Looking for a unique gift? Instead of relying on off-the-shelf products, why not consider opting for a personalised gift? There are several reasons as to why personalised gifts are such a good idea:
- They require a lot of thought and planning: Personalised gifts show the recipient that you didn’t just walk into a shop and pick out the first thing you could find. They show that you put time and effort into choosing the gift.
- They’re unique: The ability to personalise a gift allows you to create something that is utterly unique. There’s no risk of them already owning the gift.
- They don’t have to be expensive: Personalised gifts don’t have to be expensive. Many companies now offer cheap personalisation services. In other cases, you may be able to make your own gift. They’re ideal meaningful gifts for when you’re on a tight budget.
So just how do you personalise a gift? Below are just a few different options when it comes to personalised gifts.
Names and inscriptions
A popular way to personalise a gift is to put the recipient’s name on it or write a personalised inscription. Nowadays, there’s the option to do this with pretty much any product you can think of.
Metal engravings are a common way to add names and inscriptions. This could be a personalised message carved into jewellery or a name carved into a metal hip flask. You’ll find lots of personalised engraving companies online that provide this service.
You can also get names and inscriptions carved into wood. This could include initials carved into a chopping board for someone that loves cooking or a custom wooden sign to hang in someone’s house. Wooden engraving services can similarly be found online.
There may also be ways of putting names and inscriptions onto fabric. This could include anything from monogrammed socks to an embossed message on a leather wallet. There are many online companies that offer this service.
Names and inscriptions could even be etched or printed onto glass. This could include a wine glass with a name printed on it or a whisky glass with a custom inscription. Check out these Father’s Day gifts for a few examples.
The most common way to add names or personal messages is to print them onto objects. Personalised cards are very popular and there are many sites that specialise in these. Personalised mugs are also popular. You can even look into personalised label products – some beer and chocolate companies allow you to add a custom name or personal message to the label.
Names and inscriptions can even be made using food. Some chocolatiers specialise in personalised iced messages on chocolate plaques. M&Ms meanwhile allow for personalised names and messages to be printed onto the sweets themselves.
Photographs
You could also create a personalised gift using photographs. This could be a cute, romantic or funny photo with a special meaning.
The most simple option is to buy someone a single photograph in a frame. Alternatively, you can get a photograph blown up on canvas or printed onto acrylic. You can find services online that can do this for you.
Photographs can also be printed onto other objects. Keyrings and fridge magnets are some of the most common options, however there are so many more unique ideas such as photographs printed onto cushions, photographs printed onto phone cases or even photographs printed onto socks. Explore online for all kinds of wonderful and wacky options.
You can also create personalised gifts using multiple photographs. There are picture frames that you can buy that can contain multiple photos. Alternatively, you could piece together your own collage or create a photo album. Such photographs could be of a particular person, place or event. You can handpick the various photographs yourself.
Hampers
Another option for a personalised gift could be to put together your own hamper of goodies. There are companies that are able to do this for you, or you could assemble a hamper yourself allowing you to pick out each item.
Hampers most commonly contain foodie gifts. This could include wine or beer for those that love their drinks, chocolate or sweets for those with a sweet tooth, various cheeses for cheese-fanatics, premium teabags and coffee blends for hot drink lovers or a few novelty food items such as unusual spreads and sauces.
Spa kit hampers are another popular option. These typically contain various bathroom products and relaxation products which could include handpicked bath bombs, scented candles, soaps and lotions, bubble bath and possibly even perfumes or aftershaves.
Of course, hampers could contain all kinds of other items from DVDs to clothes. Try to opt for cheap but unique items and target it to your recipient’s interests.
Arts and crafts
Craft items can also be great personalised gifts. These could be bespoke craft items made by a company or they could be items crafted yourself (the latter option is ideal if you have a craft skill and the gift will be all the more meaningful because of the time and energy put into it).
Hand-crafted clothing could be one option. If you’re able to knit or crochet, you could consider creating some winter wear or baby clothing for someone who may be expecting a child. Blankets and rugs could be other options to consider.
Another option could be custom jewellery. This could be ideal for a partner, a parent or a child – on top of considering personalised inscriptions, you could look into custom shapes, stones and designs. This could be via a bespoke jeweller or you could try making your own jewellery.
If you’re good at woodwork or metalwork, you could consider other creations such as custom jewellery boxes. This is a gift that is certain to be treasured.
Baking your own cake could be another option. This can be great for birthdays and could allow you to get creative with themes. Even if you’re not an experienced baker, there are many recipes online that you can follow.