44 Gifts You Can Send To Friends Celebrating Birthdays On Lockdown
The Zoom birthday chat is about to get lit.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. A dozen Magnolia Bakery cupcakes with frosting so buttery and decadent they'll be gone within the hour, whether your friend is socially-distancing with family or all on their own.
Each birthday dozen comes with six vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing, complete with assorted birthday decorations and sprinkles 🧁.
Get a dozen from Goldbelly for $65.
(I feel it is my duty as a dessert consumer to inform you that you can also buy a giant vat of Magnolia Bakery's famous banana pudding for $56, if that's more your friend's speed.)
2. A truly iconic tortilla blanket so the Chipotle fan in your life can achieve the greatest aspiration of them all: becoming a human burrito.
Promising review: "I never write reviews but thought I should after buying this funny tortilla blanket! Very surprised. It's a lightweight blanket that's still very fluffy and super cozy. I think it's perfect. Washed it and still super soft. No pilling but I washed and dried it alone. It's holding up well, both in feel and in shape. The trim is sewed on well, so no problem there either. This is the BEST purchase I have ever made. I’m recommending this to everyone I know!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in four sizes and seven styles, including waffles and pizza).
3. A fast-growing birth month flower grow kit that will thrive indoors just like the rest of us finally getting through our Netflix queues — plus, once it gets big enough to plant outside, your friend can use the glass grower as a beautiful vase.
Promising review: "Daughter-in-law is a tad difficult to buy for--she's very undemanding and pleased with anything. I wanted to get her something that showed I was thinking about her specifically, and this flower grow kit was perfect for that. It was personal in that it was tailored to her birth month, and also worked well because her home is filled with plants. When I saw her recently, she was pleased that the flowers had already started to sprout, and I could tell she really enjoyed the gift." —Virginia
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $35.
4. A five-year One Line A Day journal so your friend who keeps starting journals and then abandoning them can finally find something that sticks — one line a day is *super* low commitment (and imagine how satisfied they'll be looking back every year!).
The book comes with 365 pages, each of which has lines for five days, so they'll write on the same page each year when the date comes around again. It's a really cool way to reflect on their ~journey~ — kind of like those "this time last year!" things your phone or Facebook does, except they're the ones in control of what gets written and saved.
Get it from Amazon for $12.16 or from Bookshop (to support local bookstores) for $15.59.
5. A birthday cake in a mug complete with its own candle, so your friend can light it and boomie it for the perfect #StayHome birthday 'gram, and have the ideal mug for all future microwaveable cake needs.
Promising review: "THANK YOU UncommonGoods for getting these items out so quickly to my local friends isolated at home due to self-quarantine on their birthdays this month! My friends loved them & the Birthday Cake Mugs really cheered them up. Now I am ordering them for my friends across the country who I can never be with to celebrate on their birthdays. What a great gift!" —Uncommon Goods Customer
Get it from Uncommon Goods for $24.
6. A personalized Disney cup because birthdays are great, but glitter-filled hydrated birthdays are better. (Although I personally would not judge any birthday-haver for using this for bathtub wine.)
Promising review: "I bought this as my sister’s birthday gift (huge Disney fan) and she LOVED it. It was beautifully done and well packaged, I definitely recommend this for any Disney lover. " —Amelia
Get it from Life Style Creationss from Etsy for $20+ (available in different color combinations).
7. A tiny milk frother to make everything they drink taste like it was lovingly handcrafted by a barista.
A true godsend for anyone who got into that whipped coffee trend. Plus, it's teensy for storing and cleans with a quick stream of hot running water! We love a convenient appliance!!
Promising review: "I’m a barista at Starbucks so obviously I know how I like my coffee. For a while I was using an immersion blender to froth my milk for my morning cup of coffee but it just wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do. I finally bought this frother and I’m so so happy with it!! It doesn’t need to be plugged in so it takes up way less space. It is a lot quieter than the blender, and I can use any size cup I want because the frother is so small. Not only can I heat up my milk for a hot coffee, but I can also use it just the same with cold milk for my iced coffee!! Highly recommend this product!!" —Heather Michael
Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in 45 different colors and patterns).
8. A Friends photo frame mug that lets you put a pic of the two of you in it — a way of saying 🎶I'll be there for you 🎵even when you gotta say it from afar.
A perfect gift for when your friend has to "PIVOT!!!" their b-day plans.
Get it from Firebox for $19.
9. Plus a birthday celebration tea filled with vanilla and fruity flavors to kick off your birthday shenanigans. The ideal quaran-tea to sip on your day of birth.
10. A personal library kit so they can streamline their massive book collection (*and* rest assured their buds will give them back that loaned copy of Bossypants).
Promising review: "This little set is so cute! You can attach a library-type pocket to your books and then sign them out and stamp a due date on the included 'library' sign-out card if friends borrow your books! Really cute idea, the set is just like the library pockets and due date like you used when you borrowed books from a library, back before e-readers, Kindles or tablets came along." —Nurse Nell
Get it from Amazon for $20.99+ (available in four different editions).
11. A monogrammed notepad in an assortment of colors because they're a list-maker that deserves the best of the best. Their weekly to-do's and grocery lists just got a major upgrade.
Promising review: "Love these notes! Great gift for yourself, or someone else!" –Elizabeth T.
Get it from Joy Creative Shop for $23+ (available in three sizes, 29 color combinations, and in 50- or 100-page quantities).
12. A leak-proof sphere ice mold to make everything they drink feel so top shelf and fancy they may just spend the rest of quarantine writing a self-insert James Bond fan fiction.
Promising review: "These spherical ice cube makers are a lot of fun. Given that they're pretty cheap, I really wish I had bought them earlier! I was able to get significantly clearer spheres of ice when I boiled tap water before freezing (I poured it into the mold while it was still hot)." —dyanecek
Get a set of two from Amazon for $11.99.
13. A "because social distancing" wine glass they can use to toast to everyone in the Zoom birthday chat after y'all sing "Happy Birthday" in nine different (but no less enthusiastic!!) keys.
Promising review: "These glasses are AMAZING! I bought them as birthday gifts for a couple of my friends (and one for myself because I thought it was cute!). Lauren was very responsive and helpful when I had questions regarding her products and shipping. She also gave me an update as to when the product would be shipped! Overall, I ordered seven glasses total and they all came right on time, in perfect condition and just as it had looked in pictures with my color of choice (Turquoise)! I would order again from Lauren ANYTIME! Thank you so much again :)" –Thao
Get it from Red Lines Designs on Etsy for $7.99+ (available in 35 colors, including *glitter* options!).
14. A "White Paw" dog toy you're legally obligated to gift to anyone who has uttered the words "No Laws When You're Drinking Claws" regardless of whether or not they have a dog.
Promising review: "My dog is a soft-toy destroyer. She usually tears them apart in five minutes, stuffing everywhere. But for some reason she has not gotten these apart yet! The fabric seems a little more durable but I think it also helps that there are no hanging pieces like a tail/ears, etc. She loves to toss them around. Squeaker isn't in an area she bites all the time so it's not overly annoying. Was super cute to post a picture of her with it and me with my own White Claw :) They were a little pricey but I had to get them!" —Stacy Laake
Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.99+ (also available in a tropical pack under the same listing).
15. A super soft Baby Yoda T-shirt that is, quite truly, a big BFH (Birthday From Home) mood.
16. A personalized long-distance BFF keychain to remind them you're not just thinking of them on their special day, but every day y'all are apart ❤️.
These keychains are super customizable — you can get messages like the one above, or get creative with inside jokes or cheeky phrases like "I hope your day is as nice as your butt."
Promising review: "I absolutely loved this! It came out very neat and my boyfriend cried when I gave it to him. Thank you so much for making this lovely personal gift!!" —vctigie
Get it from Bees Hand Stamped Gifts on Etsy for $14.12+.
17. A Baked By Melissa birthday cupcake pack perfect for anyone whose favorite cake flavor is "all of them."
Each 25-pack of cupcakes comes with your choice of an assortment of Baked By Melissa's vast flavors of cupcakes (may I aggressively recommend PB&J, chocolate chip pancake, and cookie dough, which will be the names of my three firstborn children).
Get it from Baked By Melissa for $43.
18. A zodiac sign ring dish to add a little bit of ~twinkle~ from their very own star sign to their nightstand.
Promising review: "I love this. It was exactly what I needed. I wanted something cute to catch any bobby pins lying around my bathroom, and this was a perfect match! I also am thinking about giving these to my friends as their Christmas gifts!" —Rachel G
Get it from Amazon for $11.98 (available in all 12 zodiac signs).
19. A Tom Nook plush for the friend who is celebrating their birthday on a virtual island and can't be bothered to cut any birthday cake until they've assembled enough bells to pay rent.
*sighs* Time to go catch myself a few red snappers...
Get it from Box Lunch for $16.90.
20. A rose gold rechargeable electric lighter your candle-loving friend can use to replace all their old gas ones. This one is not only chic as heck, but completely flameless, and made with a long stem so they can use it to light gas burners and larger candles.
This also comes in other pretty colors, but I am especially partial to this one because I bought it for my parents (their kitchen is entirely pink and one of my favorite places on Earth), and this was SO EASY to use — not to mention super safe! I'm a big weenie about fire (lol, self-preservation) so I've always stuck to extended arm gas lighters, but this is much better for the environment (plus cuter), so I feel a lot better about using it. For more info, check out the full review of this rechargeable lighter.
Promising review: "Wow. This thing is amazing. Small and so easy to use. My husband kept saying it won’t actually light anything and was blown away when it did. We lit candles and paper to use as tinder with absolutely no effort. No fuel needed. Just a quick recharging. And no waste in throwing away those huge and never easy to use butane sticks. Love love it. Easy buying process so I would recommend everyone buy one." —Diane Bold
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in five colors).
21. A little astrology-based book on self-care tailored to their sign, so they can unwind however the stars intended (*crosses fingers that "watch Netflix in the bath tub" is included*).
Each book starts out with an explanation of what self-care is, what the different types of it are (and aren't!), and how it relates to astrology before diving in deep on all the ways each sign can take care of themselves and the people around them ✨.
Get all 12 astrological signs from Barnes & Noble for $12.99 each.
22. A confetti glitter birthday soap with a UNICORN in it 🦄that you can fully customize, from the type of scent to how strong the scent is to whether or not you want glitter in it (my answer to that is either "yes" or "HECK YES").
Promising review: "These are absolutely adorable!! I let her pick out my scents and she did great! They're both beautiful and smell yummy! Recommend!" —Carrie
Get it from Cindy's Bath Creations on Etsy for $9.67+ each (available in 39 scents).
23. A gorgeous and relaxing paint-by-number with an end result so beautiful they'll want to frame it in the front hall 🌅.
Each set comes with a detailed numbered outline, three brushes, and a set of numbered acrylic paints with extra to spare.
Promising review: “This is my favorite paint by numbers that I’ve done so far! There are lots of small areas, but the numbers are clear and easy to read, and the brushes have fine enough tips to maintain precision. Another great thing about this PBN was the paint thickness. Though a couple of colors (especially #9) required two coats to cover the number, none required more than two. Once one or two coats were applied, all the paints were smooth and thick. Also, the final outcome of this PBN is awesome! It really looks like the product you expect. The whole process from start to finish was gratifying and relaxing. Would definitely recommend!” –Dani Pattiz
Get it from Amazon for $10.97.
24. A sophisticated whiskey tumbler with a map of their favorite city etched on it.
Well Told is a New Hampshire-based Etsy shop established in 2009 that specializes in personalized drinkware and gifts.
Promising review: "Bought as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom, and she loved it! Map is easy to see and the glass is very well-made and designed." —Timmy
Get it from Well Told on Etsy for $16 (available in 248 cities).
Psst — these also come in wine glasses, mugs, and pints.
25. A mesmerizing handblown glass birthstone wine stopper, so when they pop a bottle open on the Zoom party, they can seal the leftover Pinot in style.
26. An assortment of Milk Bar cookies from the iconic New York-based bakery, aka the ultimate birthday bragging right — ordinarily you have to stand in line for a bajillion years for one of these!
This set comes complete with *takes a deep breath* one Compost Cookie, one Cornflake-Marshmallow-Chocolate-Chip Cookie, one Corn Cookie, one Blueberry & Cream Cookie, one Chocolate-Chocolate Cookie, and one Confetti Cookie. I would fight you for any one of them.
Get a set of six cookies from Milk Bar for $24+ (available in six or 12-counts).
27. A customizable Glossier Balm Dotcom trio gift set full of ultra-hydrating, gorgeously subtle colors you can hand-pick for your friend — including a sparkly *birthday* balm.
Promising review: "Buy this! Buy them all! I got the original to begin with and ended up buying the trio set days later because of how amazing it is. Now I have fourt tubes in different scents and I regret nothing. Even my husband is in love with the original and the mint! The birthday is super subtly shimmery and the rose is a barely there tint (honestly BARELY THERE). A little does go a long way so don't worry about the price tag. You will be using these tubes for a while and loving every second of it." —Devon
Get it from Glossier for $30 (available in nine shades).
28. A ticket stub collecting notebook so they have somewhere to store their favorite memories from concerts, movies, or theater shows, plus a little note section so they'll always have context for why it was so special.
Promising review: "This ticket album was just what I needed for all of my concert tickets and memorabilia. There was plenty of room for multiple ticket stubs/guitar picks/other memorabilia in each slot on the page. The ticket album arrived quickly and in good condition. I am very pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend." —Amanda
Get it from Amazon for $9.77.
29. A sloth tea infuser, since they'll be spending their birthday just ~hanging around~ the house anyway.
This heat-resistant, slow brew infuser also is designed to seal tightly so loose tea leaves don't escape (*Trelawney voice* "My dear ... you have the GRIM!!").
Promising Review: "There’s nothing much to say besides this is a super cute but also useful gift. I bought this for my BF but honestly, it’s so cute I use it more than he does. It’s easy to take apart and put together, though you do need to make sure you rinse it well to remove all the tea leaves. I like to keep my tea brewing as I drink it so I’ll usually take this guy off the rim of my cup and let him float. I’ve been using this for almost two years and it’s still holding up well." —C
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (available in different styles).
30. A cocktail subscription box so they can craft themselves a birthday drink so perfectly-tailored to their tastebuds that it'll rival anything they could have gotten out at a bar.
Each kit comes with ingredients to make four servings of a craft cocktail, with a different theme and surprise ingredients every month. (Psst — April's box includes a mashup that bourbon + apricot fans will love!) You can opt to get one box as a gift, or gift them with several boxes as part of a subscription! And BTW, we've got you covered with even more recommendations for the best subscription boxes.
Promising review: "I got my first box (the ginger orange with mezcal and gin martinis) the drinks were easy to prepare and, frankly, the best part was that despite the fact that it was 7 p.m., I was in my PJs, in my living room, toddlers finally put to sleep, taking a sip of the drink (out of a plastic cup instead of a proper glass) transported me IMMEDIATELY back to my previous life as a decked out, dressed up, single twenty/thirty-something with a social life at the cool & and amazingly interesting bars and restaurants of NYC. I never thought I'd have that experience again — of having a really, really interesting and delicious drink just because I felt like it — and yet, here I was, re-experiencing my previous life in the comfort of my own home, without even having to hail a cab, hire a babysitter. Really fun and tasty. Thank you!" —Rebecca S.
Get one box from Cratejoy for $49.99 without the alcohol, and $38.99 with the alcohol included.
31. A pack of 18 colorful Dylan's Candy Bar chocolate squares, so they can kick back all through their birthday month with flavors ranging from S'mores to Milk Toffee Crunch to Dark Raspberry.
The full flavor lineup includes Caramel, S'mores, Cookies & Cream, Milk Toffee Crunch, Dark Raspberry, Hazelnut, Almond, Dark Espresso. No, YOU'RE crying.
Check out our favorite places to order chocolate and candy online (Dylan's Candy Bar is featured in *both*)!
Get it from Dylan's Candy Bar for $15.
32. A personalized bracelet from BaubleBar you can customize with a message up to 12 characters (I personally recommend making four that say BEATS, BEARS, BATTLESTAR, and GALACTICA, but to each their own).
Get it from BaubleBar for $40.
33. A Glossier face mask duo, so they'll have everything they'll need to make FaceTime a time for their face to shine.
The set includes Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy Pack (to detoxify) and their Moisturizing Moon Mask (to hydrate).
Promising Review: "These both feel amazing as you put them on AND as they dry. Like no other masks. You instantly see a difference with the moon mask. With the mega greens, it’s a gradual difference. Both of these are just what I needed for my skin! I use the greens mask 2x a week and the moon mask just when my skin feels like it needs it (stiff, dry, red, dull)" –Rach
Get it from Glossier for $40.
34. A pair of snuggly USB-powered heated slippers to keep their toes toasty during their Everything Cozy Forever And Always-themed birthday party.
Promising review: "Purchased for a friend. Slippers fit well, are warm (but not uncomfortably hot), and just perfect for staying in at home. These plug in via USB to stay actively heated, so you need to be near a power source." —splitmyplants
Get it from Urban Outfitters for $48.
35. A Tamagotchi, so they can channel their birthdays of '90s yore and celebrate by mopping up after a tiny digital creature that fits in the palm of their hand.
Promising review: "These bring me back!!! So glad Urban Outfitters is carrying these. I love the one I got and since they're all unique my friends and I all have different ones." —blondielala
Get it from Urban Outfitters for $19 (colors vary).
36. A cold brew coffee maker so gloriously easy to use that all they have to do is stick their favorite ground coffee in the filter, seal the airtight lid on top, and pop it in the fridge overnight. Boom, four cups of cold brew.
Promising review: "I have been drinking caffeinated beverages everyday for half my life. Usually brewing hot then cooling it down with ice which was quite a process to do every morning. Then I came across this cold brew pitcher and thought I'd give it a try. It's great, easy to use and clean, very convenient, lasts for a couple weeks, I love it! Making a pitcher of coffee take less time than a normal brewer and makes enough for at least one cup a day for about a week, depending on how much coffee concentrate is used. I haven't used my normal coffee or espresso machine since I got this cold brew system. The coffee seems to taste better as well, not a huge difference but it's somewhat noticeable." —Birnbaum
Get it from Amazon for $24.98+ (available in three colors and four sizes).
37. A birthday party candle so they can make a wish every time they blow it out. With notes of vanilla and butter cream, it will definitely give them a sugar rush.
This candle smells delicious enough to remind them of the sheet cake they ate at a child entertainment center on their sixth birthday. Ah, the nostalgia.
We also gave Homesick a shoutout in our roundup of the best candles you can get on Amazon.
Get it from Amazon for $34.
38. Or, a 3D pop-up birthday card to let them know just how much you love them.
Promising Review: "The Happy Birthday card was sturdy and the display opened easily. A nice surprise is that there is a slit on the side of the base that holds a note card for you to write on; so when displayed, the card is still clean looking. Nice bonus." — Kenmore
Get it from Amazon for $13+ (available in nine styles).
39. A pair of glowing light saber chopsticks to bring balance to the Force *and* to their sushi — whether they're repping the dark side or the light.
As you can see from the above GIF, I bought these for myself, and I love them to pieces. TBH, I use them as decor every bit as much as I use them to eat. Sometimes I just keep them in my work area to light them up during the day to feel fancy. They toggle back and forth between a bunch of different colors, like red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor, so you can either make them match *or* have a red and blue one together and bring ~balance~ to the Force.
Promising review: "I purchased these for a friend's birthday present (he is a sushi waiter) and these are flippin' AMAZING. I ordered two sets by mistake, but I am totally keeping the second pair for another gift (or for myself!). These are sure to be great conversation pieces and attention-getters. Way to go!" —T. Redwood
Get two pairs from Amazon for $12.97.
40. A customizable phone case for your pet-parent friends that will make them feel an overwhelming amount of love and appreciation for their four-legged friend (more than they already do, of course).
Promising review: “The sketch very accurately captured my pup’s unique personality. Love the slim and lightweight (yet protective) case. Can’t wait to order another!” –Nicole M.
Get it from PetCanva for $39.95+ (available in different iPhone and Samsung Galaxy phone sizes, and in transparent or opaque options).
41. A mini Canon smartphone printer because they have a headache from staring at a screen all day and need an excuse to look at something printed again.
Promising review: “We started printing right away and tried printing from Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook! Absolutely love how easy it is to print and access the app! Put my phone next to it and it immediately picked up the app for me! Super cool! The quality of the prints is excellent!!! –tienn703
Get it from Target for $99.99.
42. A hanging disco ball planter that'll add some serious ambience to their weekend ragers (or when they blast some tunes and do some chores around the house and have a solo dance party).
Dado Dado Designs is a Texas-based small business that sells disco ball planters. You can also find them in our roundup of home decor shops on Etsy to keep on your radar.
Promising review: "This is the cutest little planter. Shipped quickly and it will be the perfect gift for my disco-ball-loving and plant-obsessed brother-in-law!" –Brianna Shine
Get it from Dado Dado Designs on Etsy for $35+ (available in four sizes).
43. A pair of crazy cool acrylic UFO earrings so your out-of-this-world bestie can add a statement-making accessory to their collection. These will also come in handy if your pal plans on dressing up as Ms. Frizzle for Halloween next year.
Promising review: "Such a cute gift for my alien-obsessed friend. She loved them!" –whitney dixon
Get them from Amazon for $9.99.
44. A Wreck This Journal, which is a book that's designed to be made a mess (in a fun, artistic way, of course). Each page will prompt your gift-ee to get creative, whether that be by creating a stain log with whatever they have on hand, or by poking holes though the paper using a pencil.
Your grateful BBFF (Birthday Best Friend For Life) after you surprise them with one of these thoughtful gifts:
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.