Getting Personal

                Engraved, printed or hand painted – you decide
            
                You know you should have started shopping for gifts months ago and have really left it a little too late when you notice that the sales have begun and the stores have dragged out the same old tat that they offered as bargains last year. If you haven't got around to buying the presents yet, you probably haven't a clue what you intend to buy for all your friends and family either. This means that you have to find time in your busy schedule to dash off to town, sit for ages with all those other shoppers in the queue for the car park, pay an exorbitant parking fee, and put up with being shoved and pushed by other shoppers with their bulging bags, each one of them looking more frazzled than you feel. Tempers begin to be lost and you decide to have a break and go and get a coffee. More queues for you to deal with. And on top of all this, you walk miles from department store to department store trying to find the right gift, only to settle for something inappropriate just so you can escape the madding crowds. But there is really no need to panic about buying those gifts. What you need is a plan. Once you have drawn up that all important list of people for whom you are buying presents, consider these words – Personalised Gifts. No, you had not thought of those had you? This opens up a whole new vista of ideas for you to choose from, and your selection of presents can carry whatever personal short message you wish. There are personalised gifts for each and every one of those people on your gift list. All you have to do is decide what unusual and original gifts to give. When it comes to having your message displayed on the lovely present, is it going to be engraved, printed or hand painted – you decide.

If you are opting for engraved personalised gifts, the choice is almost limitless. There are Personalised Gifts for the kids, sports fans, girls, boys, men and women, even your great great grandma. Kids of all ages will be thrilled with a money box. You can choose from several fabulous designs including a Noah's Ark, VW Camper Van, Children's Pram and Fire Engine. You can have up to 50 characters engraved on these attractive yet practical gifts and set the kids up for a saving spree that will stand them in good stead for a rainy day. 

For those who enjoy the odd tipple, there are elegant champagne flutes or beer tankards in stainless steel, as well as a traditional and beautiful pewter goblet, all of which can carry your personal message perfectly. There is also a stunning crystal brandy glass in a gorgeous presentation box. The champagne flutes will pair up well with a fabulous personalised gift set of champagne and wine, again carrying your personal message on the labels. Or for those who are not big fans of the grape, but prefer the rich and creamy liqueur, how about an amazing Baileys Basket, a traditional whicker hamper which contains two personalised glasses, box of mint cremes, bag of coffee and of course the eponymous bottle of Baileys. Oh, how I wish someone would think of me and give me a Baileys Basket. Still, I digress. 

Moving on from the engraved Personalised Gifts to the more unusual presents, you have to buy the personalised door mat for at least one person. You can have your personal message printed on to this in bold black letters, as long as the message contains less than 12 characters per line. You can really go to town with this one and think up some cheeky or charming message, or simply have ' We live here' printed onto it. For the gardeners in your life, a delightfully traditional antique apple crate planter can be personalised with the message of your choice. This fabulous plant holder will look stunning in a summer garden, planted up with bright flowers or delicious home grown vegetable seedlings. Alternatively, it can be filled with whatever the imagination allows, and is very useful as a storage box whilst attractive enough to be a display item. 

Personalised Gifts are also available with a hand painted message. There is an amazingly varied selection of children's canvas paintings to choose from, each one proudly displaying a child's name and special date. There are animal canvases, fairies, princesses, football, flowers and so much more, and your message is expertly painted onto the canvas with glitter, much to the delight of that special little girl or boy. So make your gift shopping enjoyable and easy by giving a personalised gift this year.

Related article: Score every season with personalised sporting calendars (Personalised Gifts)