engraved or full color printed to make this a really personal milestone birthday gift for book lovers. Check it out here.

Accordion Book Lamp
Folding Accordian Book Lamp
Folding Accordian Book Lamp
Folding Accordian Book Lamp
in this section

04 FOOD & DRINK GIFTS

the idea

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY KITS

Go on….play with your food! This do-it-yourself molecular gastronomy kit for beginners includes everything you need to create spectacular dishes such as mint caviar beads that burst in the mouth, chocolate spaghetti, lemon foam or tzatziki spheres! Check it out here.

Molecular-Gastronomy Kit
Molecular Gastronomy Kits
Molecular Gastronomy Kits
Molecular Gastronomy Kits

They also have cocktail kits that fuses basic molecular gastronomy techniques with traditional mixology to take homemade cocktails to the next level with burst-in-your-mouth spheres and drinks topped with beautiful, airy foams.

Add orange pearls to Champagne and upgrade a classic mimosa, deconstruct your mojito into floating mint caviar, or turn cosmopolitans into a sphere that will explode in your mouth—there are plenty of possibilities. Click the same link above for more info.

Molecular Gastronomy Kits
Molecular Gastronomy Cocktail Kit
Molecular Gastronomy Cocktail Kit
Molecular Gastronomy Cocktail Kit
the idea

WINE OF THE MONTH CLUB

Treat wine lovers to a Wine of the Month club subscription for their 30th birthday. You can choose from three, six or 12 month subscriptions and there are lots of different themes to choose from, such as the Rosé series, Pinot Noir series, Bordeaux series, Napa series, Vintners series, and the Limited series. Check out all the options here.

Cellar Series Collection
Cellar Series Collection
Limited Series Collection
Limited Series Collection
Case Club Collection
Case Club Collection
Rosé Collection
Rosé Collection
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WINE COUNTRY GIFT BASKETS

As an alternative to a monthly subscription, a fine wine gift basket is another great option for a milestone birthday gift. These are beautifully presented and you can choose by grape type, region, or vineyard—such as the Ferrari-Carano exclusive basket below right. Check out the full range here.

Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Collection
Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Collection
Silver Oak Cabernet Gift Basket
Silver Oak Cabernet Gift Basket
Finest Wine Collection Gift Basket
Finest Wine Collection Gift Basket
Ferrari-Carano Sonoma Exclusive Gift Basket
Ferrari-Carano Sonoma Exclusive Gift Basket
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GIFT BASKETS

You can’t really go wrong with a gift basket for a 30th birthday gift and this company has a great selection of less obvious baskets, such as the Godiva Chocolatier Collection, the Luxury Spa Basket, the Artisanal Cheese and Charcuterie Hamper, and the Champagne and Caviar hamper—plus lots more. Check them all out here.

Godiva Chocolate Collection
Godiva Chocolate Collection
Spa Basket
Spa Basket
Champagne & Caviar Basket
Champagne & Caviar Basket
Artisanal Cheese Hamper
Artisanal Cheese Hamper
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GOURMET FOOD GIFT SETS

If you’re looking for a less traditional gift basket, these hand-curated gourmet food sets offer some truly unique options such as hot sauce, honey, BBQ sauce, and teas from around the world—all beautifully presented to make them feel even more special. Check out the full range here.

Tea Gift Set
Tea Gift Set
BBQ Sauce Gift Set
BBQ Sauce Gift Set
Honey Gift Set
Honey Gift Set
Hot Sauce Gift Set
Hot Sauce Gift Set
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SPECIAL & UNUSUAL WINES

Another great gift idea for wine lovers is to invest in a special bottle of fine wine presented in a personalized box, such as this iconic Dom Perignon champagne engraved with a personal message in a Burlwood lacquered box, a suede-lined leather wine tote with a choice of two fine wines, or a premium wine presented in a personalized wine crate. Check them out here.

The same company also has some more unusual and quirky wine gifts, such as these fine wines and champagnes paired with rich Belgian chocolates where the bottle itself has been hand-dipped in gourmet chocolate to create a jacket that releases with a ribbon ‘zipper’.

A truly unique and unforgettable gift for wine lovers! Check it out here.