An Extra Special 21st Birthday Gift

The 21st birthday is a big deal. Finally, you're legal. You can drink and gamble! A lot of 21st birthdays involve going to Vegas, or going drinking and clubbing or other similar activities so often the birthday gift is the party itself. A bunch of friends take the birthday girl or boy out and show them a good time out on the town. But what if you're not doing something like that? Or even if you are, why not give them a fun gift as well?

My brother's wife gave me the most darling gift for my 21st birthday and so I then stole the idea and did the same for my husband's sister when she turned twenty-one. So what is it, you ask? Essentially it's just a box. Now that doesn't sound very interesting but trust me it is. It's a box with several slits in it and little post it notes that you pull out. Attached to each post it is a different gift. Lotto scratchers, cash, gift cards, or whatever else you can think of. You can decorate the box however you like as well. Okay, I'll go through the instructions for creating this gift and give you some ideas to personalize it.

First, find a box. Any box. The size is up to you. The bigger the box the more holes you'll need to cut and thus you'll require more stuffing items. After you've selected a box decide how many slits you want to cut. It's easy to cut these with a good razorblade. They should be fairly thin so the post its and items don't fall out. Next you'll need to decide what to put in each slot. A gift card to the clothing store Forever 21 is a great idea to follow along with the theme. You can even get it for $21. Or $21 cash. Twenty-one lotto scratchers. Lottery tickets. Basically any small flat item can be used for the slots. Now you'll need a bunch of post it notes. Stick the post it note on the item to be inserted in the slot, leaving about half an inch to hang over the edge. On this edge write a catchy little phrase such as; "pull me," "you know you want me," "push don't pull," "try harder," or "guess who?" These are just short, fun little phrases that will hang out of the box and the recipient will pull. After you've written on it and attached it to the item you'll want to tape the bottom edge down to the item so the post it doesn't peel off. Then stick the item in the slot. You can tape it to the box as well if you'd like on the bottom of the post it again so the item won't fall out of the box. Repeat this for all slots until they are completely filled.

Now all you have to do is decorate the top. Put a bow on it and attach a "Happy Birthday" ribbon or tie a "21" shot glass on it. Be creative. You can always add birthday stickers and other goodies to spice it up. And that's it. You have a fun gift. The lucky birthday girl or boy gets to pull out each present and discover what they've gotten. It's a game of sorts. Do what you want with it and change things around. You never know what you might create!