It doesn’t matter if it’s your partner, sibling, parent, child, or simply your BFF, being separated by distance is always hard. It can make you very jealous of people who get to see each other all the time. But birthdays can be the toughest of all. You want to make them feel extra special and loved, but you are there.

Birthday Party in A Box

If you can’t be there in-person to throw a birthday party, send them one in a box. You can DIY this. It is a super fun surprise, complete with card, balloons, confetti, sweet treat, and a personal note from you.

Best of all, most of the work is done by you.

Make a Video

Record yourself singing or saying happy birthday. You can send it privately, or make a public declaration of those long-distance birthday wishes on Facebook or even YouTube.

You can also make a cute montage. There are a lot of sites that allow you to easily create a video montage from friends and family and make their birthday even more special.

Send a Smile-a-Day

Glass jar with colored notes with blur and toning

Sending someone you love a whole bunch of open when notes is a great idea. Notes are a long-distance relationship gift that keeps giving for weeks.

But if you want to take it up a level, and get crafty, fill a glass jar or tin with personal notes, and customize the colours, trim, and package it cute. It will be gorgeous and personal. You can’t go wrong with it.

Throw a Virtual Birthday Surprise Party

Use Skype or Facetime or any kind of app like that, to connect friends from different locations to host a virtual party.

Make it even more fun by a party horn, and a hat to all those included in on the birthday surprise.

Advent Calendar

You’re probably used to advent calendars for Christmas, but what about making one that counts down to a birthday. Whether beautifully handmade or store-bought and re-done there are some lovely designs ideas out there.

The hard part is getting it done and sending it a month in advance.

Send Balloons and Flowers

Get balloons filled with helium, find the perfect flowers arrangement, and put them in a large box. You need to find a company that can safely send flowers overseas, so they are still intact when the birthday person opens the box.

Unfortunately, latex balloons stay afloat for a very short time with helium, so perhaps try Mylar balloons if you are sending in the mail.

Take Them on an Online Shopping Spree

Everyone enjoys online shopping. You can use all the different sites and apps to surf the web with someone anywhere else in the world. Surf some fun shops together and have a great time.

Let them pick a fun gift, your treat.

Even if you don’t end up purchasing a lot of things, you will find lots of fun items to laugh about.

Map Art of a Special Place

The most meaningful gifts are usually personal, so whether you get crafty yourself or let a professional artisan handle it, a map of a place full of shared memories is a beautiful and creative way to say that you are thinking of them.

Telegram Them

Even though email is awesome, but once in a while, it’s fun to do things the old-fashioned way. When it comes to communication you can’t get much more old-fashioned than sending a telegram.

Telegram stop charges one flat rate to send a telegram anywhere in the world, so it won’t be expensive.

Send a Birthday Countdown

Send a whole week of envelopes or small boxes leading up to the big day.

Label each envelope or box with which day to open each one. Put in a fun note, memory, photo, or treat in each one up to their birthday.

Whatever you choose to do, sending long-distance birthday gifts to your loved ones will most definitely make them smile.

A Sentimental Scent

Neurologists say that smell is linked with memory more so than any of our other senses, so try and find a scent that reminds you of a place that you were at together. Gift the feeling of cuddling up at home together in the scientifically-proven best way possible.

A Ticket To Meet

When you’re in a long-distance relationship, time together is the best present you can gift. Travel to see each other is a must, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a present too. Consider buying a ticket for the person to come and see you, or the other way around.

Use Happy Pictures

Remembering the good times you’ve had makes you happier. If you’ve got photos of the two of you having fun, why not pull some of these together to create a highlight reel of happy memories.

You can do this the old-fashioned way with photos and a glue-stick. Find the perfect photo album and make start putting it together.

If a photo book is not your thing, think about buying them an electronic photo frame and loading it up with happy pictures.

A Special Cut Out Card

Store-bought cards are so boring and not personal. Make your cut out the card and truly express your feelings to the person you are making it for. Make their day by sending them your very own handmade and beautiful card with a unique message from your heart. It is guaranteed that they will appreciate the effort you put in and they do not need to know how easy it was to make.

Because wooing them in real life isn’t an option it that moment, these are the things to offer makeshift dates, cuddles, and more to let your people know that they’re always on your mind. Some are mushy gifts and some are more on the practical side, depending on if you need to up the romance or simply make their life easier, but no matter what you send them, they will be thankful for it beyond words.