First Look:
Personalized gifts include everything from monogrammed mugs to custom commissioned art. This guide shares how to shop for personalized gifts, including how early you need to order them and how to pick the right gift for everyone in your life.
There are two kinds of gift shoppers: those who absolutely love finding the perfect thing to get everyone on their list, and those who feel a bit lost. For those in the second camp, a personalized gift can be a great way to show that you care — gifts that have been monogrammed, engraved, or even completely customized signal effort and thoughtfulness in a way that off-the-shelf gifts can’t.
But the personalized gift category still covers a wide range of items — including everything from a monogrammed mug to a hand-painted portrait. In this guide, we break down how to shop for personalized gifts, so you can nail Christmas this year.
Engraved and Monogrammed Christmas Gifts
When you think about a personalized gift, you likely imagine something that is monogrammed or engraved first. Monogrammed gifts refer to anything that features a stylized version of your recipient's name or initials—usually their first, middle, and last (although you could just feature a single initial). Nearly anything can be monogrammed, but the most common monogrammed Christmas gifts are…
- Mugs, cups, or tumblers
- Stationery
- Journals, notebooks, and planners
- Ornaments
- Linens like napkins, towels, or pillowcases
- Clothing
Engraved Christmas gifts are items that can be personalized with a monogram, symbol, or short message carved or etched into their surface. The most common types of engraved gifts include mugs/ceramics, glassware like champagne flutes or lowball glasses, and jewelry.
Other Types of Personalized and Custom Christmas Gift Ideas
Monograms and engraving may be the most common way to personalize gifts, but they certainly aren’t the only options. Here are a few other custom Christmas gift ideas.
- Photo Gifts. Like a high-quality framed print of a cherished picture or even a custom calendar featuring a whole collection of treasured photos make for one of the best gifts to receive. Depending on the design you choose and how you choose to frame your photo, these gifts can work for a wide range of budgets and are relatively quick to create if you’re shopping on a tighter timeline.
- Custom Illustrations or Commissioned Art. A personalized piece of artwork is a truly special gift to give someone you love. From prints that feature details that can be customized with names, special dates, or meaningful text to fully original portraits of pets, people, or houses, there’s a way to create a personalized piece of art at nearly any budget (Minted offers custom art pieces starting at just $38). Know that, in general, these pieces have longer lead times than other types of personalized gifts, as you’ll likely work closely with the artist to bring your vision to life. A print with just a few personalized details may take a handful of weeks to complete and ship, whereas an original painting or other piece of art could take months.
- Hand-painted objects. Think ornaments, decorative plates/serving trays, and keepsake boxes hand-painted with a special portrait, initials, or symbol. Like any original piece of art, these hand-painted objects make for fantastic gifts, especially if you think ahead and order them in advance, as they can take a few months to complete.
Personalized Christmas Keepsakes
Whether you’re shopping for someone else or want to make your stash of holiday decor feel more special, personalized Christmas keepsakes are a beautiful thing to buy ahead of the holiday season. The most popular type of Christmas Keepsakes are personalized ornaments that feature a special portrait, names or initials, dates, or celebrate a milestone like baby’s first Christmas or a first Christmas as a married couple.
Here are a few other types of Christmas keepsakes to consider gifting, or collecting for yourself:
- Pet ornaments
- Photo ornaments
- Stockings
- Special tree skirts or other handmade decorations
- Plates and serveware
Personalized Christmas Gifts for Family
When shopping for personalized Christmas gifts for family, look for things that help capture the unique moment in time that the whole family—or just a particular family member—is in. Gifts like the ideas below aren’t just simple presents, they’re keepsakes meant to be treasured.
- Photo calendars that feature your favorite family photos, or even vintage family photos.
- Framed photos that turn cherished memories into art. Finding a style that can be customized with the year or a special message can help these feel extra meaningful.
- Custom art like house portraits, pet portraits, silhouette portraits of each member of the family, and more.
- Art that elevates everyday items into keepsakes, such as children’s drawings reimagined in letterpress and gold foil or a family recipe turned into a painting.
- Monogrammed or matching stockings
- Ornaments with the family’s names or featuring their favorite things.
Personalized Christmas Gift Ideas for Her & For Him
Whether you’re shopping for a man or woman, the key to a personalized gift that they’re sure to love is to pick something that reflects who they are or what they love doing.
For Her
When shopping for a personalized gift for your wife, mother, or sister, be sure to prioritize picking something that matches her personal style. Here are a few ideas:
- Framed photos featuring a mat in her favorite color.
- Art featuring the sheet music of her favorite song.
- Personalized stationery featuring her initials and a pattern that reminds you of her.
For Him
The same advice holds true if you’re shopping for the man in your life. Whether it be your husband, dad, or brother, look for personalized gifts that match their style or make something they reach for every day feel a little more special. Consider these ideas:
- A framed photo art print that includes a note or message about the photograph.
- A custom portrait of their home or university.
- A photo calendar that they can hang up at work.
Personalized Christmas Gift Ideas for Friends and Coworkers
When it comes to shopping for a gift for a friend or coworker, opting for something personalized can make what you give them feel extra thoughtful. To keep gifts budget friendly, look for things that can be personalized, but aren’t completely custom.
Personalized gift ideas for friends
When shopping for friends, look for gifts that can be personalized with their initials or that reflect a recent life milestone. This could look like…
- Home decor with their name on it, such as catch-all trays, mugs, or coasters.
- An art print personalized with their initials or with dates and locations that are meaningful to them.
- Baby’s first Christmas ornaments or signs.
- First Christmas as a married couple ornaments or signs.
Personalized gift ideas for coworkers
When it comes to shopping for colleagues, focus on gifts that make the workday feel a little bit more enjoyable. A few ideas to get you started…
- Custom thank you notes or other desktop stationery.
- Small art prints that fit in their cubicle.
- Monogrammed office supplies, such as pens and notebooks.
How Christmas Gift Personalization Works
Personalized gifts feel more thoughtful because they are. These gifts take more forethought and planning than buying something off-the-shelf does. While the exact personalization process can vary based on the type of gift you’re ordering, typically, it looks something like this:
- Select your gift and provide details such as photos, names, initials, and dates that will be used during the personalization process.
- Review proofs and mockups provided by the designer, and work with them to make any necessary changes.
- Approve the design for production. This is typically the longest stage of the process, and can take anywhere from a few days for a framed photo to a few months for a completely custom piece of art.
- Your gift is shipped to you to be wrapped or directly to your recipient.
As we mentioned, the turn-around time for personalized Christmas gifts can vary greatly (Minted’s handmade personalized gifts always include an estimated production time in the product description). A good rule of thumb is to start shopping for these well before the holiday season, as the artists and designers who produce handmade personalized gifts can book up in November and December.
Finishing Touches: Gift Tags & Wrapping Paper
If you’ve taken the time and effort to order the perfect personalized gift don’t let how you wrap it be an afterthought! A beautifully wrapped present shows that you care and help make a gift feel even more meaningful for the person you’re giving it to. As the holiday season approaches, consider stocking up on a few rolls of beautifully designed wrapping paper, ribbon and bows, and customized gift tags to use for every present you plan to hand out.
Perfectly Personal
Personalized gifts can be as simple as a mug with the recipients initial or as bespoke as a custom commissioned piece of art. The right choice depends on your timeline, budget, and level of closeness with the person you’re shopping for. Minted offers thoughtful personalized gift options for a wide range of budgets, recipients, and tastes, including framed photo prints, ornaments, art, stationery, and more.
Frequently Asked Questions about Personalized Christmas Gifts
What is the most popular personalized Christmas gift?
Ornaments personalized with the names or photos of the recipient and monogrammed items are among the most popular personalized Christmas gifts year after year.
What’s the difference between personalized and engraved Christmas gifts?
Personalized Christmas gifts refer to anything that can be customized for your recipient. That includes things like mugs, glasses, ornaments, linens, art, stationery, and more. Engraving is just one of the ways that a gift can be personalized. It refers to a technique in which a name, date, or short message is carved or etched into a surface—typically wood, ceramic, glass, or metal.
How far in advance should I order a personalized Christmas gift?
When it comes to personalized Christmas gifts, a good rule of thumb is order sooner rather than later. The lead and production times on personalized gifts can vary greatly depending on the type of gift you’re ordering. A monogrammed mug or framed photo may take just a few extra days to ship to you, whereas an ornament featuring a custom pet portrait could take weeks or even months to hand paint.
Can I personalize a Christmas gift with a photo of my pet?
Yes! Pets are a great way to personalize a Christmas gift. Consider commissioning a custom pet portrait or an ornament featuring their likeness or paw print.
