The secret to successful gift giving is to do your homework upfront, to discover what is emotionally meaningful to your recipient that may not be obvious to most friends or even close family members. Once you decide on a theme (e.g. key dates, experiences, places, dreams, goals, passions, etc.), there is a wealth of established websites that can combine special personal meaning (AKA personalization) to a wide-range of quality products that will become cherished items in another’s home.

Here is a curated set of online shops that can help you become a thoughtful and expert gift giver – enjoy!

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Amazon Custom

Did you know that Amazon offers custom personalization on many gifts and décor for the home? Take a look at the breadth of products that you can customize with either a name or your unique design – from children’s furniture, sofas, rocking chairs, to stone memorial plaques for the garden to oversized custom rugs.

 

Mapiful

Designing your own custom map or poster with special, personal meaning is the concept behind Mapiful. Capture treasured moments, such as the exact location of your first meeting, engagement, wedding or first home. Customizable street map posters can be designed to display anywhere in the world, with a notation of the map coordinates and a label annotating the significance of the location.

Mapiful’s line of products extends beyond street maps, to include: Star Night Sky Maps; Line Art; Zodiac Constellation Maps; and Text Art (combining photos and words). Be sure to explore their inspiration gallery to get your sentimental and creative juices flowing!

 

The Monogrammed Home

For elegant, upscale, personalized hostess gifts and home furnishings, The Monogrammed Home is the place to shop. From monogrammed linen napkins to white, waffle cotton bathrobes, this site has items with more of a keepsake quality that can be passed on to each generation. From steak boards to gold trim wine coolers, the classic feel of many of the goods will make any recipient believe you spent more than you actually did.

Be sure to review their Monogram Etiquette page before ordering, which will put you at ease on how to specify letters and numbers for the most popular monogram design styles. Their extensive personalization options are also worth a look.

The Monogrammed Home Personalized Herringbone Throw Blanket

The Monogrammed Home Personalized Herringbone Throw Blanket

 

Personalization Mall

From embroidered bath robes and towels to engraved party tubs and enamel kitchen canisters, Personalization Mall lends a personal touch to every room of the home. These are especially the perfect gifts for those with unusual names who can never find personalized gifts for themselves. Turnaround time from the order date is quick – 1 to 2 days – and personalizations are ALWAYS free!

 

Photobook Worldwide

Using high-definition technology, Photobook Worldwide creates HD photobooks for those who prefer to view their photographs the old school way. Available in multiple sizes, from 6″X6″ to 18″X12″ and every dimension in-between, these memory keepers are professionally bound for your most precious photographic moments.

 

Portrait Puzzles

Customized photo puzzles of a favorite digital moment are captured into a unique, quick and easy gift. With a simple 3-step online ordering process, Portrait Puzzles will have your gift shipped in less than two days, making it a nice last minute, yet personalized memento for someone on your list.

For those with parents dealing with the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s, simple puzzles of familiar images – loved ones, places, pets and memories – could provide a comforting method to exercise their minds. The Alzheimer’s Store recommends puzzles in the 60- to 30-piece range for those in the middle stages of dementia or memory loss.

Portrait Puzzles Personalized Puzzle of Grandparents with Two Grandchildren

One of Portrait Puzzles favorite photo puzzles.

 

Things Remembered

Things Remembered is the source for unique personalized home décor items such as clocks, wall art, barware, outdoor living items, and of course bed and bath essentials. With the advantage of having physical retail stores, as well as online ordering, the store offers a 4-hour turnaround for those last minute gifts. Unfortunately, personalizations are not free.

 

Uncommon Goods

Uncommon Goods offers a collection of unique, and often customized, gifts created by artisans and craftspeople from around the world. Many items use reclaimed, one-of-a-kind, raw source materials or unique designs, which artists craft into pottery, wrought iron works, textile, or wood items for the home. This is perhaps the original “Etsy’, as the company celebrated its 22nd anniversary this year!

 

Christmas Gift Guides

 

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