Special Nottingham graduation gifts and Nottingham student gifts
There’s something strange about graduating from university.
You spend three or four years making a city your own and then, almost overnight, you’re packing everything into boxes and wondering how you accumulated quite so much stuff.
For students graduating in Nottingham, it means leaving behind favourite pubs, nights out, tram journeys, familiar streets, friends and all those little routines that made the city feel like home.
As a designer, I’ve always thought the best graduation gifts should capture some of those memories.
That’s exactly what The Nottingham Colour Palette was created to do. Six colours, six very Nottingham references and one colourful reminder of a brilliant city.
So, if you’re searching for a unique graduation gift for a Nottingham student, a present for someone leaving university or simply something to remind them of their student years, here are a few ideas.
Ready to find the perfect Nottingham gift? Browse the full Nottingham Colour Palette collection →
Why a little piece of Nottingham makes a great graduation gift
University cities become part of your life surprisingly quickly.
The landmarks become familiar. You know which tram you need without checking. You develop favourite places to eat and drink. Even things that seemed slightly odd when you first arrived become completely normal.
And then graduation arrives.
The Nottingham Colour Palette turns some of the city’s most distinctive stories into six carefully chosen colours, creating a gradient inspired by Nottingham’s history, culture, food and character.
It makes a colourful keepsake for anyone graduating from the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent Universityor one of the city’s other colleges and institutions.
Hang it on the wall of a first flat. Put the mug on the desk at a first proper job. Give a smaller keepsake to a course mate who is heading home.
A little bit of Nottingham goes with them.
The meaning behind The Nottingham Colour Palette
Every colour has its own Nottingham story.
Sherwood Forest
We couldn’t really create a Nottingham palette without him.
Sherwood Forest pays tribute to Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the legendary outlaw whose story has become inseparable from Nottingham and known around the world.
Whether he actually did everything he’s credited with is another matter entirely.
But he definitely gets a colour.
Tramway Teal
A nod to something that quickly becomes part of everyday Nottingham life.
Tramway Teal represents the city’s famous tram network, carrying students, commuters, shoppers and visitors across Nottingham every day.
For anyone who spent their university years hopping on and off the tram, it’s a very familiar slice of the city.
Minted Pea Green
This one might need explaining to anyone who hasn’t experienced Nottingham Goose Fair.
Mushy peas with mint sauce are a traditional Goose Fair delicacy and Minted Pea Green celebrates this gloriously local combination.
Not necessarily the obvious inspiration for a colour palette.
Which is exactly why I like it.
Lace White
Nottingham was once at the centre of the world’s lace industry.
Lace White honours the city’s extraordinary lacemaking heritage and the industry that shaped its buildings, businesses and international reputation.
It’s a softer colour with a very big Nottingham story behind it.
Cave Sandstone
There’s another Nottingham beneath your feet.
The city is famous for its remarkable network of caves carved into the sandstone below its streets, with hundreds discovered beneath buildings, pubs, shops and public spaces.
Cave Sandstone brings that hidden side of Nottingham into the palette.
Chopper Orange
A colour dedicated to the king of bicycles.
The Raleigh Chopper became one of the most recognisable bikes ever made and is forever associated with Nottingham, home of Raleigh’s famous cycle works.
Chopper Orange celebrates a piece of Nottingham design that became a genuine cultural icon.
Together, the six colours travel through legend, transport, food, industry, hidden history and iconic design.
Not bad for six little swatches.
Find the perfect Nottingham graduation gift
From a small keepsake for a university friend to framed wall art from Mum and Dad, every item in the Nottingham Colour Palette collection carries the same six colours and their Nottingham stories.
Explore the full Nottingham Colour Palette collection →
Not sure what to choose? Here’s a quick guide by budget:
Under £10 – Fridge Magnet, Coaster
£10–£20 – Ceramic Mug, Porcelain Mug, Placemat, Mouse Mat, Tote Bag, Apron, T-shirt
£20+ – Framed Art Print, Canvas
So whether you’re looking for a small Nottingham student leaving gift or something more substantial to mark graduation day, there’s an option for different budgets.
Nottingham mugs: A graduation gift they’ll actually use
A new mug feels particularly appropriate at graduation.
After several years of lectures, essays, revision, deadlines and caffeinated attempts to finish work that absolutely should have been started earlier, a graduate has probably earned one.
The Nottingham Colour Palette mug features all six colours and their local references, making it a practical Nottingham keepsake without feeling like traditional university merchandise.
It works as a graduation present from parents, a gift between university friends or something for a graduate starting their first job.
And there’s something rather nice about Sherwood Forest, Minted Pea Green and Chopper Orange turning up for work with them.
Nottingham wall art for the first post-university home
Graduation often comes with another milestone.
A first proper flat. A new house. A new city. Maybe a move back home while everyone works out what happens next.
A framed Nottingham Colour Palette print or canvas makes a more substantial graduation present and gives them something from their university city to take with them.
The six-colour gradient works particularly well in contemporary interiors, while the names beneath each colour turn the artwork into a conversation piece.
And Chopper Orange usually needs a story.
Nottingham-themed gifts under £20
Graduation season can become expensive, especially when there are several people you want to buy for.
A meaningful student gift doesn’t have to be a big-ticket present.
Nottingham Colour Palette mugs, coasters and other smaller gifts carry exactly the same six colours and local stories as the wall art.
They’re ideal for friends, siblings, housemates, course mates, tutors or anyone who deserves a little Nottingham thank-you at the end of university life.
A graduation gift that celebrates Nottingham as well as the degree
A degree certificate records what someone achieved at university.
It doesn’t record everything else.
The friends they made. The streets they walked every morning. The places they discovered. The nights they probably shouldn’t remember. The tram journeys. The food. The landmarks that gradually became so familiar they stopped noticing them.
Until it was time to leave.
That’s one of the reasons I started creating these palettes.
Six colours can never tell the complete story of somewhere.
But they can trigger memories.
And when someone is packing up their student room for the last time, that feels like a pretty good graduation gift.
Nottingham graduation gifts for students, graduates and alumni
The Nottingham Colour Palette collection was created for anyone with a connection to the city, but it makes a particularly personal present at graduation.
Perhaps your son or daughter is graduating from the University of Nottingham. Maybe a friend is finishing their degree at Nottingham Trent. Perhaps someone you know studied here years ago and still talks fondly about their Nottingham days.
A colourful piece of the city can be a lovely way of marking that connection.
Choose something small and useful, such as a Nottingham mug or coaster, or make graduation day a little more special with framed Nottingham wall art they can keep for years.
Explore The Nottingham Colour Palette collection and find a little piece of Nottingham to take with them.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a good graduation gift for a Nottingham student?
Something that connects with their experience of the city can make a graduation present feel much more personal. Nottingham-inspired mugs, wall art and keepsakes give graduates a reminder of the place that became home during their university years.
What can I buy someone graduating from the University of Nottingham?
The Nottingham Colour Palette collection includes wall art, mugs, coasters and other gifts featuring six colours inspired by Nottingham. They make unusual University of Nottingham graduation gifts because they celebrate the graduate’s connection with the whole city and the memories they made here.
What is a good Nottingham Trent University graduation gift?
For someone graduating from Nottingham Trent University, consider a Nottingham-themed gift they can take to their next home or workplace. A framed Nottingham Colour Palette print makes a more substantial graduation present, while mugs and smaller keepsakes work well for friends and course mates.
What are good Nottingham graduation gifts under £20?
If you’re looking for an affordable graduation present, Nottingham Colour Palette mugs, coasters, placemats, mouse mats, tote bags and other smaller gifts offer plenty of choice without needing a large budget.
Can I send a Nottingham gift to someone who is moving away after university?
Yes. That’s one of the reasons a city-inspired graduation gift works so well. If someone is leaving Nottingham after completing their degree, the Colour Palette gives them something connected to the city to take to their next home.
Is the Nottingham Colour Palette only for university students?
No. It’s designed around Nottingham itself, so the collection also works for birthdays, leaving presents, housewarming gifts and Nottingham alumni, as well as students celebrating graduation.