Birthdays – they come around far too quickly don’t they? I don’t know about you, but it seems like only yesterday I was shopping for Christmas presents. While giving a gift to friends who live close by is easy – you head to the store, pick something you know they’ll love, and pop it into them. When your friends live a little further afield, birthdays can be a nightmare.

Your closest girlfriends might live a distance away, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to help them to celebrate their big day. It’s just a case of finding the best way to do that without having to travel. With work and other commitments, travel isn’t always doable, even if it is your best friend’s birthday. An idea that a relative mentioned to me a while ago was birthday hampers – a concept that I have since come to love.

If you can’t be there to celebrate with your friend on their birthday, what you can do is send them a lovely hamper of treats. In case you’re a little stuck for ideas, I thought I would share a few of mine with you, below:

Choose a cute hamper

First things first, choose a hamper. This doesn’t have to be an actual woven hamper; it can simply be a little box or basket. Think about how much stuff you plan on filling it with – aka how much you are going to spend, and choose a suitable size hamper. It’s also important to think about the cost of postage – larger items can be a little pricey to send.

As well as picking up a hamper or box, get some tissue paper and sprinkles to make it extra special. The prettier you can make the gift, the better. If your friend is turning a special age – 21 for example, get her some 21-shaped confetti. If not, normal birthday confetti will do.

Pick out some little gifts

This bit is quite personal – picking out her gifts. However, I thought I would share a few ideas with you that you can then personalize in whatever way you like.

Beauty products are always a hit – as long as you know what your friend likes to use, that is. The great thing about makeup and beauty bits is that there are plenty of places you can get them cheap, so you don’t need to spend too much. It’s best to steer clear of base makeup – aka foundation and powder, but anything else makes a great gift.

Jewelry is another gift that is often a big success. As long as you know what style of jewelry your friend likes, a beautiful bracelet from an online boutique could make the perfect gift. It’s just a case of choosing a design that you know she’ll love and wear.

Clothes aren’t a good idea but accessories are. Even if you know her inside out, picking clothes can be a real nightmare – fashion is incredibly personal. Accessories, however, such as bags, scarves, shoes and blanket wraps all make great gifts. If you’re set on buying her clothes, PJs is always a good option, as is a gift card for her fave store.

Add a few birthday essentials

As well as a few lovely pressies, add in a couple of birthday essentials. A pretty handwritten card is a must. Champagne is also a great idea – what’s a birthday without bubbly? You could even consider adding a birthday cake – placed in a tin and wrapped carefully, your cake should arrive in one piece. Of course, some chocolate is also a must.

Want to make your friend’s birthday extra special – send her a hamper.