Help me think of a funny 'prank' gift!

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Forum -> Relationships -> Giving Gifts

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amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 3:41 pm

DH is b'H graduating from law school next Sunday. We are all super excited and so proud of him.

My mom and I are going in on buying him a surprise gift - an iPad (2).
I shopped around for hours online and found such an awesome case for it, too (I'm sort of more excited about the case...) It's made to look like a leather-bound antique book - but inside is the prized iPad...

Anyway, I'm trying to think of an out-of-the-box, not-your-ordinary-gift-wrap way of presenting it to him.
Something like having it in a box for a totally different (un-exciting) gift and then opening up to find the real gift.

I saw that they sell these hilarious prank boxes, like this one:

, but I just can't quite justify spending ~$15 on an empty, though funny, box...

Does anyone have any ideas for me? Maybe something like buying a book, notebook, tie or shirt or something and then putting the iPad underneath?

Another idea I had was "repackaging" his Barbri bar prep box that came in the mail to make it look like he got another shipment of MORE bar prep courses (or make it look like they sent a duplicate) and then somehow having the iPad (in its case? in the iPad box? gift-wrapped?) slipped in underneath...

What do you think, ladies? Any ideas?? I don't usually splurge this much on a gift, and I don't know why simply gift-wrapping this time won't do... but I just want super-surprise him. (and hope that he doesn't see my email/imamother account up and do some snooping that would ruin all my fun plans...!)

Thanks!!

Ruchel

Thu, May 10 2012, 3:47 pm

Make sure he appreciates that kind of pranks shock

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:11 pm

Ruchel - don't worry, we didn't get married yesterday. I know him well enough.
Although you're probably on to something that it may be a bit more my sense of humor, I still think he'll enjoy it. He's getting an iPad out of it - I doubt there will be any bad feelings!

-OP

LondonIma

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:13 pm

DH's Siblings, parents and I got him an ipad for his 30'th- we gave him a wrapped watch box (he adamantly didnt want a watch) and inside was a post it taht said "just kidding, its an ipad!" maybe a pen box or something a bit more formal and boring could do the same trick? then just produce proper box after he opens it.

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:24 pm

LondonIma, that's hilarious! My DH also hates watches (I found out the hard way after getting picking out a really nice one when we were engaged/just married and he never wore it - I, on the other hand, have a bit of a watch fixation...)

What's a pen-box? A box to keep pens or is it packaging for one 'nice' pen?

I guess if I go with this idea, I need to find something "anti-climactic" that comes in a 10x8in or larger box. I don't want to spend more than like $12 or so on it unless it's also something we can use. (Not $15 for a 1or2x-use empty box, ykwim)
I'm not feeling the pen-box and a watch box is much smaller than 10x8in. But I like the idea of a little note in there!

Any other ideas? Where are all the ima's with a sense of humor?? ;-)

Raisin

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:42 pm

a pair of cosy socks or a coffee mug, and stick a note inside, saying wear these socks/use this coffee mug while you are curled up using your new IPAD. Check under the pile of books on the coffee table for your ipad.

crl

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:54 pm

Get an extremely girly pink, fuzzy robe (like the ones that are wrapped with a ribbon already) and give it to him -- insist he opens it, even though it's girly and inside of the robe, hide the iPad!

....and keep the robe for yourself!

glamourmom

Thu, May 10 2012, 4:58 pm

you can wrap it real fancy with loads of cool ribbon in a very big box, like what you get your grocery orders in. he'll think its something real big... but he wont be disappointed cuz altho an ipad is small it still something "big"...

TranquilityAndPeace

Thu, May 10 2012, 5:05 pm

What about 3 or 4 different sized boxes, with a card in between each one? Like those nesting Russian dolls, after he opens the first one and finds a card, he sees that there's another wrapped box inside. He opens that one to find yet another wrapped box with another card!

centurion

Thu, May 10 2012, 5:10 pm

since the ipad cover is a book, maybe you can get or make a prank book cover. either a fake one with a title including a private joke or something that exists but you know he would hate.

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 9:18 pm

OP here.

Thanks for the great suggestions! I am planning on giving the gift to DH after he does his thing at graduation. I'll probably give it to him when we go out for lunch/dinner - so he'll be among his parents, my mom and stepdad and siblings...

Raisin, I like your idea a lot. I just have to think of the right item. Maybe a trip to TJMaxx is in order...
(Side note- they make another of those 'prank gift boxes' -the type I included in the original post- and it's a [fake] box for 2 coffee/travel-mug-walkie-talkies -- it's so funny, they have pictures of people holding the travel mugs up to their faces and operating these buttons on them to communicate... haha)

crl - If only you knew how much my husband loves the color pink! It's so funny - he loves wearing his "salmon" button down shirt, or pink ties, etc. I just got him a charger for his phone that's hot pink, lol. So he'd probably think the pink robe was the actual gift and he's be a little embarrassed (if opened in front of others) but probably secretly happy.

glamourmom - I love this idea if I end up giving it to him at home. But I need something that would fit in my purse because I'll probably give it to him when we take him out to celebrate.

T&P- Totally cute idea (in fact my friend was just telling me how she knows someone who got her engagement ring that way) - but I think the box would be too big to shlep to graduation and dinner. Also, unless they sell these "babushka" type boxes somewhere, it would be too hard to find boxes for the exact sizes.

centurion - Interesting idea - like maybe if I used a book jacket from some other book (although the iPad cover closes with a zipper, so I'd have to work around that...)? I had this random thought that I could get all hyped up about the gift - and then give him a box or have it be in a book jacket that is some fictitious "Ultimate Guide to Buying and Naming Your Very Own STAR!" - Ofcourse they really have these things where people can "buy a star" and name it (and sorry if I'm offending anyone who actually did this) but it seems like an [albeit romantic] way to waste money!

Any other ideas? Don't be shy!

Thanks!

shanie5

Thu, May 10 2012, 10:56 pm

How about a box from cookies? or even a box of cereal with the ipad as the prize in the box? (do they still that anymore?)

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:16 pm

Haha Shanie I love the cereal box idea! I was thinking that, as well!
If I do that then I guess I'd have to compromise and do it at home, in the morning, instead of at dinner with everyone...

Hmm... Definitely considering it.

Help me work out the details - Pick out a cute cereal box (like some kosher version of Lucky Charms or hopefully find a box that actually says on it that it contains a prize inside) and then... gift-wrap the iPad and put it inside, maybe with some note/card, then re-seal it with glue? Would it be best to have the iPad inside the actual cereal bag or in between the bag and the inside box?

I think the idea needs work but something along those lines would be perfect...

shanie5

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:18 pm

I would do it with his favorite cereal-if he has one. In a ziplock baggie with the cereal. Isnt that how it comes? You can open the bottom of the box so it wont be obvious that it was resealed.

abmom

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:27 pm

How about a treasure hunt?

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:28 pm

Shanie- Opening it from the bottom!? PURE GENIUS!!

I think I'd go with that Reese's cereal - who (besides those with nut-allergies) does love that stuff! My DH certainly does.

I don't know about the zip-lock bag part, though. Maybe if I got sparkly gold wrapping paper and wrapped it up in it - that would seem like something flashy that feasibly could have come in the box. Is it ok that the iPad is so big, even too heavy for a cereal box? It's like 8x10" - perhaps this would have worked better with something smaller, like an iPhone or iPod or a watch or something?

Also, should I have it in the cereal box wrapped up plain, or inside the leather antique book case? It's almost like a "fake box within a fake box" because he'll think for a split second that he won some strange antique book in his cereal box, lol! Eh, I'm leaning towards wrapping the "book"-case separately if I go with this...

The more I think about it, the more I like this idea!

Happy 2B

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:30 pm

You can tell him you got him an I pad. Then get him a pad in the shape of the letter "I" my friend did that cuz her hubby wanted an ipad but she wasn't about to buy one. After that you can bring the wrapped real one but he will already be fooled into thinking you didn't get him one for "real"

They couldn't find an I pad so they bought a sticky pad and cut it out themself into the shape of an I. Maybe you can find an "I" shaped pad.

amother

Thu, May 10 2012, 11:31 pm

Hi OP. Congratulations on DH passing the bar. It's a tough grind. I saw all the suggestions for a prank box and pink fuzzy robe etc. I was thinking it would be really cute to put the ipad in an empty baby wipes container. He'll have absolutely no clue. It could be a great moment. Congrats again. Applause

Hashemlovesme

Fri, May 11 2012, 1:16 am

I like the I shaped note pad idea!

what about getting a box of something YOU have wanted, slip it inside, but act all excited that you got him something & you'll really like it!

it's nice to find a lawyer with a sense of humor! congrats to all!

amother

Fri, May 11 2012, 4:28 pm

I gave DH the iPad (he sent in his final paper this morning and now he's DONE).
I was thinking of slyly putting it into a cereal box, making it look like a 'prize'... but then changed my mind last minute. I wrapped it up (in the cool "BookBook" case) and then took the box from the Barbri Bar Prep Course that came in last week and re-packaged it (it says Barbri all over the outside of the package). I put the wrapped iPad at the bottom and put some bar materials and papers on top. When he came home the market I asked him to check the mail (I put the box right outside our door, as if UPS just left it). He was so upset he got another package for bar prep... like, not letting him feel a minute of relief for just finishing his last law exams.... haha.... I couldn't keep a straight face while he was opening the box.
It was awesome.

:-D Thanks for all the great ideas and support, ladies!
Have a nice Shabbos!

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