Gifts for Grads Moving to a New Place
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Transitioning from college life and all its lovely accoutrements—hastily hung band posters; meals of instant ramen; roommates good, bad, and bizarre—can be bittersweet. Help make adulthood feel like home with these graduation gifts.
Sedum Burro's Tail Potted, Rori Blooms Local
$52
Plants brighten up the home—at least until they shrivel up from neglect. This pre-potted, drought-tolerant Burro's Tail succulent thrives even under the care of grads who don't have experience cultivating anything other than a 3.8 GPA.
Estelle Colored Glass Set of Six Stem Wine Glasses, Nordstrom Local
$185
Every candy-colored piece from this beloved, Black-owned glassware line is the stuff of domestic dreams, but a classic set of stemmed wine glasses feels especially grown-up. In a fun, pink way.
First Aid Kit, Welly
$27
Even practical home essentials like a fully stocked first aid kit can be aesthetically pleasing (you're welcome, Gen Z).
Take It Easy Candle, Cancelled Plans Local
$32
Seattle-based candle company Cancelled Plans specializes in simple packaging and relatable scent names. If Student Loans feels a little too on the nose, consider a musky, citrusy reminder to Take It Easy (for the first time in about four years).
Tineco Pure One S11 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, Tineco
$350
Will a handheld, rechargeable vacuum with a near-five-star rating and rave reviews from Wirecutter be the most fun present to open? No. But it will be the gift apartment-dwelling grads who are used to wireless everything will thank you for in the years to come.
Piecework Smart Cookie Puzzle, Prism Local
$38
Celebrate graduates' newfound ability to own a table large enough for 1,000 pieces—oh, and their incredible academic accomplishments—with this cute and punny pastel puzzle.
Blick Gift Card, Blick Art Materials
$5–$500
The true rite of passage into adulthood: framing art rather than thumb-tacking it to the wall. Blick Art Materials (which has a location in Capitol Hill in addition to others around the country) offers some incredible discounts on custom framing, so gift card recipients get more hang for their buck.
Chef’s Choice Cordless Electric Glass Kettle, Sur la Table Local
$60
Coffee. Tea. Instant ramen (old habits die hard).
NYT 36 Hours World, Burke Decor
$40
For graduates making a big move to a new major city, starting a career that calls for frequent work travel, or searching for a useful and adultish coffee table book, the New York Times's print compilation of its 150-locale "36 Hours" travel series makes for a practical and thoughtful gift.
Seven-Piece Bar Essentials Set, Viski Local
$64
Three cheers for muddling, shaking, stirring, and straining something other than whatever was cheapest at Total Wine.