Get creative for your next birthday present

If a close friend or family member is turning another year older, skip the generic gift card and give them something that they’re really going to cherish: memories. But how are you supposed to tie up a memory with some decorative paper and string? With handwritten letters, of course. Here’s a few ideas for how to pull off the ultimate birthday present:

Send a stack of memories

Even if you can’t get all of of your friends and family together for this person’s birthday, there is something else that you can gather. Give your loved one a stack of memories that they can sort through one by one.

• Consider age

  How old is the birthday girl or guy turning? Whether it’s 25 or 60, that’s the number of handwritten cards that you should shoot for.

• Get in touch with friends and family

  While you could probably brainstorm many of the memories yourself, how about asking your loved ones to help out with the project? Let them know what you’re trying to do, and have each person write down a favorite memory that they share with the birthday person (make sure they sign their name). Then have them put the note into an envelope and send it off to you in the mail.

Create a scrapbook

Is your loved one someone who tends to save all of the birthday cards, holiday cards and congratulations cards that they receive in the mail? If so, you can take the liberty of transforming these cards into a special scrapbook that they can look back on anytime they want.

• Choose a theme

  If there are simply too many greeting cards to choose from, consider making a themed scrapbook. For example, you can put together all of the congratulations cards that they received after tying the knot, and pair those notes with memorable pictures and mementos (like wedding invitations and place cards) from the big day. Another theme idea would be to create a birthday scrapbook filled with all of the well-wishes they have received over the years. Next to each card in the book, jot down special memories from the particular year the card was sent.

• Use binder rings

  You can choose to organize all of the cards into a book, much like a photo album, or you can use binder rings for an easy way to navigate through all of the notes. This way, the birthday person can continue to add to the collection of cards for years to come.