Even if you’re too busy to make a bunch of handmade gifts this year, you can still give special, “I was thinking of you” personalized presents. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
If you don’t see what you’re looking for here, do a quick online search. Chances are, someone’s willing to customize whatever it is you’re thinking of. But be sure to order up your special gift soon — customization takes time, people!
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Customized Chocolate Bars: This was a *big* hit in the office when we got the chance to test the Chocri concept earlier this year. And theirs was a quite popular booth at the New York Maker Faire in September. Yum!
Custom Dress Shirts: Here’s a neat concept from shirt company Blank Label, and one both men and their significant others can get behind. This could give the whole idea of “Oh, this is a wife shirt, my wife picked it out,” an entirely new angle: “Oh, thanks. My wife designed the shirt for me.”
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Create Your Own Soda Labels: Jones Soda offers you the chance to add your own photos or artwork to six-packs of their decidedly unique soda. Or buy your favorite D&D or Buffy fan a six-pack with limited edition graphic labels.
Personalized Letterpress Cards: We’re mad about letterpress in the CRAFT offices, and the idea of being able to easily order personalized letterpress business cards makes us even more giddy.
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Yoga Mats:
Upload designs and photos, pick the color, and give your favorite yogi a very specialized gift.
Personalized Cameos: As a mom, I could see really enjoying a cameo or two of my boys as pendants or brooches, and I know lots of pet-lovers would say they same about their little furry friends.
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Tweet Towels: Here’s a tea towel with a personal Twitter message embroidered onto it. All profits go to the We Are What We Do Charitable Foundation, funding digital inclusion projects to get different generations talking more, sharing more, and spending more time together.
Shoes of Prey: Customized women’s shoes, FTW! And yes, I realize these might be gifts you give yourself, but go ahead, you deserve it.
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Semi-Precious Jewelry: Impress your mom, sister, significant other, or perhaps a potential cuddlebunny with some customized semi-precious stone jewelry that you designed, just for her (or him).
Designer Board Shorts: Another great personalized idea for the men in your life (and women, too, to be fair!). Design your own board shorts with Shortomatic’s service. The beach never looked so good.
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Designer Ice Cream: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream flavors designed by ourselves, or by someone we love. Ecreamery gives you the tools and delivers the frosty goodness to your door. Plus the packaging is nicely personalized as well.
DIY Blackmail Cards: A hip way to get your exact message across, whether it’s Happy Hannukah, Bah Humbug!, Merry Christmas, or Peace on Earth.
More:
Custom Dress Shirts: Here’s a neat concept from shirt company Blank Label, and one both men and their significant others can get behind. This could give the whole idea of “Oh, this is a wife shirt, my wife picked it out,” an entirely new angle: “Oh, thanks. My wife designed the shirt for me.”
|
|
Create Your Own Soda Labels: Jones Soda offers you the chance to add your own photos or artwork to six-packs of their decidedly unique soda. Or buy your favorite D&D or Buffy fan a six-pack with limited edition graphic labels.
Personalized Letterpress Cards: We’re mad about letterpress in the CRAFT offices, and the idea of being able to easily order personalized letterpress business cards makes us even more giddy.
|
|
Yoga Mats:
Upload designs and photos, pick the color, and give your favorite yogi a very specialized gift.
Personalized Cameos: As a mom, I could see really enjoying a cameo or two of my boys as pendants or brooches, and I know lots of pet-lovers would say they same about their little furry friends.
|
|
Tweet Towels: Here’s a tea towel with a personal Twitter message embroidered onto it. All profits go to the We Are What We Do Charitable Foundation, funding digital inclusion projects to get different generations talking more, sharing more, and spending more time together.
Shoes of Prey: Customized women’s shoes, FTW! And yes, I realize these might be gifts you give yourself, but go ahead, you deserve it.
|
|
Semi-Precious Jewelry: Impress your mom, sister, significant other, or perhaps a potential cuddlebunny with some customized semi-precious stone jewelry that you designed, just for her (or him).
Designer Board Shorts: Another great personalized idea for the men in your life (and women, too, to be fair!). Design your own board shorts with Shortomatic’s service. The beach never looked so good.
|
|
Designer Ice Cream: I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream flavors designed by ourselves, or by someone we love. Ecreamery gives you the tools and delivers the frosty goodness to your door. Plus the packaging is nicely personalized as well.
DIY Blackmail Cards: A hip way to get your exact message across, whether it’s Happy Hannukah, Bah Humbug!, Merry Christmas, or Peace on Earth.
More:
In the Maker Shed:
Want more? Stop by the Make Shed. We’ve got all sorts of great holiday gift ideas: Arduino & Arduino accessories, electronic kits, science kits, smart stuff for kids, back issues of MAKE & CRAFT, box sets, books, robots, kits from Japan and more.
Holiday Shipping Deadlines in December:
15 (Wed) – Postal shipping deadline
14 (Mon) – Ground shipping deadline
18 (Sat) – 3-day shipping deadline
20 (Mon) – 2-day shipping deadline
21 (Tue) – Overnight shipping deadline
*Orders placed after these dates using these shipping methods may arrive on time; however, the dates listed are what we consider likely “safe dates.”
United States Postal Service (USPS):
Due to the high volume of mail that the postal service deals with around the holidays, please order by Dec 15 if you intend to select this method. However, we have had increased reports of packages sent via USPS lost or delayed in transit during this high-volume period. Since we do not replace or refund any order placed using this shipping method, we strongly encourage you not to use this method in December.
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