Birthday Gifts for a Ninety-One-Year-Old Woman

• Consider lifestyle when selecting gifts for a 91-year-old woman. Vicky Kasala Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images

  According to New York Magazine, Cuban-born artist Carmen Herrera never sold a painting until she turned 89. In her 90s, her paintings appeared at the Museum of Modern Art. While nursing homes recommend slippers and other comfort items as birthday gifts for 91-year-old women, many women, like Herrera, create, volunteer actively and keep abreast of current events. Ninety-one-year-old women may lack the muscle tone of youth, however, creativity and curiosity does not necessarily dwindle with age. Tailor a birthday gift to the individual recipient's personality and lifestyle.

Soup or Baking Mix

• Soup or baking starter mixes will save time. soup image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.com

  The matriarch of the family may love to cook, but she may lack the energy she once had or the ability to easily shop for her favorite ingredients. Prepare a soup or baking starter mix. Combine herbs, dried vegetables and fruits, bullion, spices and pantry staples in an attractive glass or pottery jar. Whenever she prefers, she can add liquid ingredients to prepare the soup for herself or to dazzle guests.

Time Coupons

• Take her to a botanical garden or museum. botanical gardens 2 image by Kathleen Struckle from Fotolia.com

  Design colorful coupons using a computer, or cut them out of construction paper for homemade charm. Print favorite activities on the coupon for you to do with the nonagenarian. A trip to the local botanical gardens, museum or casino will make memories. Alternately, make coupons for the unpleasant jobs, such as cleaning the basement, mowing the lawn or cleaning the bathroom.

Movies

• Give DVDs of favorite films. dvd image by dinostock from Fotolia.com

  Find a film she frequently describes from her youth, or remembers from her first date. Many obscure titles appear in DVD or VHS form. If she does not own the appropriate player, purchase one or have friends chip in. Alternately, host a viewing night at a later date. Play the role of an old-fashioned flashlight-wielding usher. Alternately, check the calendar of events at local museums. Sometimes museums screen historically significant films at their facilities or nearby theaters.

Travel

• Send her on a dream vacation. cruise ship image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com

  Fulfill a wish. Purchase cruise tickets to the exotic locale she dreams about. Cruises provide a guided experience with the convenience of returning to the same room. The controlled environment also pacifies nervous family members waiting at home. Short 2-to-5-day cruises provide a brief escape for a first-time traveler and a guest of her choosing.

Plants

• Flowering plants last longer than bouquets. flower plant image by Sergey Tokarev from Fotolia.com

  Easy-care flowering plants last longer than a bouquet of flowers. Remove the plant from the temporary plastic pot. Repot the plant in a container that compliments her décor. Choose a pot or vase with drain holes at the bottom and a saucer to protect furniture.