Make an easy heartfelt and last minute gift with these fun and free printable IOU coupons, personalized for your gift and recipient. Give an “I Owe You” certificate for a future service or event, or download our customizable PDF template to send an IOU voucher for a handmade gift that isn’t quite finished yet.
You’ll also like these quick printable last-minute gift ideas plus easy printable personalized gifts for moms, dads, and grads.
Free Printable IOU Coupons
We’ve shared our favorite gift guides and DIY gift ideas plenty — but we also know that sometimes the best gifts are experiences or acts of service.
We also know that sometimes a really great handmade gift just isn’t quite ready in time for the holiday, whether that’s Christmas morning, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, a birthday, or just a “thinking of you” gift.
So whether you’re thoughtful like that, or forgetful (or lacking time management skills) like that or just a procrastinator who needs a gift quick — we’ve got your perfect DIY gift idea with these free printable IOU coupon vouchers!
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What’s an IOU? What are IOU coupons?
IOU is a phonetic acronym of the words “I owe you”. So an IOU coupon is a paper saying that you, the giver, owe the recipient something. IOUs are often used in casual speech for small money loans with a friend or family member lender, as a verbal IOU.
Some IOUs could be legal documents with a loan amount, signatures, etc, but the typical IOU is an informal debt acknowledgement form rather than a legally binding loan agreement. You can even buy packs of sticky note printed IOU certificates for things like repaying cash, drinks, dinner, etc.
In other circumstances, IOU coupons are priceless gifts that show the recipient that you care and want to give them your time or a meaningful experience.
These free printable IOU vouchers make an easy sentimental gift idea or a “rain check” for an event, activity, service, or a handmade gift that isn’t completed yet. Without any strain on your wallet!
3 Customizable IOU Vouchers
Just for our favorite Remodelaholics (that’s you!) we’re offering up a free printable IOU coupon booklet with 3 options, all customizable to personalize for your recipient and gift:
- An IOU voucher for an unfinished handmade gift
- An IOU voucher for an experience, act of service, or whatever you’d like to give a coupon for
- A printable IOU coupon booklet and front cover with many personalized coupons for experiences, acts of service, etc.
Download Printable IOU Coupons
This customizable PDF allows you to enter in the to/from names, the IOU gift, and more, right in the PDF.* You can also just print the coupons and write the names in by hand if you prefer.
*For best results, use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader from a computer.
Preview images contain watermarks; the PDF digital download does not. For personal use only.
Printable IOU Coupon for a Handmade Gift That’s Not Finished
Use our free printable IOU coupon to gift a voucher for not-yet-finished woodworking project (or knitting, crochet, sewing, or other handmade project).
You can enter your own text right in the PDF for the recipient and gifter’s names and gift item — plus tell the recipient how close to finished you are with the project and when you’ll deliver it!
You can customize this printable IOU voucher with
- To: Recipient’s Name and From: Your Name
- What the handmade gift will be
- Whether the gift is almost finished, in progress, or on your list (#remodelaholic)
- When you’ll deliver the gift — such as, when the finish cures, when it’s warm enough to build it, when you finish it — or when pigs fly, if you’re feeling salty and/or want a gag gift.
Printable IOU Coupon for an Event / Service / Gift
Give one-on-one time, a donation made in the recipient’s name, tickets to a concert or place of your choice, a home-cooked meal, or a great big bear hug.
This is also a great option for a voucher for a physical product gift that you ordered online that hasn’t arrived yet!
Enter your own personalized text for
- To and From Names
- Gift
- Redemption conditions (i.e., when the package arrives, event date, before an expiration date, etc)
Page 2 of the PDf download is best for gifting one item, as the template includes to/from — for multiple items, page 3-4 to make an IOU coupon book.
See below for a list of IOU voucher ideas.
Printable IOU Coupon Booklet
When you heart is bursting (and/or your wallet is empty), a printable IOU coupon booklet is a FREE gift that’s heartfelt and appreciated now, and when it’s redeemed in the future.
You might remember making a booklet like this for your mom or grandma when you were in grade school — we promise she’ll appreciate it just as much now!
Customize the IOU voucher booklet front cover with the recipient’s name, and then use our editable coupon vouchers to add custom personalized coupons.
How to assemble an IOU coupon book
- Download the PDF here and enter the text in the free digital download printable IOU coupon pages. Or, print the pages and write in by hand.
- For best results, use the most updated version of Adobe Reader from a computer. The Adobe Reader mobile app will also work well.
- Print on your home printer.
- Cut out and trim each coupon certificate with scissors or a paper cutter.
- Staple the front cover and coupons together. You could also
- Clip with a bulldog clip or binder clip.
- Punch a hole and use a book ring or rubber band to attach.
- Punch 2 holes and bind with a piece of string or yarn.
List of IOU Voucher Ideas
Give a kind gift idea for a special occasion from Valentines Day to Father’s Day, Christmas, or a birthday.
Fun coupon book gift idea: Give a booklet of 12 IOUs, one every month for a year!
Free IOU Coupon Ideas That Only Cost Your Time
Giving of your time and service can bring pure joy to the recipient, and create memories for years to come! Add these ideas to your printable IOU coupon booklet.
- A great big bear hug (grandparents love this one!)
- One-on-one time doing an activity
- An extra hour of hobby or screen time (kids love this!)
- A sleep-in coupon (parents love this!)
- A home-cooked meal
- Do a chore for them, especially one they hate…. like scrubbing toilets (hint hint)
- A neck massage or foot rub (from you)
- An uninterrupted bubble bath
- Movie marathon
- Stargazing night (see our favorite apps and tips here)
- Watch the sunrise together
Event or Experience IOU Coupon Ideas
Gift an event or experience that you can do together, or give the gift of alone time in your printable IOU voucher book.
- A weekend getaway to a destination of your choice (great for a partner, or fun for a child and a parent, too!)
- Breakfast / lunch / dinner out at the place of your choice
- A movie or live show of your choice
- A day at the museum / zoo / park
- Time or money donation to a cause of your choice
- At-home Redbox (or streaming) movie night with a grocery store trip for treats
- One new outfit (great for tweens and teens who love clothes! or a friend shopping trip)
- One day at the spa / golf course / hiking / etc
- Take a class or online class together
- Road trip!
- Try a new place for breakfast / lunch / dinner / dessert
IOU Coupon Ideas for Kids from Parents
Kids spend a lot of their time doing what they’re told, when they’re told — let them break the mold and create their own day or do something backwards like dessert before dinner. They’ll love getting a printable IOU coupon book from you!
- One blank coupon to fill in – you might be surprised what they *really* want!
- A yes day, planned by the child
- Skip chores for the day or Mom/Dad do one of your chores
- One week of mom/dad making your bed
- Pick any one item from the grocery store
- One extra hour of screen time
- Stay up an extra 30 minutes past bedtime
- Eat dessert before dinner!
- Meet for lunch at school
- One extra bedtime story
- Choose what’s for dinner
- One-on-one time doing the activity of your choice
- Breakfast in bed (seriously, kids love this one!)
- Game night or video game time together
- School skip day
- Stop everything for a pillow fight or dance party
- Build a fort (from blankets or snow)
- Stay in your pajamas all day long
- Double allowance for one week
IOU Coupon Ideas for Siblings
Rather than doing a sibling gift exchange with toys, siblings can make a printable IOU coupon book full of experiences or service ideas!
- Sibling makes your bed for a week
- Sibling does one of your chores
- One-on-one time doing the activity of your choice
- Make one homemade treat or snack of your choice
- Read a book of play a game or video game together
IOU Coupon Ideas for Couples (aka Love Coupons)
In case it needed said… do not offer any of these printable IOU coupons that you aren’t willing to actually fulfill when your partner redeems it!
- Weekend getaway or day trip
- A daytime date or night on the town
- A quiet night in (your introvert will appreciate this!)
- Breakfast in bed
- A candlelight dinner
- One wish granted
- Get out of trouble, no questions asked
- Ask me anything / tell me a secret
- You choose our next TV series
- Do one chore (like scrubbing toilets or picking up after the dog!)
- One honey-do project
- “I need a compliment right now”
More cheap and easy gift ideas
