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There’s only one thing that’s better than a thoughtful gift: a thoughtful personalized gift! There’s just something special about giving someone a custom present that requires that little bit of extra effort. After all, who doesn’t love a gift that’s been tailor-made just for them?
Whether you’re shopping for your family, friends, or even your coworkers, we’ve compiled plenty of ideas for bespoke finds that are sure to hit the right note with each and every person on your shopping list. From monogrammed towels ($65, Things Remembered) for your favorite homebody to a personalized photo blanket mom and dad will love, ($55.95, Zazzle), we’ve uncovered 25 of the best personalized gifts for everyone you know. Read on to find out what made the cut!
We all love giving gifts that will make people leap for joy, but let’s face it: They can be tricky to find! When aiming to go with a more personal take on each one, your typical big box retailers may not cut it. Specialty sites, such as A Gift Personalized or Things Remembered, are sure to yield unique goods, like this monogrammed decanter set ($69.99, A Gift Personalized), or this plush initialed embroidered throw blanket ($65, Things Remembered). Handmade items, meanwhile, can be easily found in e-commerce marketplaces, such as Etsy.
As our list of goods proves, you can also find individualized gifts for parents, grandparents, and siblings from some rather unexpected places: This personalized M&M dispenser, for instance, ($34.99, M&M’s), can be found on the popular candy site, while this quirky vinyl record welcome mat ($35), turns up at UncommonGoods.
The Best Personalized Gifts
The best personalized gift can come from just about anywhere, but you can make your holiday shopping infinitely easier on yourself by scrolling through our list of picks, where you’ll find everything you need for every recipient on your list, from your child’s favorite school teacher to your best loved sibling. Keep scrolling for FIRST for Women’s picks for the best personalized gifts of 2019.
We write about products we think our readers will like. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the supplier.
1. Best Personalized Gift for Daughter — Mejuri Engravable Bar Necklace
Only something as unique and elegant as this Mejuri engravable 14k yellow gold bar necklace will do for someone as special as your beloved daughter. This dainty 2-centimeter bar comes in 14K gold on an adjustable chain, and you can have it engraved with up to seven letters. It goes with every outfit, and is hard-wearing, so she'll never have to take it off.
A fun-loving and adventurous son who loves the great outdoors will get plenty of use out of this insulated trail cooler, which can be monogrammed with his name or initials in up to 20 different personalization fonts. It’s big enough to hold 12 beer bottles or beverages and will keep them cool for hours. There's a leather top handle and an adjustable strap, plus a nifty bottle opener that comes pre-sewn onto the side.
What better way to commemorate all those special, cozy nights spent in deep conversation with your mom over a glass of vino than with a personalized cork keepsake frame? Its cute etching, which reads, “The Best Wines Are the Ones We Drink with Mom," is sure to put a smile on her face, and you can add a personal touch with a 4 by 6-inch photograph. There's also a round slot in the top to drop in corks from the special bottles you’ll drink together from this day forth, making it one gift that will never be forgotten.
If your dad loves his whiskey (or any other kind of tipple, for that matter), he’ll be ecstatic to add this personalized decanter and low ball glass set to his barware collection. There are plenty of personalized designs to choose from (i.e. antlers, circle, stamped, mono-initial, three initials, full name, etc.), so you can pick the one that suits him best. There's also space for his name or any word up to 10 letters.
Prepare for a few tears when you present your folks with this large, super-soft fleece blanket covered in personalized photographs and a message of your choice in the center. This thoughtful gift means your parents will be able to curl up on the sofa in front of the TV every night with everyone and everything they hold nearest and dearest, and honestly, what could be better?
There'll be no confusion over whose backpack this adorable personalized Adventure Be Wild design is thanks to the large exterior pocket that will bear your child's moniker. This pack has padded, comfortable straps and a unisex design that's sure to suit your student's taste. And if not? Simply select an alternate from one of Shutterfly's copious personalized patterns.
Only the classiest of gifts will suffice for a young lady as special as your granddaughter. Kate Spade's Molly large tote has enough space for all of her personal belongings and comes with a removable pouch she can use on-the-go. There are eight different cross-grain leathers to choose from. Best of all, it comes monogrammed with her initials, making for one bag she won’t be able to share on social media fast enough!
Any young professional, businessman, or intern will appreciate this leather-trimmed black briefcase, which has a gunmetal nameplate that can be engraved with a moniker or initials. This sophisticated travel essential has loads of space for laptops, tablets, books, notepads, and more, making it ideal for meetings and the like. It’s thick, sturdy, and durable enough to handle daily wear and tear, so your grandson can use it for years to come.
A sweet way to carry your loved ones with you wherever you go comes in the form of this Mejuri gold vermeil necklace. It's old-school design is perfect for grandma, who will surely appreciate its traditional locket design that can house a tiny photo of her favorite grandchild — aka you. The other side can also be engraved with up to 14 characters for an extra-special touch.
Whether he's telling stories, reading books, or watching historical documentaries, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pawpaw who’d pass up a conversation about the days of yore. That’s why theNew York Times' custom birthday book is the perfect present for your old man. This beautiful find, which will come embossed with his name on the cover, has a custom dedication on the title page and comes filled with reproductions of the iconic paper's front page for every one of his birthdays. And, just in case he’s not a New Yorker, there are Washington Post and Los Angeles Times versions, too!
Got a grandparent who's not exactly tech savvy when it comes to the printer? Brookstone PhotoShare digital wooden photo frame is the solution — and a pretty awesome gift, too. It can be pre-loaded from your smartphone with more than 5,000 high-resolution pictures from personal collection. As for its display, the frame can be hung on the wall or kept on a tabletop in portrait or landscape mode to best suit your grandparents' tastes.
Monogramming fans such as Reese Witherspoon and Victoria Beckham have all been snapped with one of these simple initial phone cases, and you can make your sister feel like a celebrity with one of her very own. These cases fit iPhone or Samsung phones and will add a little extra something something.
Your sibling is sure to adore this set of four personalized, tavern style pint glasses with 12 characters available for monogramming. Made in the USA, they're durable and thick, and the set comes with a complimentary card for you to add in your own personal message — an ideal find for those shipping gifts long-distance!
If you're shopping for an acquaintance, you'll likely want to err on the side of caution, and a candle is always a safe bet. This chic gray and white buffalo plaid glass votive lends a personal touch with a wooden lid that can be engraved with up to 12 characters. It can also used to snuff out the tea light when your giftee is finished using it.
“You bring the wine, I’ll bring the glasses!” Buy your best girlfriend this four-piece set of Tuscany Classics stemless drinkware and get ready to toast each other in style. Crafted from highly durable glass, this set offers up a selection of six different personalization options (single initial, two horizontal initials, two vertical initials, three initials, classic multi-name or script multi-name) and will add a touch of class to any girls night in.
However much we may love our children's favorite teachers, it can be tough to shop for them on a personal level. This embossed fine leather journal from GiftTree should cover the void, as it's a great customizable pick that anyone can use. It's made from high-quality soft and supple brown leather and has 192 off-white lined pages. Best of all, it can be individualized with up to 10 characters on the front to show teacher just how much they’re appreciated.
You can never go wrong with chocolate — especially when it’s personalized! Your favorite birthday boy or girl will be smiling from ear to ear when they see their initials, name, birthday message, or even their face on hundreds of multicolored M&Ms inside a vintage, gumball-style candy dispenser. This machine can also be refilled whenever the chocolate runs out, making for years of gifting fun to come.
Although this picnic backpack has enough cutlery and flatware to accommodate up to four people, we think it makes for superb gift for the newly engaged. After all, not much beats a sunset picnic in the romance department, and this insulated backpack has everything you need to make it a special one. Wine cooler? Check. Blanket? Check. Wine glasses? Check. Cutting board? Check. Corkscrew? Check. Butler? OK, OK, maybe not everything, but close enough! As if that wasn't special enough, you can monogram a name onto the bag's front for a little extra je ne sais quoi.
We cannot express how much we adore these custom city skyline wedding art posters by Alexander Doll for UncommonGoods. Each one can be individualized to match the skyline of the city where the happy couple you're shopping for said their vows. The bride and groom's hair color and skin tone are also customizable, as is the poster's backdrop color. Better yet, you can add their names and wedding date for a gift that will stay with them forever, serving as a unique reminder of their special day.
Although wood is typically gifted on a fifth wedding anniversary, this engraved Viski serving board makes for a nice anniversary present in any year of marriage —not to mention a beautiful serving piece for cheese, bread, fruit, and charcuterie. With a lustrous and dark finish, it's got stainless steel slat handles and room for two initials on its100 percent solid acacia wood surface to give it an extra-personal feel.
The Hampton Collection personalized party tub, which has room for a name or saying up to 30 characters long, makes for a fabulously versatile housewarming gift. It can be filled with ice to keep drinks cold at parties, used to store party favors or snacks, or even as a cool towel holder in a bathroom or beach house. It’s made from stainless steel and has a stylish, hand-hammered finish that won’t tarnish or rust. All in all, it's got a classy look that appears to be least three times its $50 price tag.
If you’re not exactly sure what home décor style your giftee prefers, the best way to play it safe is with a throw blanket that will suit them all. This 50 by 60-inch soft gray initial embroidered throw features a subtle fringe hem that's simple but tasteful. Make it theirs with a personalized initial they can show off with pride.
For anyone who counts their pets as family members, this ceramic personalized dog treat jar from A Gift Personalized is a surefire gifting bet. It's customizable with up to 40 different dog breeds and even has room for their pooch’s name in the middle, making it a truly bespoke gem. If you're really looking for holiday brownie points, take things a step further and throw in this matching throw pillow ($24.99).
Yes, it’s still possible to purchase a thoughtful, useful, gift with a personalized touch without having to break the bank — and we’ve found just the thing! No one goes anywhere without a travel mug these days, so gifting someone with a personalized copper lidded tumbler is sure to be a home run. It looks great, keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours (hot for eight), and can be engraved with any initial — all for less than 30 bucks.
Quirky, fun, retro, and personal, the personalized LP record doormat is bound to be a “hit” with anyone — especially music lovers. Made in New York and designed by graphic artist Jim Holodak, it can be personalized with any family name as well as a unique “album title.” Best for indoor use, this eccentric mat will get plenty of compliments from visitors for years to come.
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