There’s no doubt about it – the pandemic has done quite the number on all of us. In a time filled with sadness, confusion, and despair, making a big deal out of birthdays was not a priority for many of us. I am writing this article from a position of relative privilege because I have not been as personally affected by the events of the pandemic as much as others. Because of this, I could spare time and energy planning birthdays, and I had some amazing collaborators who helped out on these projects as well. Hopefully, this will serve as a springboard of sorts to help people get low budget ideas for how to make birthdays special during this time.
A tried and tested way of wishing friends virtually is making a video of their loved ones talking about how much they mean to them, or making a compilation of funny clips and photos of themselves. Since those are fairly common, I have not included those in my list. Here are five (extremely low budget) ways I made my friends’ lockdown birthdays special.
1. We made a lip-synced music video:
Everyone on our lists rose to the occasion admirably, and their videos were so fun! They used props, dorky dances and inside joke references to make their clips hilarious and endearing.
On the big day, we sent the finished video to Anjali’s brother, who played it on their TV at midnight. Anjali was completely taken by surprise and loved it!
Verdict: This method costs absolutely no money, but you will need a lot of time to follow up with people, and someone to put the clips together.
2. We wrote an original song:
Verdict: This method cost us nothing as well, but I know you may be thinking, ‘Hannah, that’s great for you, but we can’t all pull singer-songwriters out of hats.’ I hear you, friend. I added this instance to encourage people to look at what talents they have already and use those to their advantage. Do you write poetry? Write a poem about your friend! Can you draw? Make a sketch! Better yet, make a compilation book of drawings or poetry from your friend’s loved ones, regardless of talent levels. I’m sure the results will be hilarious and heartwarming.
3. We compiled a book of life advice:
Verdict: This was my personal favorite gift. Not only was it free, but it was like she carried a piece of all her family members in that book.
4. We sent word puzzles:
Verdict: The only cost involved is any incurred for postage, otherwise this option is free as well! You can of course customize this idea to include photos or anything else you might want to add.
5. We ripped off the Kasoor music video:
Verdict: This is an easy but creative and personal video to make for your friends. The clips are silent and need to be only a few seconds long, so you can easily get this done over the weekend if everyone cooperates.
I would love to know if you decide to use any of the ones I’ve mentioned here. As you can see, none of these projects cost much and they’re the embodiment of the phrase ‘it’s the thought that counts’. At the end of the day, we want our loved ones to feel special, so it’s important to keep their wishes in mind for their birthdays. If they don’t like surprises, go another route! Either way, let them know they’re loved. Goodness knows we all need it after the year we’ve had.
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