60th birthday gifts
by a professional party planner
on this page:
- Why most gift website suggestions suck
- How to avoid obvious, clichéd, and stereotypical gifts
- Why slapping someone’s name on a gift doesn’t make it personal
- How to choose a gift they’ll actually be excited to open
- Why your gift should fall into one of three categories
i’m matt james
professional event producer
- Elton John,
- Stella McCartney,
- Sarah Jessica Parker,
- Kevin Spacey……and more
welcome
CONTENTS
ON THIS PAGE
01 Quirky & Unexpected gifts
Unusual, unique, or playful gifts, tied to their interests or sense of humor
02 Meaningful & sentimental gifts
Gifts that celebrates the person or your relationship with them
03 Indulgent gifts
A treat, an experience, or something you know they’d love but would never buy for themselves
in this section
advice from a pro
MATT’S TIPs
in this section
01 Quirky & Unexpected gifts
Unusual, unique, or playful gifts, tied to their interests or sense of humor — the kind that gets a laugh, but is more than a cheap gag gift.
the idea
Custom Puppet
‘The gift for someone who has everything’ is one of those tired gift website exaggerations, but their own Muppets-style puppet is a rare case where it’s actually true.
the idea
Custom Tree Ornaments
These custom hand-painted wooden dolls turn the guest of honor into a Christmas tree ornament and fridge magnet that’s as personal as it is playful.
the idea
Custom Comic Book
Cast the guest of honor as the hero of their own comic book by turning their personality, interests, or favorite inside jokes into a fully illustrated story.
the idea
Custom Plush Doll
Give the guest of honor their own huggable mini-me, custom-made as a plush doll.
the idea
Custom Monopoly
Surprise the guest of honor with their own Monopoly board, built from inside jokes, old photos, and favorite places.
the idea
Custom Guess Who
Swap the classic cartoon faces for real photos of the guest of honor’s own family and friends, and watch everyone struggle to guess who’s who.
the idea
Custom Bobbleheads
Turn the guest of honor into their own nodding, larger-than-life caricature, right down to the outfit or hobby gear that makes them instantly recognizable.
the idea
Emotional Support Crochet
Give someone a squeezable, handmade crochet character that comes with its own little dose of encouragement.
the idea
Custom Pinata
Create a talking point, memorable moment, and photo-op for guests to share with a custom piñata resembling the guest of honor
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in this section
02 Meaningful & sentimental gifts
Gifts that celebrates the person or your relationship with them creates a real emotional connection that people remember.
the idea
Custom Reel Viewer
Surprise the guest of honor with a walk down memory lane by asking friends and family for photos of their favorite memory of them to collect together in a custom reel viewer.
the idea
Friendship Lamps
Let close friends or family know when you’re thinking of them with these long-distance Friendship Lamps that light up when either of you touches them.
the idea
Wishing Ball
Encourage the guest of honor to create a weekly wish or message of gratitude to capture in a hand-blown glass wishing ball that serves as a reminder of their magic.
the idea
Custom Letter Blanket
Put into words things you feel but seldom say, and have it turned into a soft cotton blanket they can wrap themselves in or use as a bedspread they’ll see every day.
the idea
My Life Story…So Far
Help them write their own life story with this guided memory journal that prompts them each step of the way.
the idea
Story of Us Map
Celebrate your relationship by turning the places, dates, and milestones of your story together into one illustrated map.
the idea
Custom Life Map
Mark a milestone birthday with an illustrated map of their life so far, featuring the places, dates, and moments that shaped it.
the idea
Reasons We Love You Photo Book
Invite friends and family to create photos expressing things they love about the guest of honor to collect together in a keepsake book
the idea
60 Reasons We Love You
Invite friends and family to highlight the admirable qualities, notable traits, or amusing quirks that make the guest of honor so loved
the idea
Open When…Letters
Be there in spirit when you can’t be there in person with a collection of ‘Open When…’ letters for every occasion
the idea
Audio Guest Book
Bring your guestbook to life and capture authentic and unfiltered voice messages from friends and family to treasure forever
the idea
60 Years of Memories
Invite friends and family to pen a handwritten letter sharing their fondest memories of the guest of honor to present as a gift
the idea
Through the Years Photo Book
Invite friends and family to contribute photos of the guest of honor through the years to capture in a custom photo book
the idea
60 Custom Photo Collage
A framed photo collage of the guest of honor at different stages of their life makes both a thoughtful gift and entertaining tabletop display
in this section
03 Indulgent gifts
A treat, an experience, or a luxury you know they’d love but would never buy for themselves, that they can enjoy guilt-free.
the idea
Book Art & Sculptures
Turn a much-loved or long-forgotten book into a piece of art: sculpted into a glowing scene, folded into their name, or reshaped into flowers that never wilt.
the idea
Historic Headlines Birthday Book
Turn their birthday into front-page news with a bound volume of real newspaper front pages from their birthday, one for every year since they were born.
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