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8+ Extra Special Birthday Ideas they will Love

Make your loved one’s day all about them with our extra special birthday ideas.  Not only are they thoughtful, but simple too!

The best extra special birthday ideas.

Each person gets but one day a year that belongs to us. Some people like to turn it into an entire week of celebration and others even whoop it up throughout the whole month. To whatever extent you take it, birthdays are noteworthy. It’s the day we get showered with adoration , the day people give us gifts, the day we get to eat cake, or favorite dessert, and not feel guilty about it.

We love birthdays. I love my birthday. Even as I get older. Even though most years my celebrations are much simpler than they used to be, and maybe especially for that reason. One thing I love as much, if not more, than my own birthday is making others feel special on their birthdays, namely my kids and my husband. Again, I like to do this in simple ways rather than anything overblown, or loud, or over-the-top. I often say less is more but I think I’m going to adopt a new saying: simple is more. I’m sure that has something to do with how many birthdays I have personally celebrated. Our family quite often celebrates birthdays with birthday parties. You know, a bunch of kids at some location, doing some activity that you’ve planned (or purchased) for them to be entertained by. Our kids love it. So year after year we go to whatever lengths we need to to host a gathering for each of them that will bring birthday bliss to all involved.

Parties, and of course gifts, are pretty obvious ways to celebrate a birthday. However, sometimes it’s the little things, the simple things, that can make all the difference. Below are some easy ideas you can do to make your loved one feel extra special on their birthday.

Special Touches

Mirror messages from the House of Hendrix

I think my kids like this one partly because I’m breaking our number one rule of only using markers to write on paper. Aside from thinking mom is a rebel, how sweet is it to wake up to a birthday message written just for you on the bathroom mirror. I use crayola window markers to write my messages, they work great. You can also use permanent marker and wipe it off with paper towels and rubbing alcohol, be sure to test this first though.

Gift wrapped lunches

This one is the best! Especially the first time you do it. However, you have to make sure it’s done in the sly. I try and pack lunches the night prior or before I wake my kiddos in the morning. How special do you think they feel when they get to the school lunch table that day and have to unwrap their sandwich from the festive gift wrap you folded it in. SUPER SPECIAL! It is a moment I will remember always when I did this for one of my kids for the first time ever. He came up to me when I picked them up with a big smile on his face. He didn’t even say hi. The first thing out if his mouth was “I liked my lunch mom”. It was priceless.

A family birthday sign.

This is a great tradition. If you are crafty you can make your own. If you’re not you can hit up my friends at The Plaid Pine Company, they do custom orders. Send them a message through their Etsy shop and let them know you were referred by the DIY Detectives. Every year your family will look forward to seeing their name on the sign and it will be gesture they will always remember. Perhaps your kids will even carry on the tradition with their own families.

Another idea that a friend if mine does is to create a large birthday chalkboard for your wall. On their birthday every year write their name, age, height, grade, their likes, dislikes, and aspirations. Then take a picture with them standing next to it so that they can have them all to look back on.

Or if you really want to give them a big birthday shout out, stretch a gigantic yard sign across your front lawn for all to see.

Decorating your car windows.

There are special chalk markers for this too. It’s pretty cool to roll up to school in a mini van that says “happy birthday Noah”. Ok, so maybe you’re not the mini van type but the effects are the same no matter what type of vehicle you have. If it’s your spouse that has the birthday, sneak a written message on their car window. It’s a thoughtful, extra gesture to let them know how important their day is. Just be sure not to obstruct their view.

One more idea is to fill their car with balloons. They can’t help but smile at the sight when they walk out to see it stuffed with the colorful birthday decor.

Decorate their bedroom door.

There are a few creative ways to decorate the entrance to their room. You can make it festive with a large paper sign, hang streamers, use feather boas, but we love this idea of a balloon avalanche from Simply Kelly Designs We have probably all seen the balloons trapped by streamers trick, which is also fun but to have a mountain of balloons raining down on the birthday boy or girl is such a festive way to start the day.

Decorating for mom or dad? Have the kids write special notes to hang on the door or attach special pictures from the past year.

Ice cream cone cupcakes

Impress your child’s classmates with this twist on the traditional cupcake and bring a batch to celebrate at school. We get plenty of ooohs and aaahs when we bring these in. Kids love the concept and they are pretty yummy too. Try out our favorite diy whipped frosting to top them off.

For an adult birthday make their favorite dessert. Maybe they are not crazy about cake. That’s ok! Put candles in their pecan pie instead. Their birthday is all about them.

Birthday Breakfast

Make their favorite morning meal and feel free to throw a candle on top for an extra wish that day.

  • Pancakes
  • Waffles
  • French Toast
  • Donut Tower
  • Breakfast Sandwich

Serve it on a special plate too! We have one that I found at target and it only comes out of the cabinet for birthdays.

Birthday tee shirt

I don’t really like buying shirts for my kids that are only good for one day out of the year. Unless you hand it down to a sibling it only gets worn once since they outgrow it by the next year. But this birthday shirt can be worn all year long. You can’t beat it! Kids love to be epic.

Want an adult version. Try this “vintage” or “limited edition” with birth year tag line. Or if they’d rather keep their age under wraps simply order this birthday king tee shirt for men or birthday girl top for women. Unlike kids they can wear it every year on their special day.

Whether you try one or try them all these special birthday touches are sure to fill the love meter of your birthday boy or girl or king or queen. Happiest of birthdays to them, may all their wishes come true.

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