Photobox, the personalised printing company, have recently done some research which revealed that more and more people across the UK are shunning the shops this year and going for crafty and personalised presents - presents that show a lot more thought and care than a bog-standard bath set. Sunday 25th October, identified as ‘Make It Sunday’, marked the main weekend when UK gift-givers decided to spend time lovingly creating personalised gifts, from keepsake photo books to homemade chutneys and knitted scarves, but you still have a few more 'Make It Sundays' left in the run up to the big day.
The survey found that 72% of Brits would rather receive a personalised gift than a shop-bought one. Top of their personalised Christmas list is a gift with a photograph printed on it, with home-made food coming second, reflecting the nation’s increasing obsession with home baking.
The PhotoBox survey also revealed:
- Women are more likely to personalise a gift, with 62% having purchased a personalised product in comparison to 43% of men
- Those in the East are the most likely to have personalised a gift, while those in the South are most likely to have personalised something for themselves
- Brits claim to spend over 14 hours and £15.21 perfecting each personalised present, with over two thirds going online to create a more thoughtful gift.
PhotoBox offered me some credit if I was interested in becoming part of the Make It Sunday movement and I jumped at the chance. I always love receiving homemade or personalised presents more than expensive ones - things that show that the person has really put some effort into sourcing or creating something that they know I'll love - and I always try to recreate this myself. I love scouring ebay for unusual gifts and have bought things from America, Russia and India in the past in a bid (no pun intended !) to get something truly unique and special. Well, you can't get something more special and unique than a personalised photo gift so I was excited to see what I could come up with.
Now, if you're a member of my family, can you just go away now please ?. ... Go on ... toddle off ! .... Right hopefully there will be no peeking to spoil the surprise !
After almost opting for a personalised teddy bear or cushion, I decided to go for a photo calendar - a gift which is not only functional but also keeps the gift of giving going all through the year. If you want a truly special gift for a friend or loved-one, I recommend going through their facebook photo albums to see which pictures they love - maybe selfies, family snaps or pictures from a holiday they truly loved - to create a special calendar of their favourite pictures. Pinterest is also a great place for finding motivational or inspirational quotes that would look great on calendars or other photo gifts.
The second gift was for Sophie and was something she has been wanting for a long time. Despite being only 14 years old so she can't possibly remember the original Polaroid photos, she has been desperate to print out some of her snaps as retro photos to put on her wall. They come in a fabulous mock-Polaroid camera box.
The box can be opened and closed with a magnet, to keep your photos in perfect condition. This also allows you to have a sneaky peek before wrapping up your gift !
Sophie had gone through and selected her favourite pictures then added captions on them on the Photobox website - the font looks hand-written and even I was impressed with how well they came out.
They now have pride of place on her bedroom wall and I can't help but smile because it looks exactly like the photo collages I made on my own bedroom walls as a teenager !
It was lovely to see how excited Sophie got and I'm the future recipient of the calendar will be equally enthusiastic. It takes a bit longer than throwing boxes of chocolates and smellies in the trolley when doing the weekly shop, but you don't get the real sense of satisfaction and snuggly warm feeling inside that offering a truly unique bespoke gift gives.
If I've inspired you to make your own personalised Christmas gifts, there's currently a Christmas sale on Photobox offering up to 60% off, but be very quick because it's the last few days. Don't worry if you're short on time though - you can buy now and order any time within 3 months, giving you plenty of time to come up with something really special.
for more information : www.photobox.co.uk
Disclosure : I received a code in order to create some personalised gifts and write an honest review.
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