31 Creative High School Graduation Gift Ideas That Aren't Just Cash

If a college dorm is in their future, this little shelf attaches to your bed via sturdy clamps and offers extra room for tech, snacks and a drink. Per the brand, it has a maximum weight capacity of 35 pounds.

Pictures pop out instantly from this cute camera as 2" x 3" prints with a peel-off back, so they can stick them on things. Don't forget to buy at least one pack of 20 photo papers to put inside. The images aren't going to be sharp like the digital pictures they take on their phone, but there's a fun retro feel with this, and it's fun to use the prints for graduation day and graduation party souvenirs.

Because shower shoes are a must, whether they're living in a dorm or heading to the gym, this pair will protect their feet. They're also cute enough to wear outside!

This unique fill-in-the-blank book is an appropriate gift for a high school grad that's extra special to you. Use your creativity to fill in the prompts about their life. Reading it will be a great pick-me-up whenever they're feeling down.

Concerts and sports events are popular for young adults, and your high school grad might really appreciate this clear crossbody stadium-safe bag to hold their wallet, phone, keys and other essentials.

He'll have a lot more going on now, so help a guy stay organized with this docking station that has room for his phone, glasses, keys, wallet and watch. You can get it monogrammed.

This stainless steel bookmark is a great blend of practical and sentimental. It comes engraved with an inspiring message, and while one charm says 2025, the other charm can be their initial.

This is a great last-minute gift that will actually come in handy if they don't have a car yet and want to go out on the weekends. You can choose between $50 and $100, or you can get an Uber Eats gift card specifically for food delivery.

Now there will be no confusion between roommates as to whose clothes are whose. You can choose from a cream or black laundry bag, and the monogram comes in more than 45 colors.

College kids get paranoid about not hearing their phone alarm on big days, like when there's an exam. The Hatch Restore makes a great backup alarm clock, but also helps them wake every day with sunrise colors and sleep every night with soothing sounds and white noise.

This temperature-control mug is a splurge, but it's really unique. Tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Lab, it's on our list of the best heated mugs. It'll keep their beverage at their favorite temperature, and our testers appreciated that it can be operated via the Ember app or without it.

Give them what they really want — this graduation cake, which you can build with three tiers of rolled-up bills. Give yourself at least a half hour to roll bills and set up the tiers. You'll want about 130 bills on hand though the larger you roll the bills, the less money you will need to fill the cake. The set comes with 200 rubber bands for you to secure around bills, styrofoam layers and ribbon for each tier.

With their new busy schedule, they might not have as much time to sit down and reflect. This journal only takes five minutes to fill out, and it will keep them looking on the bright side while they chronicle challenges — and overcome them.

If they use an iPhone, it can pair with this tiny, lightweight disk and show it's location via the "Find My" app. If your grad puts it in their backpack, purse, suitcase or wherever, they'll be able to track and locate that item at any time. No more panic about misplacing! Air Tags are super useful (put one in a car and you'll always find it in a parking lot!) so you might also consider a four-pack.

They'll never lose their way with this special copper compass keepsake, which comes in a leather pouch. A quote by Thoreau is engraved on the inside.

Dorm life will come with new challenges, but she'll be able to keep her favorite pieces organized and out of sight from visitors with this personalized jewelry box. It's made of faux leather and can be customized by color and initial. It has slots for rings, hangers for necklaces and dividers for earrings.

Whether they're heading to campus for classes or traveling home for the weekend, they'll get use out of this backpack. The Good Housekeeping Institute especially loves the amount of pockets to keep items in order as well as the compression straps, making it easy to pack as much as possible while meeting the personal item size limit of most U.S. airlines.

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Need an inexpensive grad gift that marks the occasion? This zippered pouch is water-resistant and can hold makeup, a phone and keys, plus their new college ID or some emergency chocolate bars for all-nighters.

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Every grad wants to decorate their new apartment or door room — or even just jazz up their bedroom at home during this transition summer. You can make a personalized neon sign, one of our top gifts for teens, with their name, nickname or a fun saying. Price will vary depending on how many letters and symbols you use.

Honestly, they are going to use this way more than you think. This charger is so compact, they can keep it in a pocket if they don't throw it in their bag. It works with many phones, including and iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel.