Holy crap, it’s May.  How did that happen?

As the days get warmer and Christmas becomes a distant memory, no doubt your mailbox will soon be filling up with graduation announcements.  Yes, further reminder that time has flown by and it’s time to start thinking about ideas for graduation gifts.  High school and College graduations have begun and chances are good that someone you know will be in need of a graduation gift in the next month.

Of course, you can always stick money in a card and call it a day – or you can go the extra mile and make sure your money doesn’t go towards beer and take out.

Top 15 Graduation Gift Ideas for Women*

*Because she’s not a little girl anymore

1. What Lies Within Us Bracelet – $69.99

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

These inspirational words are etched onto the sterling silver cuff bracelet, and are exactly what every woman needs to hear as she embarks on the next chapter of her life.  This is a perfect graduation gift for a woman with a love for literature, a sentimental heart, or a bumpy road behind or before her.

2. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! – from $10.99

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go….”
-Dr. Seuss

This book is one of my all time favorite inspirational books.  I’ve given it several times as a graduation present.  Yes, it’s a children’s book.  But it’s moving and perfect in it’s simplicity.  And chics dig that kind of thing.

3. The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous & Broke – $9.56

God how I wish someone would have had the foresight to give me a book about finances when I was graduating from high school.  Perhaps it would have prevented me from using my emergency credit card for new jeans and my student loan overages for late night tacos.  Or maybe, just maybe, when I got my first real job and had MONEY! and CREDIT! and companies throwing themselves at me with LOW MONTHLY PAYMENTS!, I would have had the good sense to use a little moderation.

While a high school graduate might roll their eyes and toss it on the pile of books to be read when they find it five years later, no  doubt a college graduate is already starting to think about how to make her way in the world a little more comfortable financially.

4. Samsonite 4-Piece Travel Set – $118

When you’re young and broke, you travel with duffel bags and back packs. Good luggage is one of the signs of adulthood – and one of the last things we buy for ourselves until we absolutely have to have it. (Hell, I’m 29 years old and still using a set I bought at a flea market.)

This set from Samsonite is a great deal on quality luggage – and the red will save your graduate time and potential embarrassment at the luggage carousel.

This is a perfect graduation gift for a woman who loves to travel or is moving away from home for the first time.

5. Franklin Covey Planner & Planning System

One of the best gifts I ever got was when my mom introduced me to Franklin Covey for my birthday one year.  She set me up with a binder and a year of planner pages and showed me how to use it.  I was hooked.  Over the years I’ve modified my own system (and learned to incorporate an iPhone into it), but it was Franklin Covey who first taught me about productivity and time management.

Graduating from high school or college means walking into a new schedule, a new set of responsibilities, and a totally new way of doing things.  A top notch planning system is a great graduation gift idea that can help her get started on the right foot.

6. Diamond Earrings – $99.99

Diamond studs are classic and have long been used to mark milestones in a woman’s life.  What better way to say “well done, this is a big deal!” than with diamond earrings?

7. Multi-Colored Freshwater Pearls – $49.99

Along the same lines as the diamond earrings, a strand of pearls is a classic “must have” for any fashionable woman.  I’m particularly in love with this multi-colored strand as a graduation gift because it’s a modern twist on an old classic.  This is a great gift idea for budding fashionistas on your graduation gift list.

8. TomTom ONE Portable GPS Navigator – $129

OK, so you’re not buying this for your neighbor’s daughter or your babysitter.  But if you have a woman who is graduating and looking for a more extravagant gift that no one else has thought of, the GPS might be just what you’re looking for.  This is an excellent graduation gift for a woman who will be headed to a new city on her own after graduation.  Send her out into the world with confidence that she can manage all by herself.

9. Fossil Watch (Katalina – White) $49.99

Again with the jewelry that every woman needs.  Yes, I know.  You can’t have a gift guide for women for any occasion without a healthy dose of the bling.

A great watch is an absolute must, especially for a woman who might find herself out on her own for the first time in her life.

10. Egyptian Cotton 6-Piece Towel Set – $26

I remember opening a box of towels for my high school graduation and thinking “ohhh, yeah, I guess I’m going to need towels now!”  A few years later, at my wedding shower, I opened yet another box of towels and thought “ohhh, yeah, I need new towels again!”  You can never have enough good towels – especially if the woman you’re buying a graduation present for is moving out for the first time, or leaving behind a dorm full of roommates to get her first place.  Cliche or not, new towels say new start.

11. Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 30-Minutes (White) – $80

I have the Flip Video Ultra Camcorder and I love it.  It’s really easy to use, carry and transfer videos to my computer with no additional software needed.  You’re not going to make feature films on it, but it’s a great video camera for a young person to capture and share their new life on.

12. Nikon Coolpix L20 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6 Optical Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Deep Red) – $110

Is the graduate headed off for a summer abroad?  A digital camera is a great idea for a graduation gift.  Nikon’s Coolpix is a reasonably priced digital camera that packs quite a bit of bang for the buck.  I actually have a Coolpix camera that I use when I don’t want to lug my big, fancy camera around and it’s great for snapshots of people, events and places.

13. Padded Laptop Tote Bag by Janine King Designs – $79

Just about any high school or college graduate these days probably has a laptop.  The only thing missing is a super cute laptop tote bag to haul it around in.  This design by Janine King was referred to me by the lovely Karen Sugarpants and purchased by a Buy-Her reader who RAVED about it to me later.  I think this is a perfect graduation gift for a high school graduate headed off to college.

With that said…

14. VIE Fashion Laptop Bag – $19.989.989

THIS is the laptop bag I bought for myself after the laptop tote I bought for myself failed to fit my laptop.  When I first bought it, I had trouble getting my computer inside it and I was all “OMG HOW HARD CAN THIS BE TO GET A LAPTOP INTO A LAPTOP BAG?!?!”  Then my husband proceeded to put the computer in the bag and make a fool of me.

I love this laptop bag because I can use it to carry my laptop back and forth and put everything I’d put in a purse inside it as well.  It’s fashionable and functional.  This bag seems to be a better look for a recent college graduate who’s headed into the workforce.

15. Personalized Reflections Premier Black and Silver Pen and Pencil Set – $19.99

Speaking of heading into the workforce, a personalized pen and pencil set is a great gift idea for a woman who takes herself seriously.  It’s also a great graduation gift for an aspiring writer – or someone bound to be spending a lot of time doing paperwork.  The possibilities are endless!

Posted in top holiday gifts Tagged: college graduation, gift guides, gift ideas, gifts for women, graduation gifts, high school graduation, presents