Birthday Ideas for Your Boyfriend

Fact: A lot of boyfriends are terrible at choosing gifts! They’ll pick up a last minute stuffed animal and chocolates and think that they’ve made a good effort. Gee, honey, what made you think I’d want that vinyl record, when I don't have a record player? Fortunately, you can do better than that, and we can help! Obviously, you’re thinking ahead and giving yourself time to find (or create) the best surprise birthday gift for your boyfriend! To give you some idea starters, we’ve compiled a list of amazing surprise birthday ideas for him.

How to Make Him Feel Special on His Birthday

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Bake Him a Special Cake

This one takes time, and a little bit of talent, but the end result is incredible! What does your boyfriend love probably as much as he cares about you? For some, it’ll be video games. For others, maybe it’s his record collection or his favorite band. Perhaps it’s his sweet ride - a classic muscle car that he inherited, or the 4-wheeler he’s been customizing for years. For others, it might just be a sports team. Whatever it is, if you want to make him feel special on his birthday, you should use that passion of his as your inspiration for the perfect birthday cake. 

Here in Canada, we’re pretty passionate about our Hockey. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you usually have an opinion about the Toronto Maple Leafs. This lucky guy’s girlfriend made his birthday cake in the shape of a hockey jersey - complete with the number of his favorite player. It was an awesome birthday surprise, plus they got to share the cake with plenty of friends! 

Book a Getaway

Perhaps you’re tempted to skip over this option because money is tight, or you don’t have access to a car, or you’re terribly afraid to fly. Wait - give it a moment - I truly believe that you can plan a “getaway” in spite of your circumstances. 

You don’t drive? Perfect! 

Plan a birthday surprise for your boyfriend relying exclusively on public transportation. (This is an even better idea if your surprise is going to involve alcoholic beverages). Hop on the city bus and be tourists in your own city, checking out destinations that you’ve never seen before. If you have a Subway or Commuter Train in your city, this can be an even greater adventure! Plan a few stops along the way, where you can jump on and off to visit a vintage record store, try out his favorite gourmet burger joint, etc. 

Remember - it’s all about planning the perfect, personalized adventure for your boyfriend! If your budget enables you to go a bit further, perhaps you drive to the National Park for an incredible back-country camping excursion. Or book that dream week at the underwater hotel in Bali. Plan something that you know he’ll enjoy and you’re well on your way to making it the best surprise birthday, ever! 

‍Build or Make Him Something Cool

I know, we’re not all all super handy, nor do we all have a wood shop in the basement, but I’m telling you - this is going to earn you some serious girlfriend points. Start small… but think big! Your boyfriend LOVES his craft beers… make him a set of wooden coasters! You can even just “slice” some branches and varnish them. He loves grilling, so get creative with some reclaimed wood to make him a “King of the Grill” sign where he can hang his BBQ tools. If you're more skilled with a sewing machine than a saw, think about making him a cozy quilt using the denim from old, ripped jeans or from his old concert t-shirt collection. When you’re looking for a surprise birthday gift for your boyfriend, there’s nothing better than taking the time and effort to build something beautiful and long-lasting.

Bring His Family and Friends to Him

We’re all busy. We’ve had restrictions placed on our in-person gatherings during a pandemic. We’ve moved away for college and don’t get home as often as we’d like. Our careers can take us across the country - or beyond, to international destinations. All of these factors, and more, can make it tough to get together for birthdays. So when you’re looking for birthday surprise ideas for your boyfriend, look no further! Memento helps you bring everyone that he cares about together, virtually, to celebrate his birthday. 

Login and create a group video, adding your favorite photo of your boyfriend to be shared with the invite. Once you’ve got the birthday surprise for your boyfriend set up, just copy the invitation link and share it with his friends, his family, his co-workers - whomever you think will want to join the birthday surprise. When you reach the due date for the video clips, just log back in to your account. Watch the video clips, arrange them in whatever order you’d like, and trim them if they’re too long. Choose some personalization options, like a color for the opening and some background music, and create your group video. 

Here’s one that Remi created for her boyfriend Stefano when he turned 30. He was living in LA, far from his family and friends on the East Coast. It was a great surprise birthday idea for him! 

Now it’s all up to you! You know him probably better than pretty much anyone else. Use that information to come up with the perfect birthday idea for your boyfriend!