A thoughtful, creative list of birthday gift ideas for women turning forty, plus links to make shopping easy. These 40th birthday gift ideas will make her birthday meaningful because they focus on experiences – but include elegant and practical gifts.
One of the most beautiful gifts you can give a woman turning forty is a pendant such as the 10k Yellow Gold Diamond Sun Pendant. People will compliment her on this birthday gift because it’s both classy and light-hearted – and every time someone notices it, she’ll be reminded of you! This will help her feel good about turning forty.
No matter what gift you buy for her 40th birthday, remember that turning 40 is a huge milestone in a woman’s life. I loved my 40th because I felt like I was starting fresh. I felt strong, healthy, wise, and calm. The best 40th birthday gift is something that makes a woman feel good about herself.
The key to helping a woman feel good about herself on her 40th birthday is knowing her personality, likes, and dislikes.
Creative Gift Ideas for a Woman’s 40th Birthday
We’ll kick off this list of 40th birthday gifts with a quick list of easy yet elegant gift ideas, then go into the more unique experiences.
A weekend getaway – one of the best gifts for a woman on her 40th birthday
Buy her this exquisite Cenzo Duffle Vecchio Italian Leather Travel Bag and pack it with a few small gifts (anything from retro candy from 40 years ago to pearl earrings). Surprise her with a card that explains where you’re going for your weekend getaway – or just give her a hint. Make it fun, light-hearted, special.
The most important thing you can do for a wife on her fortieth birthday is show her how important she is to you, and how much you care about her.
Jewelry Gifts for Her 40th Birthday
The Mulco Unisex “Bluemarine” Stainless Steel and Light Watch
14k Yellow Gold Round-Cut Diamond Hoop Earrings – a stunning twist on classic hoop earrings, with round cut diamonds that will light her up.
Sterling Silver and Cubic Zirconia Tennis Bracelet – a dazzling, classic bracelet that looks like diamonds but isn’t nearly as expensive. Jewelry is one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women – even for women who don’t normally wear jewelry. Jewelry is elegant, but not necessarily extravagant. African safari vacations and Caribbean cruises are extravagant 40th birthday gift ideas.
Jewelry is a “safe” gift for women because most women really like to glam it up once in awhile. The tricky part is knowing what kind of jewelry she likes. For instance, I don’t like big costume jewelry because I’m a small woman. I also don’t wear earrings, rings, or bracelets.
Take a good look at your 40th birthday girl: if she’s not a jewelry person, then don’t buy her necklaces, earrings, rings, or bracelets.
Non-Jewelry 40th Birthday Gift Ideas
If your 40 year old loves dogs, read Best Gift ideas for Dog Lovers. I wouldn’t recommend a dog gift as a main birthday gift for a woman turning 40, but it’s a fun side gift!
It’s important to know how she feels about turning 40. Does she see this birthday as a new beginning, or a tragic ending? If she thinks she’s over the hill, consider getting her something exciting and challenging, such as sky diving or ski lessons. If she couldn’t care less about turning 40, give her one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas: something fun and creative.
An experience is an exciting way to spend a birthday. Here’s what @BamaGretch tweeted: “I’m asking for my husband to rent me a Ferrari for the day on my 40th birthday. 
” An extravagant gesture is one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas.
A spa weekend for her 40th birthday
Something from her bucket list
This creative idea for 40th birthday gift ideas is from Alicia King, writer and creator of The Lili Effect. When I asked for gift ideas for women on Twitter, she said:
“Plunder the birthday woman’s bucket list for a novel experience you can do together.” I love it! Just yesterday, I told my husband that the number one thing on my bucket list is a boat. His dad recently gave us an old zodiac (inflatable boat with a teeny tiny motor), and we’ve gone boating twice. What a blast. So, if your birthday girl likes boating, gift her with a water experience! Rent a kayak for a couple hours, or even a houseboat for a weekend.
Silk pajamas
40th Birthday Gift Ideas for Women
The Women’s Classic Silk Pajamas Luxury Gift
A YouTube video of loved ones saying “Happy 40th Birthday!”
When I searched the internet for 40th birthday gift ideas for women, I found several YouTube videos of friends and family members saying “Happy Birthday” to the woman turning 40. If you’re technologically inclined, this is a fun gift, especially if you get creative about how you send birthday wishes. For instance, you could tease her with all the possible 40th birthday gifts she might be getting.
A custom-made 40th birthday cake
Hire a cake decorator to bake a beautiful custom cake for her birthday. The one in the picture is an actual edible birthday cake, baked for a woman who loves shoes. The people who bake and decorate cakes are absolutely amazing in their creativity and artistry, and a cake like this will be something a woman never forgets when she celebrates her 40th birthday. For more ideas, search the internet for “custom creative 40th birthday cakes for women.”
Electronic 40th Birthday Gift Ideas
A Kindle, digital or e-reader, or an iPad
Amazon’s newest Kindle Fire in Full Color – loaded with her favorite books – will jolt her out of the doldrums that come with turning 40. If she loves to read, surprise her with a digital reader she wouldn’t buy for herself.
Apple iPad tablet
If she hasn’t tried an Apple iPad tablet, think about giving her one as a 40th birthday gift. When I went to a women’s writing conference a couple weeks ago, a woman brought hers — she loved the convenience and flexibility that it offers. I bought myself a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and I love it. It’s less expensive than an iPad, and almost as good.
Random Gift Ideas
The next few ideas on this list of 40th birthday gift ideas vary from cruises to retro candy…
Encouragement to create a bucket list
Thinking back to one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women: does your birthday girl even have a bucket list? The idea comes from Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman’s The Bucket List – which could be a great birthday gift for a woman who feels over the hill. This movie will encourage her to grab life by the horns and life fully and freely — and show her she’s never over the hill. Turning 40 is a new beginning.
A Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or Disney Birthday Cruise
When searching the internet for 40th birthday gift ideas for women, I found this entry on a cruise forum: “I’m a cruise addict…I have only been on 6 cruises so far. When my marriage ended last year, I gave up hope of EVER going on another cruise. Well….just today….approaching the top of the Wild Thing rollercoaster at Valleyfair in Minneapolis…. my boyfriend told me he is taking me on a cruise for my 40th birthday next month. I am SOOOOO excited! Who knew turning 40 could be so wonderful! I pretty much missed the whole rollercoaster ride after he said that because my mind was fixated on the cruise! We are sailing on Carnival Imagination on September 25. I have been on four Carnival cruises before, and I just love them. He has only been on one cruise and that was 20 years ago, but he knows how much I LOVE cruising!” Can’t you just feel her excitement? She doesn’t feel “over the hill” – she’s thrilled, excited, and happy about turning 40. Can you afford to give your birthday girl a cruise for her 40th birthday?
Retro candy from 40 years ago
40th Birthday Gift Basket Box of Retro Candy
A box of 40th Birthday Gift Basket Box of Retro Candy is a gift many readers give for fortieth birthdays, as a creative addition to the “real” gift.
Gift cards
Tickets to the Dr Oz show – or Ellen!
I’m blessed with the luxury of working from home, and the only two TV shows I’ll turn on for background company while I write is Judge Marilyn Milian and Dr Oz. I like the judge show better, but get a kick out of the women in the audience of the Dr Oz show! They’re so excited and happy – like the women on the Ellen show, actually. A lot of those women are over forty years old. The best 40th birthday gift ideas are those that take women out of their comfort zone – and give her plane fare to get there.
Forty small gifts for her 40th birthday
Here’s a fun idea from the Gift Ideas Muse: “Giving 40 small gifts is a cool idea! You can do something fun like 40 coupons or a collage of 40 photos… or something really meaningful, like 40 personal letters from their closest friends and family expressing love and appreciation. Get creative and throw in some surprises, like perfume for a woman or sporting event tickets for a guy. If you’re on a budget, bake them 40 cupcakes or cookies!” ~ 40th Birthday Gift Ideas from the Gift Ideas Muse. This is one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women who like to open lots of presents.
Hot flash survival kit
This is the only 40th birthday gift idea for women that I’m not excited about. It’s from Prank Ideas Central: “For a woman turning 40, hot flashes are a real concern and can strike anytime! So show her you care with a hot flash survival kit as her 40th birthday gag gift. Get a nice box and add useful things like a hand held fan and ice packs to cool down, a small towel or pocket handkerchief to wipe her brow with, a spare shirt and emergency medication (chocolates). You can also include the hot flash danger sign below for her to warn others!” ~ 40th Birthday Gag Gifts for Women. This is one of my least favorite 40th birthday gifts for women. I know menopause is a new beginning, but who needs to be reminded of “the change”? If you give her this gift, make sure you know she’ll find it funny.
Does your 40 year old love to knit? A knitting gift might be just what the birthday girl ordered! Read 8 Creative Gifts for Knitters.
Gift Baskets for 40th Birthdays
40th Birthday Gifts for Women
If she loves coffee and chocolate, indulge her with an Art of Appreciation Coffee Lovers Gift Basket. It’s a thoughtful coffee lovers care package that makes a great gift box arrangement – and it comes with a coffee mug. A gift basket is a secondary gift, not one of the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women – not the main present.
The Art of Appreciation Gift Baskets Victorian Lace Tea, Spa and Treats Gift Chest
Even better for a 40th birthday is a gourmet wine and food gift basket. It doesn’t matter what birthday a woman is facing; a gift basket eases the pain every time.
Yoga retreat weekend
If I were turning 40 again, I’d love a yoga retreat. Other women might like to experience zip lining, sky diving, or hot air ballooning as their 40th birthday gift. These are once-in-a-lifetime adventures that can change her perspective on life.
A safari in Africa on her 40th birthday
When my best friend turned 40, her birthday gift to herself was a five week trip to Africa. Now that is a luxurious birthday present! She went to Jamaica for her 50th birthday. A less extravagant 40th birthday gift is a power point presentation of flattering or funny photos of her, paired with beautiful poetry or the lyrics of a song you both love.
Last Three 40th Birthday Gift Ideas
An Extravagant 40th Birthday Gift
Apple iPad Mini – this would by my first choice, if I was turning 40 again. I’ve never owned an Apple product – except for my iPhone – but I’ve always thought it’d be awesome to get a Mac for work and play. Apple’s iPad has received thousands of awesome reviews on Amazon, and is great gift for women.
A Time Capsule – 40th Birthday Gift – a bucket of items and momentos from the year she was born. This is an easy gift that’d be fun to unpack together.
What My Husband Gave Me for My 40th Birthday
Nothing. He didn’t give me anything for my 40th birthday! About three weeks before my birthday, we went to Edmonton to help my friend who was getting chemotherapy treatments. Bruce took time off work to make this trip, and take care of my friend’s kids while I was doing the chemo thing with her. I told Bruce this would be my 40th birthday gift because I was so grateful.
My husband did what I told him to: he didn’t give me anything for my 40th birthday – not even a card. I was so disappointed, even though I knew he was only doing what I told him to. For the following wedding anniversary, he gave me a power point slideshow of pictures of us on vacation, which was beautiful and fun. That may be a good 40th birthday gift idea for the woman you’re shopping for.
For more gift ideas for women turning 40, read Your Complete Holiday Gift Guide.
I hope you found something helpful on this list of 40th birthday gifts for women! If you have any suggestions, please comment below….
7 comments On 40th Birthday Gift Ideas for Women – From Easy to Extravagant
Phenomenal list of 40th birthday gifts for women!
Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Super helpful.
Quick point: Dogs should not be gifts of any kind.
Giving a dog as a gift means a dog is going to someone that may not want or be ready for a dog, and may not be the best fit for that particular dog. The end result is unhappy people, confused dogs, and worst of all, dogs out of homes because it didn’t work out. Of course, if your 40 year old has a good heart they will accept and love the dog no matter what, but that doesn’t mean that’s for the best.
Instead, If you feel like your 40 year old would like a dog, then a great “side gift” could be to tour shelters and see if the two of you can find a good match. What you lose in spontaneity, you gain in the quality of life for your 40 year old, as well as the dog you rescued. She will have a better relationship for the length of that dog’s life and fonder memories for the rest of hers.
I turned forty last year and the best birthday gift was a fine wine gift basket. I love wine but don’t want to spend a lot of money on it. I especially love enjoying a glass with a close friends. I didn’t have a big 40th birthday party but I really enjoyed the small dinner with friends. That’s the best 40th birthday gift: spending time with people I love.
The key to finding the best 40th birthday gift ideas for women is knowing who she is and what she loves most in life. A cruise isn’t the best gift for someone who hates boat rides! My friend was given a cruise for her birthday, and she’s afraid of water. Her family want her to get over this fear, but I don’t think it’s a great way to celebrate a fortieth birthday.
I really like the 40th birthday gift ideas here especially in combination with the article you wrote about breast cancer gifts for women. I have a friend who is turning 40 and just diagnosed with cancer. Has to have a double mastectomy. These forty gift ideas are great thank you.
After 17 years, I started running out of idea. I mean Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Valentines and Mothers day can start depleting the gift ideas. Remember being all creative and then you get to the point where you say “I’ve down that, I’ve bought that”. I ran out of ideas. My buddy told me about this one present for under $100 bucks she’d love it. It was a wickless candle warmer. They look pretty cool and went with the white kitchen cabinets.
Then you can choose the wax that melts and smells awesome. My lady loves SIMPLY LEMON. It’s the only gift I’ve ever purchased that she uses and loves EVERY DAY!
I used to take my wife on a mini-vacation for her birthday each year. A two or three or four day trip via plane or car to a touristy place. Since her birthday is in March it is off season near us so it requires little preparation. Lately life has become busier and taking this time simply doesn’t happen. I know what we’ll do the next time we can. But it’s a secret!