Easy & Creative 40th Birthday Gift Ideas for Women - Natalie Menke (2024)

Are you looking for show-stopping 40th birthday gift ideas for your wife, girlfriend, best friend, sister, neighbor or coworker?

If you want to celebrate a 40th milestone birthday with personalized birthday gifts for her, then look no further! This exhaustive list of unique 40th birthday gift ideas includes DIY gifts and one-of-a-kind finds from small businesses and artisans.

From sentimental 40th birthday gifts to celebratory gift options — I’ve got you covered!

Scroll through the birthday gift ideas below or use the table of contents to go directly to sections that interest you the most.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through them, I may receive a commission from a third party at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own, and I only share links to products I personally use, love and trust.

Sentimental 40th Birthday Gift Ideas

’40 Reasons We Love You’ Box

Are you looking for a meaningful and heartfelt gift for a loved one’s 40th birthday? A truly unique 40th birthday gift is as easy as grabbing a pen and making a list. Write down 40 reasons why you love the recipient, arrange them in a pretty container and add a simple gift tag. This sentimental gift will bring tears to the birthday girl’s eyes for sure.

My recent DIY 40 Reasons We Love You gift post has all the details, including:

1. an exhaustive list of sample reasons to give you some inspiration and
2. numerous examples of how to package your list to make a memorable keepsake gift.

This gift idea is also great for a group! Invite all of the recipient’s family and friends to contribute to your list. There’s no rule that says it can only be 40 reasons why you love them. Forty+ reasons is even better!

Personalized 40th Birthday Book

I’m such a sucker for customized, one-of-a-kind gifts, and it couldn’t be easier to make one with the help of The Book of Everyone. If you’re looking for a 40th birthday gift unlike any other, you can create a personalized book (The Book of Everyone’s Milestone Edition) by uploading basic information about the recipient. After that, they’ll take it from there by populating the book with personalized facts, trivia and pop culture nuggets.

I’m willing to bet your birthday girl won’t already have anything like this, so no need to fret about her receiving duplicate gifts!

40th Birthday Friendship Print

Commemorate your friendship and/or sisterhood with this 40th birthday custom print from puddleInkPrints on Etsy. These hand-drawn prints are gorgeous for framing as keepsake gifts – especially because the artist captures the likeness of each individual so well.

You can go so far as to personalize hair styles and color, clothing and even the drink preference in each hand by selecting from a range of options. Does it get any more custom than that?

’40 Reasons We Love You’ Poster

This poster FromTheRookery on Etsy makes giving a sentimental 40th birthday gift a breeze. Simply select from a variety of color options (including this black and rose gold/champagneversion shown above), download, print and frame!

Fill in all the hearts yourself or recruit your shared friends and/or family members to contribute as well. It makes an easy group gift!

I can’t help but think this gift would also be great from a group of coworkers. Just imagine having a rough day at work but then seeing this poster and knowing how much you’re appreciated by your coworkers. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

I can also envision using this ’40 Reasons We Love You’ Poster as an alternative to a 40th birthday party guest book – to be used at the party as a decoration and then framed afterward as a keepsake.

Number 40 Photo Collage

Lorie at LuluBluePhoto on Etsy creates custom birthday gifts made from your digital pictures. This 40th birthday photo collage would make a memorable birthday party decoration, conversation starter and keepsake gift.

Involve your whole family or group of friends to compile a lifetime of photos for your collage. What a great group gift!

Birth Year Poster

Purchase this printable birth year poster from SunChalks on Etsy for a 40th birthday celebration and frame it as a keepsake gift. I see this gift both as a great conversation starter for party guests and a walk down memory lane for the recipient.

Celebratory 40th Birthday Gift Ideas

’40 Beers for 40 Years’ Gift

For a beer-loving gal: download and print my free ’40 Beers for 40 Years’ printable sign and attach it to a cooler filled with 40 different varieties of beer.

This ’40 beers for 40 years’ gift basket is a great 40th birthday gift from a group. Just invite everyone to bring a bottle (or two) of their favorite beer to include in the gift (whatever amount would equal 40 bottles).

Over the past year, I’ve found this ’40 Beers for 40 Years” gift was an easy 40th quarantine birthday gift. Who wouldn’t want to open their front door to find an assortment of adult beverages compiled on behalf of their friends, family and/or neighbors?

Even with social distancing requirements lifting in some states, this gift is a perfect way to let a friend, family member or neighbor feel special…and fill their beer fridge in the process.

Pro Tip: You can customize this for any birthday – 21st birthdays, 50th birthdays, or any other random year! For example: ’21 beers for 21 years’ or ’38 beers for 38 years’. The combinations are endless!

‘Cheers to 40 Years’ co*cktail Gift

Just like with the ’40 beers for 40 years’ gift above, you can customize this ‘Cheers to 40 Years’ co*cktail kit gift for any birthday – 21st, 50th, or something random like 38.

Just print my free ‘cheers for 40 years’ gift tag and add it to a gift basket filled with the necessary ingredients to make the birthday girl’s favorite co*cktail.

The most recent ‘cheers for 40 years’ basket I made included ingredients for dirty martinis (gin, vermouth, and fancy blue cheese stuffed olives) and fun stemless martini glasses, co*cktail shaker, measuring jigger and bar spoon. The birthday girl loved it and proceeded to tell me over and over again as we knocked back a few together.

Custom 40th Birthday Wine Labels

Wine is always a good idea – if not as a custom gift, then definitely as beverage options for a 40th birthday party. I love these 40th birthday wine labels from Harper & Ivy Designs on Etsy.

For a festive 40th birthday gift idea, choose the recipient’s favorite wines, add these labels and give them as part of a gift basket. You can also use these wine labels to add a festive touch to the decor at a 40th birthday party.

40th Birthday Piñata

Is the birthday girl dreading her 40th birthday? Help her take out some of her aggression and show 40 who’s boss with a custom piñata. Can I also recommend you fill the piñata with mini bottles of booze (in plastic bottles of course)? This hilarious gift can double as party decor and an adult activity at a 40th birthday party.

The unique piñatas from Pinyatay on Etsy are adorable – not just their 40th version, but also their metallic initial piñatas for weddings, custom whacking sticks and piñatas for kids. How can you decide on just one??

40th Birthday Squad Hats for a Group

If you’re having a ladies’ night to celebrate the birthday girl, how fun are these birthday squad hats from Ninety Third on Etsy?

As I’m writing this, we are still laying low due to the pandemic, but you better believe these hats will be making an appearance at a destination 40th birthday celebration I’m planning for next year.

Nostalgic 1980’s 40th Birthday-in-a-Box

Children of the 80’s will LOVE this nostalgic gift box. Filled with everything they’ll need for a trip down memory lane, this birthday box is packed with rad 80’s-themed party favors.

This is a great gift for all those 1980’s babies celebrating their 40th birthdays in the coming years. I’ll be keeping this birthday-in-a-box in my back pocket, especially to send to friends when I can’t be there to celebrate in person.

Small Gestures for a 40th Birthday

Sometimes a big gift can make things awkward. If a coworker, acquaintance, neighbor or even your child’s teacher is turning 40 and you just need a little something, check out these small gesture birthday gifts:

40th Birthday ‘Make a Wish’ Bracelet

This minimalist ‘forty & fabulous’ bracelet is a sweet gesture for celebrating a 40th birthday without going overboard. Because of its compact packaging, it tucks nicely inside a standard birthday card if you need to mail a gift.

I also love the idea of giving these bracelets as party favors for a girls’ 40th birthday weekend or getaway.

40th Birthday Candy Bars

Let’s be honest, what girl doesn’t love chocolate? If you’re looking for a sweet treat for the birthday girl or need party favors for a 40th birthday bash, these chocolate bar wrappers are the cutest!

This gift idea takes a tiny bit of DIY on your part, but you have the option to demo the wrappers with the name of the birthday girl before you purchase the digital files. I always love a good try-before-you-buy opportunity!

40th Birthday Candy Bar Poster

You know I love a good DIY project, but sometimes it’s just easier to let the pros handle it. Case & point: this 40th birthday candy bar poster printable from PaperTagged.

Simply download and print her poster and fill in the blank spaces with the suggested candy bars. (I’d use Sweet Tarts instead of a Big Hunk bar where it says ‘A ___ like you’ if this is a gift for a woman.)

I love this 40th birthday gift idea for neighbors, coworkers, girl friends, and even teachers!

Personalized 40th Birthday Candle

Help a friend ease into her 40’s with a beautifully scented candle from KindredFires. Include a personalized etched message and select a custom scent for a one-of-a-kind gift.

With a dozen scents to chose from, you can create a thoughtful gift to match your recipient’s preferences. (But really, could you ever go wrong with a candle named ‘tranquility’?)

Even More Birthday Gift Ideas

Am I missing anything?

I’d love to hear about any other 40th birthday gift ideas you have!Tell me all about it!

Or if you make any of these gifts, leave me a comment below or tag me onInstagram!

If you need help creating a custom gift,REACH OUT TO ME!

I’d love to help!

Morelater! Thecraftroomiscalling,andImustgo…

OTHER GIFT IDEAS YOU WILL LOVE:

Related