Creating a fake diploma is a humorous way to show your respect for a student's success. Use a cardboard tube from an aluminum foil package to act as a diploma case. Cover the tube in decorative paper. Tie a red ribbon around the tube, and seal with a sealing wax or a gold sticker. Inside the tube, add cash or a check. Create a diploma sample including the student's name, date and title of the award. Consider adding an endearing term such as “World’s Best Brother” or something more comical like “King of the Jokers.”
Find out the colors of the graduate's school or organization. Use these colors as the base for the homemade graduation card. Using construction paper or card stock as the base. If more than two or three school colors exist, add confetti or glitter to match the color scheme. On the inside of the card, use the colors to congratulate the on her success. You can also embellish a generic gift card to give it a personal feel.
Find out what degree the student earned, or use what you know about his goals to construct a relevant card. If the student is graduating from high school and plans to attend college, print out a picture of the desired college and write a motivational statement on it. If he is graduating from medical school, you can use pictures of x-rays or other medical images to design a card. Personalizing cards in this manner makes the graduate feel special.
A "Russian Doll" card would require cards to be placed within cards, for as long as the giver wishes. Opening a Russian doll card can be entertaining to open and entertaining to watch. Start with a large object such as a cardboard box or large envelope. On each subsequent envelope or container, write an endearing or motivational phrase, such as "You lasted long enough to graduate, so this must be easy!" The final container can contain whatever gift you have chosen for the graduate.