• Gifts for a 40th birthday need not be black or morose.birthday image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
  
  When you're brainstorming an idea of a 40th birthday gift, avoid the too-common traps of a black t-shirt, mug or tote bag. Turning 40 is cause for a celebration and should be honored with unique and personal gifts. These presents need not be expensive; you can buy or create custom gifts by doing a little research or hitting budget-friendly dollar and craft stores. A creative gift will show the person that he's not over the hill, he's turning Fabulous 40.
  
  

Yearbook

• For crafty and creative gift givers, consider making a scrapbook out of images of famous actors, sports stars, politicians and other celebrities who share the same birth date as your friend or family member. Large lists of famous peoples' birth dates are available online through free web sites; you can also just type in the person's birth date and see who else will be turning 40. After you have a list of names, clip out their pictures, articles and information from magazines and newspapers, pasting them into a small notebook or photo album. You can also check free horoscope and birth date analysis websites, then print out the information and add it to the yearbook. Your friend may find it interesting to see who is her "birthday twin" and read what the self-proclaimed experts predict for her future.
  
  

Fabulous Forties Desk Accessories

• According to a project called the Decade of the Forties by the Uvalde High School Alumni Association, the 1940s experienced a great requirement for paper, rubber, steel and tin and companies conducted supply drives to up their resources. Consider using the 1940s as a theme birthday gift by collecting a pretty basket (colorful and inexpensive baskets and buckets may be found in dollar stores) full of desk accessories. The birthday recipient may use items such as bouncy rubber band balls, decorative computer paper, steel pencil cups and tin containers of chocolate or mints as office supplies in her home office. Include a note about how the supplies would have been in great demand back in the forties and note that, as a friend, she is in great demand as well.
  
  

Custom Tombstone

• Many jokes related to 40th birthdays relate to the person going "Over the Hill" and involve dreary, dark black decorations. Contribute to the morose but festive atmosphere with a gift of a custom tombstone. Artists will recreate a grave stone similar to those seen in cemeteries, but with the birthday person's name, date of birth and, if desired, a fake "death date" such as the day of the birthday party. You can even include a special line of text or personal message. Tombstones are available made from foam, corrugated cardboard, even vinyl and plastic. You can also make your own with a few simple tools from the craft store such as gray spray paint, black letter stickers and a piece of craft foam.