When FamilyFun editor Ann Hallock's mother turned 70, Ann was desperate for the right gift. "Of course, Mom said, 'Don't give me anything,' but I wanted to do something that showed her how much we care about her," says Ann.
So with her husband, Kevin, Ann jotted down a list of 70 of Peggy's standout qualities, including her sense of humor, her mean Yorkshire pudding, her generosity, and her devotion to her then 16-month-old grandson, Nat.
When Ann presented it, wrapped in one of Nat's finger paintings and tied with a ribbon, Peggy was bowled over. "She was incredibly touched to see how we see her," says Ann. "She kept saying she couldn't believe we could come up with seventy things. I assured her it wasn't hard."
Materials
- Paper
- Frame or frame-and-mat combination of your choice (available at a craft store)
- Glue (depending on type of frame used)
- Foam board (depending on type of frame used)
- Ribbon (if rolling the certificate like a scroll)
Instructions
- Brainstorm ideas. Ann (an only child) and Kevin were a two-person team, but this idea can easily handle input from everyone in your family. Encourage siblings, nieces, and nephews to send you a mix of specific anecdotes and general qualities so you end up with a good balance of humor and sentiment. Aim for more than you need (say, 90 ideas for a 70th birthday), since you'll likely have some overlap.
- Type up the certificate and decide how you'd like to present it. To accommodate the length of our list, we printed it at a copy shop on 11- by 17-inch paper, trimmed it to 8 by 16 inches, then mounted it in a $15 customizable metal frame (the kind that allows you to buy the horizontal and vertical edge pieces separately for a custom fit) we purchased at a craft store.
- Alternately, you can put your certificate in a ready-made frame and mat (keep in mind that they're usually available in 8- by 10-, 9- by 12-, and 11- by 14-inch sizes), glue it onto foam board, or, as Ann did, roll it like a scroll and tie it with ribbon.
