April 23, 2008 / Amanda Jakl

Get Well Soon: 7 Gift Ideas under $25 to Bring to the Hospital

Flowers are probably the most popular gift brought or sent to a loved one in the hospital. But have you seen the prices of flowers lately?!? When my grandfather had his hip replaced, I looked online and couldn’t find anything under fifty dollars. I’m not a complete cheap skate, but nothing seemed worth the money these retailers were asking. Of course since I lived out of state, I didn’t really have a choice. Here are a list of ideas for last minute gift (as most hospital stays usually are) shopping that stays under a $25 budget.

A handful of mylar balloons from the dollar store make an impressive display. For a bit more, add candy bars and tie them right above the balloon weights.

Rather than bring flowers which will eventually die, buy a small house plant (on sale right now at most home improvement stores and nurseries for under five dollars) and a small planter. I’ve found several cute planters at the dollar store and local thrift store and the price can’t be beat.

If you’re intent on bringing flowers, buying stems directly from a florist or even a couple bunches (my local store sells three bunches for $12) from the supermarket are always more economical than buying in the hospital gift shop. Don’t forget to pick up a vase or bring one from home. You can pick up a vase at the dollar store for just that, a dollar.

Most patients have time to kill, pick up a bunch of magazines and a book of crosswords and put them in a gift bag. Don’t forget a pen or pencil!

Put together a little basket of dominoes, a deck of cards, some dice, maybe some UNO cards and you’ve got at least an afternoon of games for one person or more. Throw in a few granola bars for a treat. The best part is that you can buy almost everything at the supermarket.

Stop at a local craft store, like Michael’s, and check out the kid’s craft kits. Friendship bracelets, dream catchers, crochet or knitting projects, even a simple paint-by-number kit won’t be too messy for the hospital bed and can be completed in a short period of time.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a huge fan of the Klutz books. This line of books includes most, if not all, the supplies you’ll need to finish a project, perfect for the bed-ridden patient. I’d recommend the following books:

And one gift idea for spending more than $25. If money isn’t an issue, a wonderful resource for get well gifts is CareGifting. This is a company started by two women with an emphasis on natural products. Their philosophy, stated on their website, is to “choose all natural, pure and organic products to the greatest extent possible, realizing that when the body is working on healing it doesn’t need intrusion from products that can further strain the immune system.” I can’t agree more. After browsing through their products, I would like some of these collections as Christmas presents, as I don’t see myself in the hospital any time soon.