25 Great Gift-Giving Ideas

6. Animal adulation

A surefire way to please the pet parent in your life is to capture their pet in all its canine or feline glory. While a framed photo will do, an even better option is a hand-painted pet portrait from the artists at HuundPortraits.com, StephanieWeaverArtist.com and JeffreySmithArt.com.

Or, for a three-dimensional gift, how about a custom pet figurine? On Etsy, FurtoFigureStudio creates painted 3D figurines, while JessieWoolArt, FeltPawPlanetArt and OlgaDevochkina create little figures made of felt or wool based on images of beloved pets. Want to go bigger? Check out CuddleClones.com, which creates life-sized stuffed animals.

7. Treasured tales

Everyone has a story to tell. When you give a friend or family member the means to share it, it’s as much a gift to you as it is to them.

Storyworth.com emails your loved one a different prompt every week for a year — for example, “What is the farthest you have ever traveled?” or “Do you have any regrets in life?” — and invites them to email a response, record their message over the phone or write it right on the website. At the end of the year, Storyworth compiles the questions and responses into a hardbound book to be shared among family members and passed down for generations. Meminto.com is a similar service, as are Remento.co and Storii.com.

8. An heirloom interview

Instead of asking loved ones to record their own stories, how about hiring a pro to capture them for you? Services such as LifeStoryMagic.com deploy professionals to interview your loved ones remotely; the former provides a written interview transcript and video, while the latter creates interactive webpages with photos and audio.

Or you could go a step further by hiring a journalist, memoir writer or videographer to create a product of your choosing — for example, a written life story or biography; a filmed oral history; or a documentary that pays tribute to a loved one using a combination of family interviews, archival photographs and home movies. StoryTime.com specializes in the latter; you choose a time and place, then it sends a film crew to interview family members, using the footage to produce a documentary-style film featuring all of you.

For a written memoir or biography, check out ReaLifeStories.com, which turns interviews, photos, documents, letters and other items into hardback books. There’s also PHNN, a network of personal historians who are available for hire to capture life stories.

9. Family history in digital form

While some might adore the opportunity to preserve and share their personal stories, others would rather consume family history than document it.

For those individuals, consider using a scanning service such as Legacybox.com, EverPresent.com, iMemories.com or ScanMyPhotos.com to digitize old photographs and home videos. These companies convert outdated analog media equipment (VHS and camcorder tapes, 8mm and Super 8 film, slides, negatives, printed photographs and audio recordings) into digital products you can easily share with the entire family across modern devices. Some of them even digitize personal documents like letters, certificates and postcards.

10. A musical memento

Cassette tapes may be obsolete, but the fine art of mixtape-making lives on in the form of custom playlists. Streaming services Apple Music, Pandora and Spotify allow you to curate the songs you want, then share your playlist via email, text message or social media. 

To take your gift to the next level, Vinylify.com, PrintYourVinyl.com or Freestyle-Vinyl.com will turn your playlist into a giftable personalized vinyl record. Instead of an entire playlist, Etsy.com’s artisans PrintzBee, VoiceAndSound and ToShiftYourFrequency offer unique ways to spotlight a single song, be it a wedding song or a favorite tune.

11. Culinary competence

Whether the recipient is an amateur or an experienced home chef, there’s a cooking class out there that’s perfect for every level. Check out the array of offerings from VirginGifts.com, from make-your-own-sushi classes in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian cooking classes in Dallas.

At its stores across the country, kitchen retailer SurLaTable.com also offers cooking classes, many of which feature French recipes and cooking techniques. There are virtual options, too, such as TheChefandTheDish.com, which offers private and group virtual cooking lessons from chefs worldwide. Airbnb does the same at airbnb.com/s/experiences.

12. A subscription to shared experiences

A cooking class makes a great gift for your favorite foodie, but most classes are only a few hours, at most. For something more enduring, consider gifting not just a single event or experience the recipient can enjoy alone, but a subscription to multiple experiences you can enjoy together over a season or a year.

For example, the America the Beautiful annual pass covers entrance fees for one year at thousands of federal recreation sites managed by the National Park Service, the National Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Or how about an American Horticultural Society membership, which includes admission privileges at nearly 400 botanical gardens, arboretums and horticultural organizations throughout North America? The North American Reciprocal Museum Association offers a similar membership that gives you admission to more than 1,500 cultural institutions across North America, including art museums, historical societies, science museums, gardens and cultural centers. Local history museums, zoos, aquariums, symphonies, opera companies, theaters and arboretums may also offer subscriptions, memberships or gift passes.

13. Memories, mapped

Almost every treasured memory includes a special person and a special place. A personalized map that pays tribute to both makes for a truly genuine and memorable gift. Think about your recipient and the places that are special to them. It could be their hometown, where they went to school or a favorite vacation spot. Mapiful.com, PositivePrints.com and CraftOak.com create customizable street-map posters and personalized prints of cities, geographic coordinates and even travel itineraries. For a different take on the theme, consider mapping the heavens. Companies like TheNightSky.com and Starrymaps.com capture the night sky as it looked on a given date and location, such as an anniversary or a birthday, and turn it into a poster or even a custom piece of jewelry.

14. A finished family tree

By digitizing family photos, videos and documents, scanning services help you preserve the family history you already know. But what about the family history you’ve not yet discovered? Two of the country’s largest online genealogy platforms, Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com, offer gift memberships that allow loved ones to research their lineage, access troves of historical records and build their family tree. 

An even better gift, however, is hiring a professional genealogist to do the research for them. ProGenealogists.com, LegacyTree.com and ProGenealogy.org are just a few services that help you commission a professional to research the gift recipient’s ancestry and then deliver a finished family tree, along with historical documents they’ve uncovered and a written report summarizing their findings.

15. A personalized plushy

Stuffed animals are a source of comfort and security for children of all ages. Budsies.com creates huggable plushies from kids’ drawings and art. Or, to create a stuffed animal made from meaningful clothing items, like a late mother’s sweater or a grandfather’s old work uniform, ThePatchworkBear.com and TheUnlimitedStitch.com make teddy bears out of keepsake clothing. ShopFlyLittleBird.com can sew a whole menagerie of custom stuffies from secondhand cashmere sweaters and cotton Oxford shirts. Etsy has plenty of options, too, such as JinsBearsLLC, MemoriesbyIndra and SweaterScrapyard.

Jewelry is personal, timeless and appropriate for all ages. It’s also something many people hesitate to buy for themselves. Perhaps the best thing about jewelry, though, is that it’s easy to personalize. Birthdate.co offers beautiful personalized pieces at affordable prices, including a birthdate pendant necklace and a birthstone ring. The former features crystals selected by astrologers based on the recipient’s zodiac reading, while the latter has birthstones and white stones to mirror the stars in the sky.

To add your own touch to a piece, consider a bracelet with a message in your handwriting. There are many purveyors and styles available on Etsy.com, including ChicMamaJewelry, GeorgieDesigns, CentimeGift and EmieGraceDesigns.

17. Old jewelry made new

Speaking of jewelry, there’s a good chance one of your relatives is holding on to items that they love but loathe wearing because of a dated setting. It could be an heirloom piece or a more contemporary bracelet or necklace that’s no longer in style. Jewelers StudioRemod.com, LindseyLeighJewelry.com and SpurJewelry.com specialize in transforming pre-worn jewelry and family heirlooms into brand-new pieces that retain their history.

18. A memorable makeover

If your loved one enjoys the latest trends, give them a live or virtual session with a professional stylist. Check out companies like JoinStyleLab.com, Wishi.me, AStyleBreeze.com, and SocialGarb.com, or seek out individuals who offer gift certificates, such as the stylists NikiWhittle.com and Jill Marinelli at jmstylist.com. Companies that specialize in personal styling for men include ASharpDressedMan.com and PivotImage.com.

19. Familiar flavors

Maybe your dear friend grew up in Philadelphia and misses its cheesesteaks, or you took your kids on a family vacation to Chicago and they still rave about the deep-dish pizza. Or you fell in love with your spouse over a dessert in the city where you met. Goldbelly.com curates iconic dishes from favorite restaurants, bakeries and delis across the United States and ships them directly to your loved one’s doorstep. Igourmet.com and D’Artagnan also feature gourmet items.

20. A sweet treat

Even the tastiest treats can sometimes feel a little generic. You can fix that problem by adding a personal touch that turns a humdrum sugar rush into a gesture from the heart. For example, you can customize M&Ms (mms.com) with personalized text and images. Photo cookies from Elenis.com feature your favorite photos frosted on top. You can customize shortbread cookies from DelightPatisserie.com with a written message. And chocolate bars from the Dutch confectionery company TonysChocolonely.com can be outfitted with wrappers featuring images and text of your choosing.

21. A new hobby

A new hobby could be a precious gift to anyone seeking a little more social interaction, physical activity or mental stimulation. TeachMe.To makes picking up new skills easy and accessible for everyone by helping people find and book lessons with local coaches. The platform, which sells gift cards, currently offers lessons in pickleball, golf, tennis, surfing, boxing, basketball, yoga, dancing, music and more. CoachUp.com and AthletesUntapped.com offer similar services.

22. Sing it

If you’ve ever wished you could write a song for someone, now’s your chance. Platforms like Songfinch.com, Songheart.co and BringMySongToLife.com let you commission a professional song. Share the story of your relationship with the person — favorite memories, for example, or reasons why you adore them — and from there, professional songwriters supply the lyrics and compose the music, while skilled, experienced musicians perform and record it.

23. A message that will keep them warm

If there’s something you want to say to someone you love, consider having it sewn into a warm blanket. That way, the recipient can literally wrap themselves in your love anytime they want. UncommonGoods.com and multiple Etsy sellers (including SoxyStudio, ComfortAndKindCo, KayaGiftsBoutique and CustomCooper) offer handwritten-letter blankets with custom notes in cursive or block handwriting. For those who prefer pictures to words, check out the custom fleece blankets at Unifury.com, VistaPrint.com, Zazzle.com, and Shutterfly.com.

24. A celebrity salutation

Does your spouse have a celebrity crush? Is your partner obsessed with a pro athlete? Maybe you have a grandchild who’s devoted to a popular singer. You can brighten their day in an unforgettable way by gifting them a personalized message from their favorite star.

Cameo.com can connect you with actors such as Seinfeld’s John O’Hurley, NFL legend Brett Favre, musicians like singer Carnie Wilson, comedians such as SNL alumnus Jon Lovitz and reality TV stars like Top Chef’s Richard Blais. There are even kids’ characters, like Thomas the Tank Engine. Similar companies include Memmo.me and Candi, which connect gift recipients with their idols in a short, live conversation.

25. A winning game night

Personalized game-night gifts are a great idea that will earn you major brownie points even if they don’t get you any points on the game board. You’ll find personalized versions of Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue and Connect Four on Etsy from multiple sellers, including TeanBeanDesign, BeaconHillPaperie and EfeGamesStore.

For something more experiential, arrange a host-guided virtual game night with GameNightOut.com and enjoy a raucous round of remote party games. For the puzzle fan, get a personalized box from Ravensburger.us or PuzzleYou.com. For those who love a crossword, get a custom one from UncommonGoods.com, PersonalizedCrosswordPuzzles.com or Crosswordlabs.com.