Having friends move away really sucks. We really miss hanging out with all our old friends that had to load up that truck and go away. Giving gifts, however, is a lot of fun. If your friend is making a long-distance move in the near future, give them something to remind them of home! Be sure to read our favorite 12 cutest moving away gifts for some ideas.
12 Cutest Moving Away Gifts
CUSTOMIZED "HEART TO HEART GIFT:
Hatch.co, a marketplace for made-to-order items, features a vibrant and lovely section of cute “heart to heart” items. These items play off the distance between two hearts - serving as a reminder that the distance between these two can’t disrupt that special relationship. The design is available on a pillow or map, and you can choose between a number of color schemes for even more customization. This is a great gift for a long-distance significant owner, a beloved child heading off to college, or any bffs that will miss hanging out together.
IDEA: Custom Heart-to-Heart Pillow on Hatch.co
NEW STATIONARY (WITH NEW ADDRESS)
This gift is a both really function and a great hint to your friend to send out moving notices to their loved ones. Customized stationery is a great gift for the entrepreneurially minded and the incessantly professional. Unless you know your what your friend wants, we recommend getting their input before totally blindsiding them with stationary they aren't going to use.
IDEA: Stationery from Paper Presentation
YOUR MEMORIES (IN PICTURES)
They say experiences are better than things, and the best experiences always come in the company of great friends. Help your friend relive some of your best moments together, in pictures that will last forever. This gift is so simple, but can mean so much. It’s also so simple that it’s hard to mess up. You’ll probably get it right! It doesn’t hurt to attempt something creative, however: try something interesting! We’re sure your friends will remind you that it’s the thought that counts.
IDEA: Massive Instagram Photo Collage from Social Print Studios
KEY FRAME / NEW HOME RELIC
Celebrate the new home or the old memories with this relic from home. A key is a small reminder of the joys that wait inside your new home - or maybe the memories that took place in that old home. This is a great gift for first time homeowners.
IDEA: Frame their first key (via Rhyme and Ribbons)
STRESS BALL (WITH HOMETOWN RELIC)
Moving sucks, and is SUPER stressful. A stress ball is an easy yet thoughtful way to show that you understand the tough times that lay ahead for anyone moving house. For bonus points, grab a stress ball from a local business, sports team, or monument to help remind your friend of home. We wouldn't give just a stress ball to a dear friend, but it can be a nice add-on or a good way to show an acquaintance that they'll be missed.
IDEA: Statue of Liberty Stress Ball
TOURIST TRAP MERCH
(picture via NYC CityStore)
This will be worth at least a few good laughs. You actually bought THAT?! But in truth, what’s the first thing people see once they walk off the plane into their home airport? Probably a gift shop full of this stuff. So in that way, it’s pretty homey. With this gift, you’ll have both a laugh and a memory, and you might even have a story.
IDEA: I <3 NY t-shirt
AIRLINE GIFTCARD
There’s no better way to hint to your friends to come visit than with the financial incentive of a gift-card that may expire one day. Who doesn’t love a good homecoming? Plus, it’s sort of like giving the gift of you! For those moving away from family members or other loved ones, this gift could really come in handy come the holidays or a long-weekend.
IDEA: Give a Raise.com gift card for cheaper than the normal rate!
LOCAL GIFT CARD
While it may be nice to give your friend a relic of their old home, why not help them assimilate into their new home! Do some research to figure out the area your friend is moving to! Look up a cool coffee shop, bar, clothing store, or restaurant in their neighborhood, and see if you can purchase them a gift card. That way when they move to a new town or city, they can feel comfortable exploring their new digs!
IDEA: Go on the Infatuation to check out some good local spots for grub!
GET THEM A “HOMESICK” CANDLE
The “HOMESICK” Candle is a perfect going away gift. With candles meant to capture the aromas of dozens of countries and cities around the world, you can’t go wrong gifting your friend the scent of their former home. “HOMESICK” sells both candles and scent diffusers at affordable prices, and super cute packaging. Check out their website here, https://homesick.com/.
IDEA: You can also order HOMESICK products straight from Amazon!
LOCAL ART
A piece from a local artist can make for a great first home or apartment decoration. Head down to a local flea market, street fair, or other art sale nearby. It doesn’t have to be a museum-quality piece, but pick out something that your friend will be happy to put on his walls or inside their apartment.
IDEA: Art on Post-Its at the Brooklyn Flea
SPORTS TV PACKAGE
They might not be the “home” team any more, but your friend will never miss their favorite team's big game with a TV or streaming package for displaced fans. NFL Sunday Ticket allows NFL fans to watch every game, every sunday with this package, even when they're not in the local area of their favorite team. If you’re friend’s not an NFL fan, but will miss watching their favorite NBA/NHL/MLB/MLS team on local TV, each of those leagues also have a package for out-of-area fans.
IDEA: NFL Sunday Ticket
FAVORITE MOVIE/TV SHOW
Who hasn’t re-watched an old favorite show or movie once, twice, or maybe an embarrassing amount more times than that? Mutual enjoyment of art makess friendships stronger, especially when it’s a TV show or movie that you can watch again and again. This is just as true for long distance friendships. Help your friend reminisce about the times you spent discussing and watching the show or movie together by buying them a physical copy they can watch to their hearts’ content.
(Pick whichever show or movie you’d like, but we would recommend 30 Rock!).
CLOCKS SYNCED IN DIFFERENT TIME ZONES
Communicating with good friends and family in different time zones can be tricky. While it may be nearing lunch time for someone on the east coast of the US, someone on the west coast may just be waking up or getting ready for the day. A clock synced to the time in their old hometown would be a very fitting gift for a friend migrating to a different time zone. They will never forget what time it is in their old city where their old friends reside, and it will help remind them of the great times had with those friends (and to reach back out once in a while).
Recommended: Newsroom Time Zone Clocks on RedBubble
BASEBALL CAP/ LOCAL SPORTS MERCH
Your friend will want to rep where they’re from, even when they move somewhere else. No one has to be a baseball fan to enjoy the styles of their local baseball team’s hat. The classic ball cap is an easy accessory to add to many outfits, and helps people show their pride in their home city. Fit your friend’s style with a classic dad hat, beanie, adjustable hat, or whatever headgear they would appreciate most.
Recommended: MLB hats by New Era
SPECIALITY STAMPS/ LETTERS/ ENVELOPES
What better way to encourage your friend to write to you than by providing them with adorable stationary? Stamps, letters and envelopes that double as a reminder of their home city (or their new city) serve as a smart impetus for good friends to keep in touch with the pen. “I miss you” means more on paper than over SMS. Phone calls and texts are nice, but there’s something special about receiving a letter in the mail.
Recommended: Various styles of stamps by USPS
LOCAL CHEF COOKBOOK
Leaving behind the best food in a city is maybe the most heartbreaking part of leaving that cityit behind. You can help ease the hole in your friend’s life by gifting them a cookbook from a local culinary favorite. A recipe showing off your hometown’s culinary offerings can let your friend relive old memories, settle into their new city, and maybe even help them impress a few folks in their new town.
Your mileage may vary with local chefs, but Snoop Dogg’s cookbook will probably go over well with anyone.
FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS
A wearable relic of the relationship you shared with your moving friend helps them remember you even when hundreds of miles separate you. The old middle school idea of friendship bracelets could apply, and the two of you could make your own bracelets by hand. You and your friend could also buy the same bracelet to remember the other by.
Recommended: Distance Bracelets from Alpha Accessories
CANDY
It goes without saying; moving across the country is stressful. Having some sweets by your side to munch on while carrying out the tricky transition can help relieve some of that anxiety. Anything from a local shop that won’t be available in the gift recipient's new neighborhood would be a great bonus. Either way, candies can be a helpful respite from the stresses of the cross country moving process.
Recommended: Pick whatever you’d like from the local candy store, but you can’t go wrong with gummy bears.
STUFFED ANIMAL
To some, a stuffed animal might serve as a comforting presence when faced with an anxiety inducing move across the country. The stuffed animal can also function as an accessory when designing the interior of the new home. Maybe a furry friend from the local zoo, or a mascot from a local sports team, would be a good choice for a stuffed animal to remind the gift recipient of their old hometown.
Recommended: Bleacher Creatures’ mascot collection.
PHOTO FRAME
Friends that move away might need a little help decorating their new house, apartment, or wherever they will be living next. Maybe they already the perfect relic to put on display, but don’t have the frame to put it in yet. The blank canvas gift of a photo frame is always appreciated by anyone with an empty home to fill with decorations.
Recommended: Photo Frames from Michael’s
KEYCHAIN
Some of the easiest and most effective gifts are simple and ubiquitous. Anyone can use a keychain, and they’re available anywhere. This can be either a legitimate gift or a gag gift (with the corniest keychain from the airport gift shop in tow).
Recommended: Keychains on Etsy
COFFEE MUG
Show your friend that you understand them well enough to know they drink liquids from time to time with a cool coffee mug. Nearly any gift shop in town will have them in stock with their imagery. If the local flavor isn’t what this suits this particular gift, there’s plenty of cleverly designed coffee mugs on the web and in nearby home goods stores to choose from.
Recommended: CB2’s coffee cup collection
LOCAL GYM MEMBERSHIP
Does your friend like working out? If so, do some research! Look up some good yoga, pilates or fitness studios in their new neighborhood. Buy them a few classes, or even a membership, so that when they arrive they don’t have to worry about finding a new gym! Being in a new city can be nerve-wracking, so finding a place to unwind and sweat may be a good way to help your friend get cozy in their new life!
No matter where your friend is moving, you can’t go wrong with selecting something from our list of cutest going away gifts. And if none of our ideas work for you, there’s nothing more fun than planning a visit to see your friend in their new home!
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