Unique Photo Gifts to Personalize the Holidays

In a world where technology makes it easy to communicate without seeing, hearing or physically interacting, it is always nice to receive a great present with a personal touch. The personalization of gifts and greetings is not a lost art, just one that just takes an extra moment of consideration - which always goes a long way. In fact, the same technology which has made the world more impersonal can be used to create custom photo gifts.

Here are some specific ideas for gifts and greetings using photos for personalizing the holidays this season. Not only are these presents which can give that special someone an extra wide smile, they’ll be able to see your photo year-round no matter how far away you actually are.

Family Holiday Photo Card - There is no better way to spread the joy this season than to send your families’ smiling faces to your annual holiday card list. Holiday photo cards allow your family to show their personalities, how much they’ve grown or changed, and feature new additions to the family including any furry friends. For extra flavor, decide on an unrelated holiday theme (biker family, cowboys…use your imagination) to give recipients some holiday cheer and a chuckle.

Digital Photo Frames - Insert a memory card with recent pictures, pictures from a vacation, or through the years and surprise a family member with a digital photo album they can showcase anywhere within a digital picture frame. If you don’t have a full memory card, include that as part of the present and plan a day to make some new memories!

Printed T-shirts - Take your favorite photo, enlarge it and print it onto a t-shirt for a totally customized present for parents or grandparents. They enjoy bragging about their loved ones every chance they get anyway so why not give them one more? Custom t-shirts make for a great conversation piece and save lots of time usually spent digging in wallets for snapshots.

Lockets - Lockets are great for moms, sisters or friends and serve as a constant reminder that someone cares and is “hanging around their neck.” The photo selection takes careful consideration and the reaction when opening the locket for the first time is always worth it. Lockets come in a variety of shapes sizes and precious metals so customization goes beyond the photo selection and adds personality and meaning to the present.

Collages - For those who are creative on their own and like to engage in some arts and crafts, cutting, pasting and creating a photo masterpiece is a great option. Pick a shape and size as the background and organize photos to create a wall hanging or poster.

Calendars - Use photos that depict an event for each month of the year and combine them to make a year long present that keeps giving. Personalized calendars are perfect for grandparents (to remind them of monthly birthdays), parents or significant others. If you start planning early in the year, you can coordinate and ensure you get a great photo each month to use for your final masterpiece.

Personalizing gifts for the holidays provides a great option which contrasts the traditional cards and informal gifts that tend to get thrown away after the holidays. Give a gift that is unique, personalized, stylish (and maybe even actually useful) and you’ve got something family and friends can enjoy year round.