We’ve all been there: a friend calls us and says they’re feeling a little blue for one reason or another. After talking them down (or cheering them up), we might get the inclination to send them something sweet or thoughtful to get their spirits up.
The good news is that there are cheer-up gifts for everyone, like surprise teddy bears, gift baskets, wishing stones, and personalized cards.
Whether you want to send a few sweet treats or an adorable novelty plushie, here are a few of our favorite ideas for gifts to cheer someone up.
We have options for all budgets and tastes. If you like what you see, follow the links provided to purchase a gift.
Nothing soothes the soul more than a surprise gift of chocolates. For example, Kohler’s Chocolates or Harry & David can deliver chocolates to an address, with plenty of chocolate and sweet varieties to choose from. With pages’ worth of sweet treats, you’re sure to find your friend’s favorite. You can also send gift baskets as an extra touch for when you want to sweeten their day even more.
All right, we’re getting the obvious gifts out of the way! Besides chocolates, you can deliver flowers to your friend within a day or two. Shops like 1-800-Flowers allow you to select different occasions, or simply different flower colors, along with unique gifts like chocolates or cards. You can even add a short custom message to let them know you’re thinking of them. Whether your friend likes simple arrangements or fancy bouquets, this is a fantastic gift.
If your friend misses you, you can send a teddy bear with a special message just for them. If they need a funny note, a teddy bear’s T-shirt can constantly remind your friend of the message. Whatever kind of custom bear you need, a company like CustomizeGirl lets you choose a specific bear with a customizable message for a truly unique teddy bear.
GiftCo can send your friend a Hug in a Box, which includes special items to help your friend relax and feel a little brighter. Each box includes your choice of soy wax candle and soap, along with a customized card, caramel candies, tea, and honey sticks. The printing on the card and labels are colorful and appealing and can hopefully bring healing vibes to your loved one’s home.
This decorative plaque features a famous quote from A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books that is sure to cheer your friend up. Not only does it conjure images of one of literature’s most cuddly characters, but it also reminds your friend that they are braver, stronger, and smarter than they might think. If Winnie the Pooh can’t cheer you up, we don’t know what can. This simple plaque will dress up their desk or shelves and help them through hard times.
Sometimes, the best cheer-up gifts come with a sense of humor. In this case, the candle expresses the wish that your pain could transfer to someone you don’t like. Not only might it help your friend laugh, but they can picture you beside them, sharing a laugh and helping to shoulder your pain. Plus, a vanilla scent can help brighten any sour mood at any time.
If your friend is more of a shower person, you can gift them steamers that act like bath bombs for their shower. They need to place the shower steamer on a shelf or the shower floor, and the lavender oil will soon melt out in hot water. They can enjoy a calming lavender smell for a few hours, such as before bedtime or right after work.
With positive affirmation cards, your loved one can take small reminders and gentle exercises everywhere. The cards are colorful, with appealing drawings and messages on them, and different activities they can shuffle and choose randomly. Your friend can take them on the go, or they can make artwork of them to create a calming, colorful, and safe space.
If your friend is grieving, isn’t feeling well, or needs a few snacks, give them a few. The Gift-A-Snack basket includes several sweet and salty snacks to enjoy, like pretzels, cookies, popcorn, granola bars, and more. You can give your friend 40 to 150 individual snack packs and select different packages for candy, snacks, or cookies. These packs have a lovely variety of healthy and decadent treats.
A fleece blanket can be an excellent substitute for a warm, friendly hug, especially one with positive affirmations printed on it. The blanket comes from 100% microfleece, so the material is high-quality and soft, with five different bold and vivid colors. You could pair this blanket with other calming gifts, like tea, a mug, or chocolates. You can also machine wash this blanket, so it’s easy to look after.
You don’t just have to send get-well packages when your friend is feeling sick. A blanket, some candles, fuzzy socks, a greeting card, bath bombs, and essential oils can make anyone’s day a bit brighter. This package even includes a motivational bracelet and mug to remind you of your friend’s amazingness when they’re away from home or their best friend.
Cute animals provide an excellent dopamine burst, so why not get your friend a sweatshirt with an adorable animal on them? In this case, you might find your friend a sweatshirt in their favorite color featuring a cat under a mushroom. Each sweatshirt is a polyester-cotton blend, so it’s super soft. For fun, you and your friend could get matching sweatshirts for your next meetup.
If your friend likes sentimental jewelry, you can get them a bracelet or necklace with a sweet message attached. That way, they can think of you when they put the piece on, and the message will go with them wherever they do. You’re sure to find a piece in their favorite metal color. If you want to get a matching gift, buy one silver and one gold bracelet!
Whether your friend is at their desk or working out, a motivational water bottle can help them remember their daily goals. Different markers on the bottle remind them what they can do to motivate themselves every hour of the day. Plus, having an adorable corgi reminding you to keep going should help your friend smile.
Sports fans who need cheering up can always find strength and motivation in their favorite hobbies. Your friend can display this inspirational football or baseball, so they’ll know that it’s okay to feel sad but also important not to give up. You can pick the ball type and the message, either in full size for display or a mini size to take with them on the go. This handmade gift is one they’ll cherish forever.
Depending on your loved one’s needs, you can send different hygiene and self-care products, such as beard oil, skin scrub, shower steamers, muscle and joint salves, and more. Each package option comes in a soft box with classy bottles and labels. Best of all, each package provides a fantastic aromatherapy experience after a tough day or just for regular self-care. The man in your life will love to be pampered with this thoughtful collection of goodies!
Another way for your friend to carry inspiration is by putting it on their key ring. Next time they go to start their car or open their front door, they can see a sweet reminder that you believe in them. Or when they look over at their keys on their table, the message will still be there. Unless your friend loses their keys (hopefully they won’t), they won’t lose the message that you love them.
The first thing you see when you open this hug in a box is a cuddly 14-inch teddy bear. You can even put a custom T-shirt on the bear with a sweet message. Besides the bear, you can add a little plastic balloon, a candle, gift cards, enamel pins, and other goodies for a care package catered specifically to the recipient. Don’t forget to add a handwritten card for your friend.
We have many gift boxes on this list, but few options include a succulent plant. A succulent plant is small, does not require much care, and can brighten up your friend’s space. The package, which comes with chocolates and a candle, can include add-ons like lip balms, hand cream, a bath bomb, and pink Himalayan bath salts. Each item is handmade with high-quality materials.
Rubbing a smooth, cold stone between your fingers can reduce stress and help you feel more grounded. They also work nicely for meditation and mindfulness exercises. Even if your friend is not spiritual, they can always keep this stone in their pocket to rub when feeling anxious or if they need a reminder that you’re always there in their heart. Plus, the stone looks beautiful!
Bath salts and candles are lovely, but so is making a steaming cup of hot chocolate with luxurious ingredients. The highly affordable Hug in a Mug includes a few bars of high-quality chocolate, marshmallows, a hot chocolate mix, and a personalized note. It all comes in an adorable red box with a cute red heart sticker to further remind your friend that you love them. If you’re looking for gifts to cheer someone up, you can’t go wrong with this option.
While these crayons don’t come with a get-well-soon card or coloring book, they are still a unique gift for your artistic friends. You can pick out a coloring book in your friend’s favorite theme and send these crayons alongside it as a sweet surprise. They come in an adorable box to help keep them in rainbow order, either as coloring tools or cute desk decorations.
Similar to positive affirmation cards, these cute little wooden hearts remind your friend why they are amazing. You can pick out 10 to 50 hearts, each with its unique message, which you can put in a bag or a box. Either way, your friend can dump out the hearts when they feel sad and look at all the incredible reasons you love them. This unique gift is handmade using high-quality birch wood.
Just like gift boxes with a surprise stuffed animal, this option is a cheer-up gift your friend can hug. They can use it like an actual pillow and fall asleep cuddling it, or they can decorate their workspace with it. You can sprinkle this pillow with your favorite essential oil or perfume so your loved one never forgets that you’re always there for them, even if you can’t be there in person.
What’s cuter than carrying around a tiny teddy bear in a tin tucked safely under a blanket? Anytime your friend feels down, they can open this tin to see a sleepy bear tucked under a colorful blanket. There is even a personalized message inside the tin lid, which your friend can read as they smile at the little bear.
Whether your loved one is a friend, spouse, or small child, we hope you find something on this list that can brighten their day. Whatever you choose, they will rest assured that, although life is tough, so are they.
Some of our favorite gifts to cheer someone up are ones with personalized messages, so your loved one knows how special they are to you. But we’re sure they’ll appreciate any gift and the thought behind it!
Cardi “likes to party” Clark has 15+ years of designing, planning, and executing successful parties and events. Highly skilled in event strategy, management, planning, and execution with a track record of exceeding expectations. I make it happen. I get it done and people have fun!
