Looking for some creative birthday ideas for your husband? Ones that are both meaningful and fun? How about if you're looking to celebrate your husband's birthday with no money, or on some husband birthday ideas on a budget? You’ve come to the right place! We've got over two dozen ideas for you to pick from here!
Key Points
- You don't have to spend a fortune to make your husband's birthday special. It's okay to do something cheap or something free, as long as the thought is there!
- Consider celebrating his half-birthday as a way to make him feel extra appreciated.
- These ideas aren't necessarily just for his birthday- consider them for an anniversary or Christmas, too!
Almost all of these allow you to celebrate your husband's birthday on a budget, or some with no money whatsoever. Let's get started!
24+ Creative Birthday Ideas for Husband
1. Half Birthdays
This is a great way to surprise your husband because he is never expecting it, and is never aware of when his half birthday even is! It can be super fun, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Check out our article on Half Birthday Ideas.
2. 12 Days of Birthday
Similar to the twelve days of Christmas, this gift idea involves giving your husband one gift each day for the twelve days leading up to his birthday. They can be small gifts throughout, or start small and build up to larger gifts over time!
3. Turn Your Bed Into a Game Board
This is a super fun and memorable idea, and might just end up being his favorite gift ever. This can be a cheap and unique way to celebrate your husband's special day, or any other occasion for the two of you. Learn how to make the sheet and get ideas here: How to turn your master bed into a game board.
4. Letters of Love
One idea is to have his friends and loved ones write a letter to him expressing love or favorite memories they have had with him. Some can be funny, some serious, or some in poetry or “list” form. You can get a printable for it here: Happy Birthday to My Husband Letter. Alternatively, you can have everyone text or e-mail you their messages and you can put it together in a digital format for him.
5. “Why You’re Awesome” Birthday Gift For Husband
Consider this cute fill-in-the-blank birthday book for your husband! You can make it humorous, or you can make it more sentimental. They also have a “Why I Love You” version. This is a simple, but truly meaningful, gift for your significant other. Even though it isn't extravagant, a gift doesn't need to be to be special.
*TIP: If you ever make a purchase for your husband's birthday, make sure you activate your cash back through Rakuten! It’s free money on things you already buy and can add up really fast. We love to use the extra cash for date nights, and other fun things. The holidays are especially great because most stores offer double cash back.
6. Sticky Note Birthday Surprise
This is a great birthday gift for husbands of all kind! Sticky note attack them! You can buy some sticky quotes with love notes already on them if you want to make the process easier for yourself. Consider asking friends and loved ones to write their own messages! Sticky notes are safe to stick on a car; they shouldn't peel the paint or cause any other type of damage.
7. Upgrade His Ring
If you and your husband have been married for a while, consider upgrading his wedding ring! This can be a prerequisite to renewing your vows for your anniversary. If you want to go this route, be prepared to have to save a lot of money first. Rings can be quite expensive!
8. Musical Tribute
If you have any musical skills, you could always do a musical tribute. The tribute can be sentimental or humorous, depending on what you want to go for and what you think your husband would most appreciate! If your husband is big into music, this can certainly be a great way to make his day.
9. Favorite Event/Sports Team
If your husband has a favorite sports team or an event that he's been dying to go to, this is a great idea for his birthday. Get him some official merch from his favorite team, or tickets to that event he's been dying to go to. It'll be such a great surprise for him on his special day!
10. Surprise Dinner
Similar to the idea above, take your loved one to dinner and have everyone they know and love waiting at the restaurant. You can keep it simple and just enjoy dinner together, or you can have each person bring a gift or small memento that represents a memory they have had with that person.
11. Celebrate in Numbers
This could get tricky if your spouse was born on the 30th, but if they were born earlier in the month you have it made! For example, if they were born on the 5th, you could celebrate all day long with the number five. Five activities, 5-course meals, five reasons you love him, five ways of celebrating, five gifts, etc.
12. Gifts on the Hour
With this idea, you'll wrap gifts for your husband to open at the same time each hour. Usually, this is based off of the time your husband was born. So, if your husband was born at 8:34 in the morning, you can have him open gifts at the :34 of every hour. This will require a good bit of shopping on your part, but it will be worth it!
13. Gifts that Last All Year
This is a fun one for Christmas. Rather than buy items for each other, only give gifts of things you can enjoy together: movie tickets, a trip somewhere, a sporting event, a fun date night at home kit, tickets to a play, amusement park pass, etc. This way you are spending your money on your relationship rather than on objects, and you will enjoy the gift all year long as you complete each activity/event together.
14. Birthday Week
Does your spouse’s birthday land on an awkward day? Will he be at work? Make the celebration last all week by doing something small to celebrate each day (breakfast one day, gift another, movie on another, etc.) Make it Birthday Week. This is a great way to work around a lack of flexibility in someone's schedule, or to build up to a big surprise at the end of the week.
15. Service Birthday
If acts of service are your love language, then consider this gift. Performing acts of service for your husband is a great way to let him know that he's appreciated, and it generally won't cost you much! Get creative with this idea; there's tons to do here.
16. Day Away
This is a particularly great idea if you and your husband have been going through a lot of stress lately. Consider a day vacation; leave the previous night, and spend a whole day doing something fun. Stay at a hotel to get away from home, leave the kids or pets with someone, and enjoy! How you spend your day away is entirely up to you; think up some activities that your husband would love!
17. Scavenger Hunt
Take your loved one on a scavenger hunt to places that have meaning to you (where you met, kissed, went on a first date, etc.). Do something special or give a gift at each location.
18. Husband Birthday Celebration Kit
This birthday gift involves getting several items that your husband would love and putting them together in one gift. Often, all the items center around a specific theme, like self-care or fitness. Get a printable here: Birthday Celebration Kit
19. A Day Their Way
Sometimes letting the birthday guy pick what he wants to do is best! Tell your husband that he can pick what you'll do for the day (within reason of course!), and then go and do that. Maybe he'll choose to go out to eat, or go to a sports game, or just relax at home with you and watch a movie. This ensures that he'll be happy with his birthday no matter what, and takes some of the stress off of your shoulders!
20. Birthday Lunch
Show up at his work and go out for a birthday lunch together. This one is especially fun if the person has no idea of what you have planned. Still, it's advisable to make sure he doesn't have an important meeting or something that might take him out of the office on this day. Use your best judgment to determine if this is the right idea!
21. Five Senses Husband Birthday Gift
A five senses birthday gift for your husband is awesome and can be customized in a lot of different ways. The idea is to explore how you experience your relationship through each of your five senses. Go crazy with this one!
22. Maid Service
If your husband is a stay-at-home dad, this can be an awesome idea to give him. Consider doing all the cooking, cleaning, and other home duties for a day. Alternatively, you can hire an actual maid to help around the house for a day! He'll surely appreciate having a day off from all of his chores and other responsibilities around the house.
23. Reverse Surprise Party
The idea here is to have the guests at your husband's party show up after he does! Take him to a restaurant, making sure to show up before everyone else. Over time, friends and family will just “happen” to show up. See how long it takes your husband to realize what's going on! Thanks to our reader Arielle for this suggestion!
24. Anniversary Coin
This is such a cute gift that you can either make or buy. Just get a penny with the year you were married, and attach a fun charm like a heart. If you don’t want to spend time finding a penny and drilling a hole through it, you can get one for your specific year on Amazon for $10 or less.
Husband Birthday Guide by Year
Husband’s 25th Birthday
If your husband has a sweet tooth, this adorable candy poster will be sure to make him happy. It’s an affordable and creative gift that you can put together alone or with kids. Choose your husband’s favorite candies and use a play on words to create a fun poster with them. Think of ways you can use the name of the candy to fit into a cute story or poem. Your kids may have some great ideas for this as well.
Husband’s 30th Birthday
This is a fun and easy birthday gift for your husband. Fill 30 heart-shaped balloons and include a note inside each one. Tie them together with a note that says “30 reasons why I love you.” You can get a pack of heart-shaped balloons for fairly cheap here, and then use a balloon time tank to fill them all.
Husband’s 35th Birthday
Men in their mid-30s are likely focused on their families, work, and responsibilities around the house. They probably have very little time to relax and rest. A relaxation kit can be a great gift for a man turning 35. You can get creative and make one yourself, or you can send him off to a spa or massage parlor to be pampered. Men enjoy massages and facials just as much as women, even if they aren’t willing to admit it.
Husband’s 40th Birthday
Is there a place your husband has always wanted to go? Make a surprise trip for him. You can plan the trip for the whole family or just send him to his favorite place alone or with a friend. You know what your husband would prefer. He will enjoy not having to plan or budget for the trip and simply enjoying himself in a place he has always wanted to visit.
Husband’s 45th Birthday
Your husband does a lot for your family, so if you want to give back to him on his birthday a coupon book is a fun gift. Work with the kids to come up with fun little rewards that you can turn into coupons. It can be something as simple as a free hug, or something helpful like a car wash or dinner of his choice.
The possibilities are endless, and this gift is a fun way to show your husband how much you care about him.
Husband’s 50th Birthday
If your husband is turning 50, there’s a good chance you have traveled to some amazing places together. What better way to remind him of those places than with a travel book. Collect photos of all the amazing places you have been together and present it to him on his 50th birthday.
This heartfelt gift will not only bring your family closer together; it will show him how much he has accomplished during his 50 years.
Husband’s 55th Birthday
At 55, most men like to take it easy. If they aren’t yet retired, they probably look forward to coming home from work and kicking back in front of the TV. If they are retired, they probably still enjoy some rest and entertainment in their favorite chair.
A great gift option is a movie basket. Find some of your husband’s favorite movies, snacks, and drinks and add them to a basket. You can also throw in things like slippers, pajama pants, and comfortable socks. Present him with this gift and let him enjoy a movie night in complete comfort.
Husband’s 60th Birthday
There are plenty of reasons why you love your husband, and if you think he needs a reminder, an I Love You jar is a great gift. Give it to him on his 60th birthday and encourage him to take out a paper from the jar each day to see a new reason why you love him.
You can even continue to add new reasons to it, so he never runs outs. You can write or type them out so they are easy to read and even get creative and use colored paper.
DIY / Homemade Birthday Ideas For Husband
Sometimes a homemade gift is a great idea! While we've given some ideas for homemade gifts already, here are a few more ideas:
- Custom t-shirt
- Scrap book or photo book
- His favorite meal or dessert
- Homemade cards
- A painting, drawing, or carving
- A pillow with a custom message written on it
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ivanko80/Shutterstock.com.