Snappy Photo Gifts Blog

Summer is almost here. You’re probably anticipating being invited to all sorts of summer events such as parties and barbecues. Summer is such a wonderful season for hanging out with friends and having alfresco meals together. But what to do about those hostess gifts?

If you’re tired of bringing a bottle of wine, and prefer to avoid flowers (they’re considered a big NO by many experts since they require the hostess to leave everything and find a vase for the flowers), how about a personalized photo gift? If you have photos of the two families together, or even photos of the hosting family, you have quite a few options for really cool summer hostess gifts:

Photo coasters are great becuase they are practical. Everyone loves a practical gift, and a set of coasters is a very appropriate hostess gift.

A photo cookie tin is a wonderful hostess gift – especially if it is filled with homemade cookies!

A photo jewelry box will be used – and appreciated – by any hostess. I like that it’s the kind of gift that is both thoughtful and useful.

Kitchen accessories such as a napkin holder or a cutting board are also very appropriate as hostess gifts, affordable, and long-lasting.

I often think of summer as the season of friendship. We host and visit a lot during the summer – it truly is a lovely time to get together with friends.

Photo by gviciano

I’m not sure what’s going on – maybe there’s something in the water – but lately I’ve been receiving at least a monthly birth announcement in the mail.

When a friend has a baby and you go visit her, you obviously want to bring something with you. The main challenge with a baby gift is finding a gift that is both practical and adorable. Those are not as easy to find as you would think, which is why I am so grateful to have the option of bringing a personalized baby gift.

A really cute, affordable baby gift is a personalized baby bib. It features the baby’s photo and is one of those gifts that you just know are going to be used, becuase a baby can never have too many bibs!

Another perfect new baby gift is a personalized baby blanket, and again, I love that the personalization here is not just with text but with a photo. So cute, yet so practical! It’s a winning combination.

If you’d like to go with the “Wow! Adorable!” effect and are less concerned with making it practical, a truly cute baby gift is a personalized stuffed animal – the toy wears a t-shirt with the baby’s photo. Combine it with a bunch of flowers for a truly unforgettable gift.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on May 9th, which means it is about a month from today. Have you started thinking about a Mother’s Day gift yet? As a mom, I can tell you that what they say is true – while gifts should not be the center of Mother’s Day, we moms do enjoy the extra attention and pampering that we get on Mother’s Day, and a thoughtful gift is always nice.

Sure, flowers and chocolates are great, but this year, how about something a bit more personal? Personalized photo gifts are wonderful for Mother’s Day becuase they are never generic. Each photo gift is unique to a family or to a person and no one photo gift is like any other.

So which photo gift is best for Mom? This depends on the Mom. If Mom drinks coffee every morning, a photo mug would be perfect for her. If she’s into sports, how about a photo sports ball? And if she spends many hours each day on the computer, a photo mouse pad would be appreciated.

Whatever you choose for Mother’s Day, remember that the day is more than about giving gifts. It is about telling Mom how much you love her and appreciate her efforts, about giving her some much needed alone time, and then, spending time together as a family over a nice meal that mom did NOT have to cook, for a change.

The coach has worked so hard throughout the season, you want to give him something meaningful – not just another generic gift.

Obviously, when it comes to gifts for coaches, the best gifts will be sports-themed. But for that special touch that makes the coach gift truly special, there’s nothing like adding personalization, and the best personalization is with a photo.

One of my favorite coach gifts is a photo sports ball. The idea is so simple, it’s brilliant: you take a photo of the entire team (preferably with the coach!) and place it on a sports ball. What a wonderful memory, and a thoughtful gift!

Photo sports balls also make wonderful players gifts – whether you need a gift for the entire team or just for one player.

When it comes to the types of sports balls available as a photo ball, the options are basically limitless – you can use photo footballs, photo basketballs, photo soccer balls, or photo baseballs.

Although photo balls are (obviously) a classic coaches gift or a players gift, they can also be wonderful as a father’s day gift – include a family photo or a photo of Dad playing with the kids and a Happy Father’s Day message. Photo balls can also make a very unique new baby gift – include the newborn’s photo, his name and his date of birth.

What is the ideal gift for grandparents? Easy! Anything that showcases their grandchildren. Which is why personalized photo gifts are such a great choice when you’re looking for a gift that would make the grandparents happy.

The options are endless! You can place the kids’ photos on many different items. Of course, the more useful the gift, the better, although display-type gifts such as canvases and posters are great too.

Here’s a quick list of my favorite gifts for grandparents:

1. Photo Mugs. This is such a classic, timeless gift. I’ve heard from my own parents that using photo mugs displaying their grandchildren’s photos brings a smile to their face every single morning as they make that first cup of coffee.

2. Photo Keychains. Another great choice for grandparents, this is the type of gift that one carries with her – and uses – many times throughout the day, which creates many opportunities to see that smiling face of a beloved child!

3. Photo Mouse Pads. Grandparents these days are connected. They browse the Internet and use email to stay in touch with the family. A photo mouse pad will be used every single day, and is absolutely the perfect gift for the tech savvy grandparent.

Photo by Jason Derusha

I like to give practical gifts. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with non-practical gifts, or with keepsake-type gifts, practical gifts are great because the recipient remembers you each time she uses the gift – which means that practical gifts are especially important when giving business gifts to customers and to prospects.

There are countless examples of practical gifts, but one of my favorite is photo coasters. Coasters are very practical – I use them every day! – but they also provide a great opportunity to display a favorite photo, or a company logo. This makes them a great gift, because you know that they won’t be shoved into some drawer and forgotten, but they will most likely be used on a regular basis.

Personal photo coasters can display family members or pets, while company photo coasters usually display a company logo. Grandparents love receiving photo coasters with photos of their grandchildren!

When ordering photo coasters, you can choose from several types of coasters – Sandstone Coasters, Rubber Backed Coasters, Hardboard w/ Cork bottom Coasters and Mahogany Coasters. My personal favorites are the Mahogany Coasters because they are so elegant and beautiful. I think they’re perfect for most grandparents, unless the specific grandparents in question have a very modern taste, in which case, the simpler coasters would probably work better.

One of my favorite gifts to give to young children that are still interested in doing puzzles, is a personalized photo puzzle.

Everyone loves receiving gifts, and your customers and prospects do too! Getting something for free is always fun, which means that a personalized business gift is a wonderful way to make your customers happy while also getting them to essentially become your evangelists – advertising your business through the items they use and always keeping your business front of mind with them and with their connections.

Logo gifts can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be, but it’s always a good idea to do things a little differently. While a traditional item to give to your customers is logo magnets, you might want to consider exploring different options such as photo mouse pads, which can feature your company logo, or the always-useful photo keychains. Luggage tags also work beautifully as a corporate gift.

Generally, when it comes to logo gifts, any gift that can feature a personal photo for a personal gift can also feature your company’s logo, so keep your options open and consider the gifts that your recipients are most likely to use every day – this will make sure the gift serves its purpose of spreading the word out there about your business, and of keeping you top of mind with customers and with prospects.