Going Away Gifts: 35 Ideas for Friends, Coworkers and Family

The best going away gifts are easy to pack, useful in a new place and personal enough to keep. Give close friends shared memories, coworkers a group gift signed by the team, and family something sentimental. For a standout, choose a canvas of the hometown they are leaving or the city they are moving to.

The farewell drinks are on the calendar, the boxes are stacking up in their hallway, and you want to give something better than a card and a hug. You also know they are trying to pack less, not more. This guide sorts the best ideas by person, budget and how much time you have left.

How to Choose Going Away Gifts They Will Keep

A move strips life down to what fits in boxes. Anything bulky, fragile or generic tends to get donated before moving day, so the bar for a farewell gift is higher than for a birthday.

Ask one question first: will this help them leave, help them land or help them remember? The best gifts do at least one of those well.

• Help them leave: packing supplies, a meal on moving day or travel essentials for the trip.
• Help them land: things for the first night and first week in an empty home, like sheets, a small toolkit or a local guidebook.
• Help them remember: photos, letters and art of the place and people they are leaving behind.

Next, check the logistics. Someone flying with two suitcases needs light, flat or digital gifts, with anything larger sent to the new address. A moving truck leaves more room, as long as the gift travels well.

Going Away Gift Ideas by Recipient

The relationship matters more than the price tag. Use these going away gift ideas as a starting point.

Goodbye Gifts for Friends

Close friends deserve something that says the friendship is moving with them. Shared memories beat anything generic here.

• A photo book of trips, nights out and inside jokes.
• A first-night box with sheets, a candle, snacks, toilet paper and a box cutter.
• Letters to open later, labeled “open when you feel homesick” or “open after your first week.”
• Two matching mugs, one for each of you, plus a standing video call on the calendar.
• A canvas of the neighborhood or city you shared, ready for the first empty wall in their new place.

Going Away Gifts for Coworkers

For a colleague, keep it practical and work-appropriate, and consider pooling money with the team. One group gift signed by everyone usually means more than a pile of small ones.

• A quality notebook and pen for the first day at the new job.
• A desk plant, or a small print for a new office or their home office wall if they work remotely.
• A card where each teammate names a favorite project or moment with them.
• A gift card for a coffee shop near their new office.
• A skyline canvas of the city where you worked together, with the team’s names on the back.

Gifts for Family Members Moving Away

Family gifts can lean sentimental. A parent, sibling or grown child moving away will treasure reminders of home.

• A handwritten book of family recipes.
• A digital photo frame that relatives can update from anywhere.
• A travel credit, or a promise to cover a trip home for the holidays.
• Art of their hometown, or of their new city as a welcome from the people who will miss them.

Gifts for Someone Moving Abroad

International moves come with strict luggage limits and new plugs. Think small, flat and digital.

• A universal travel adapter and a compact power bank.
• Language lessons for the new country, booked before they go.
• Packing cubes and a luggage scale, which earns its keep at check-in.
• A small book of notes from friends to read on the flight.
• Art of home that can travel in their household shipment, or wait with family until they have a permanent address.

For a friend heading overseas, a scene of their new city from European city wall art is a hopeful way to say good luck.

The Standout Gift: Art of Their Hometown or New City

Most farewell gifts get used up or packed away within weeks. A canvas of the city they are leaving goes on the first bare wall in the new place and stays for years, which makes it one of the most personal moving away gifts you can give.

Choose the city they are leaving for memory, or the city they are moving to for welcome. Friends and coworkers usually pick the first. Family, or anyone moving back home, often picks the second.

Pick a Scene That Means Something

• Skyline: the safest choice. Seattle Space Needle and Cityscape layers the skyline in coral, teal and slate blue, and Los Angeles Palm Trees and Skyscrapers sets glowing towers behind dark palms. Find more in city skyline canvas art.
• A favorite view: more personal if it was part of their routine. Austin Zilker Park Views looks across Lady Bird Lake to downtown, and Boston Charles River Reflections catches the river at golden hour.
• A map: for the friend who knew every street. Charleston Map Design shows the city as an island in navy and teal water, with the street grid in warm sepia.
• Local character: the scene locals recognize at a glance, like the pastel Ocean Drive buildings in Miami Art Deco District, the moss-draped oaks in Savannah Forsyth Park Pathway or the hot air balloons rising in Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.
• The landscape: for someone who loved the outdoors more than downtown, such as Lake Tahoe Emerald Bay View, a vintage travel poster of the bay.

Not seeing their city? Browse US city and state wall art, or go straight to popular moves like New York City canvas art and Chicago wall art. A state scene, such as Texas canvas art, suits someone leaving the state entirely.

Choose the Size and Finish

Size the gift to their likely wall. When unsure, go medium, since it fits almost anywhere.

Gift situation	Canvas size (inches)	Why it works
Studio, dorm or bedroom wall	18×12 or 24×16	Fits small walls, desks and narrow entries
First apartment living room	30×20 or 36×24	Holds its own above a loveseat or console
Group gift from a team or family	36×24 or 48×32	Feels substantial for a shared gift
Large wall in a new house	48×32 or 60×40	Anchors a full-size sofa or an open wall

Vertical pieces like the city scenes above come in the same seven sizes turned upright, from 12×18 to 40×60. The matte cotton-blend canvas is stretched over solid wood with no glass, so it travels well. A floater frame in black, white or natural wood adds a finished look, and our guide to framed vs. unframed canvas helps you decide.

For a group gift, have everyone sign the wooden stretcher bars on the back before you wrap it. They will find the names again every time it comes down for a move.

Tuck a hanging note into the card: center the art 57 to 60 inches from the floor, size it to about 2/3 the width of the furniture below, and leave 8 to 10 inches above a sofa or headboard. Our guide on how to hang a canvas covers the rest.

Farewell Gifts by Budget

Good going away gifts do not have to cost much. Match the spend to how close you are, and to whether the gift comes from you alone or from a group.

Budget tier	Gift ideas	Best for
Small	Handwritten letters, a framed photo, a box of local snacks, a travel adapter, a cutting from your houseplant	Neighbors, casual friends, the coworker who sat nearby
Mid	A photo book, packing cubes, an insulated travel mug, a cooking class in the new city, a small city canvas	Good friends, close colleagues, siblings
Splurge	A large hometown canvas with a floater frame, a weekend trip home, noise-canceling headphones, a quality carry-on suitcase	Best friends, parents, a group gift from the whole team

• Small: spend effort instead of money. Specific memories in a letter beat a gadget.
• Mid: choose one good item over several cheap ones they must pack.
• Splurge: pool funds, so ten people chipping in a little can buy something special.

At every budget, specific beats expensive. A gift that names their street, their coffee order or the team’s running joke will mean more than a pricier generic one.

Last-Minute Going Away Gifts

If the party is tomorrow, you still have good options. Many of the best last-minute ideas are experiences or digital gifts, with nothing to ship or pack.

1. A meal delivery gift card for their new address, for the night the kitchen is still in boxes.
2. A handwritten letter and a printed photo of you together in a simple frame from a local store.
3. A moving-day kit from the nearest pharmacy: snacks, water, pain reliever, a phone charger and wet wipes.
4. An experience in their new city, such as a food tour, cooking class or museum membership, booked online.
5. A shared playlist or digital album of photos from your years together.
6. A canvas of their city ordered to arrive at the new address after they move, with a printout of the image tucked into the card.

When time is short, give the experience now and the object later. A card that says what is coming is a gift in itself, and it saves them packing one more thing.

Funny Farewell Gift Ideas

Humor softens a goodbye, especially at work. Keep the jokes kind and about shared experiences, never about the person leaving or the place they are going.

• A life-size cardboard cutout of them that stays at their old desk, with weekly photos sent to their new inbox.
• A sealed jar labeled “hometown air” or a bag of “genuine local dirt.”
• A mug or T-shirt printed with the team’s best inside joke.
• A “guide to your new city” written entirely by coworkers who have never been there.
• A cake that reads “Good luck finding coworkers as good as us.”
• A survival kit for the new job: earplugs, a fake mustache for awkward meetings and a stress ball.

Pair a funny gift with something sincere, like a heartfelt card or a group canvas. The joke gets the laugh at the party, and the second gift is the one they keep.

What to Bring to a Going Away Party

A going away party is not a formal gift occasion, so a small item or a share of a group gift is plenty. A personal card often matters more than anything wrapped.

• As a guest: bring a card, a small treat like local coffee or chocolate, or a photo of the two of you.
• As the host: organize one group gift and set out a memory book for guests to sign.
• As a group: present the shared gift and all the cards at once.

Timing and Delivery

Order as soon as you know the date, because the last weeks before a move are busy for everyone. In November and December, allow extra time for holiday shipping.

Bulky or framed gifts are kinder sent to the new address than handed over at the party. For a coworker, give it a few days before their last day. For creative friends, see our guide to unique gifts for art lovers.

Key Takeaways

• The best going away gifts help someone leave, land or remember, and they are easy to pack or ship.
• Match the gift to the relationship: shared memories for friends, a signed group gift for coworkers, sentimental pieces for family.
• At every budget, specific beats expensive, and pooling funds makes a bigger gift possible.
• Short on time? Give an experience now, or a card promising a gift delivered to the new address.
• A canvas of their hometown or new city fills the first empty wall and keeps the memory in sight for years.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you give someone when they are going away?

Give something that helps them settle in or remember home. Good choices include a photo book, letters to open later, a travel adapter, a first-night box for the new place or a canvas of the city they are leaving. If they are flying, choose something light or ship it to their new address.

What should I buy for a going away party?

As a guest, a card with a personal note plus a small treat is enough, such as local coffee, chocolate or a framed photo of you together. If you are hosting, organize one group gift that everyone contributes to and signs, and set out a memory book so guests can leave a message.

What is a good going away gift for a coworker?

A practical gift for the new job works well, such as a quality notebook, a desk plant or a coffee gift card near their new office. For a team gift, pool funds for a skyline canvas of the city where you worked together and have everyone sign the back.

What are some funny farewell gifts?

Popular funny farewell gifts include a cardboard cutout of the person for their old desk, a jar of “hometown air,” a mug printed with a team inside joke or a guide to their new city written by coworkers who have never been there. Keep the humor kind, and pair it with a sincere card.

What are good gifts for family members who are moving away?

Family gifts can lean sentimental. Try a digital photo frame relatives can update from anywhere, a handwritten book of family recipes, a travel credit for a visit home or art of their hometown so a piece of it stays on their wall. A canvas of the new city is a warm way to welcome them there.

Is wall art a good going away gift?

Yes. A new home almost always starts with bare walls, and art is something few people buy for themselves right after a move. Choose a scene from the city they are leaving or moving to, pick a size such as 24×16 or 30×20 inches, and send it to the new address so they do not have to pack it.