The holiday season is the perfect time to celebrate the special moments that make life meaningful. What better way to do that than by giving gifts that capture the memories we cherish most? Using family photos to create personalized, heartfelt presents brings a unique touch that store-bought items just can’t match. From cozy keepsakes to creative decor, these photo-inspired gifts are sure to light up the holidays and remind loved ones of the joy you’ve shared together. Here are my ten favorite ways to turn family photos into meaningful holiday gifts!
1. Custom photo blanket from Forever – I love these blankets and we’ve personally given many of them as gifts. Select a design using one photo, or a collage of photos, and wrap your loved one in the warmth of this soft and cozy blanket. Some of my favourite designs have been:
- a family photo on a blanket for the grandparents,
- a collage of hiking photos on a picnic blanket,
- the grandparent’s wedding photos on a blanket for them,
- a photo of my colleague’s daughter and her friends in dance class,
- and a family pet’s photo on the blanket heading off to the dorm room.
- See all the design ideas here Forever**.
2. Personalized tea towels from Shutterfly – make a tea towel featuring a favourite photo and recipe. I’ve made this gift a few times and my favourites have been:
- a picture of Grandma and the grandkids making cookies with Grandma’s special chocolate chip cookie recipe
- a towel I made for my husband to use when he barbecues featuring photos of the grill master at work.
- Check out other design ideas at Shutterfly.
3. Nixplay makes a digital frame that can be managed online. We’ve gifted this frame lots of times and continue to help with keeping them updated. When you upload your photos to the online storage site they are immediately available to be displayed on the frame, wherever it is in the world! Share photos quickly and easily with your loved ones so they can keep up with all your adventures! See details here Nixplay.
4. Custom photo book – a photo book is a timeless way to capture a collection of memories. Share your adventures from the year, photos from a trip you took together, or just special memories you have in your collection. Mixbook, Forever, and Shutterfly all have excellent templates to help you create a photo book fast!
5. Canvas prints are another way to create a personalized gift using your photos. Select one great photo or make a collage of photos your loved one can hang on their wall and enjoy all year. Family photos work beautifully as canvas prints. I’ve also seen some very creative poster type prints highlighting a favourite sport or activity. I’ve printed canvas prints at Forever and BestCanvas.
6. Give the gift of photo storage to help your loved ones access, organize, and protect their photos. My favourite photo storage sites are Forever, Dropbox, Amazon Photos, OneDrive and Google Photos. Offer to set up the storage and upload their photos for them. Then show them how to access everything through the app on their phones. See the Blog post Why I Like Forever’s Photo Storage from September 2023.
7. Personalized water bottles from Forever. Forever has beautiful designs so these are a quick and easy gift to make! Add your photos and you’re done! I hand wash our bottles and our designs have lasted beautifully for years!
8. Photo ornaments are a very versatile gift! I’ve seen them used as tree ornaments, place settings, gift tags and even luggage tags. Quick and easy to make, I’ve found great designs at Forever and Shutterfly.
9. Puzzles are another quick and easy gift to make! Think about who your gift is for when you select the photo and style of puzzle. We made personalized puzzles in 2020 and they’re still circulating through different family groups. Find puzzles at Forever and Shutterfly. See the Blog post Photo Project – Make a Puzzle from November 2022.
10. Offer outdated media digitization services. Does your dad have a collection of slides in the basement? Offer to have them digitized so he can enjoy sharing them with the family again! You can digitize print photos, slides, and negatives to create digital images as well as convert film, VHS tapes and camcorder tapes to digital videos. Bringing back family memories is a very meaningful way to celebrate!
Bonus: Some other favourite photo products include playing cards, mouse pads, tabletop canvas pictures and personalized notebooks. These are all great gifts or stocking stuffers!
The holidays are all about creating connections and cherishing memories with the people we love. Personalized photo gifts—whether it’s a cozy blanket, a timeless canvas print, or a secure photo storage solution—are a beautiful way to celebrate those memories that bring us together. This year, make your holiday gifts as special as the people you’re celebrating!
** I am a Forever Ambassador and will earn a commission if you make a purchase at Forever with my Ambassador link. I became a Forever Ambassador to easily help clients manage their photo storage. If you purchase photo storage please let me know, I’m happy to help you get organized and answer all your questions!