Cheap but original personalised gifts: ideas on a small budget
Originality doesn't come from the price of the item, it comes from the photo you choose. A mug, a t-shirt or postcards, with a picture nobody else could have given. Mug $25.00, t-shirt $29.00, 10 postcards $25.00 + shipping.
Carregar a minha foto✦Ou descreve a tua imagem e a IA desenha-a
Upload my photoOpens your photo library. Instant preview, no account needed.
Ideas, sorted by budget
Every price below is + shipping (free from €50). Nothing gets added at checkout.
- Smallest budget: the mug, $25.00. Ceramic, dishwasher and microwave safe. It gets used every day, so the photo gets seen every day.
- Smallest budget: the t-shirt, $29.00. Gildan 5000 Heavy Cotton, 180 g/m², 9 colours, adult sizes S to 2XL.
- A little more: 10 A6 postcards, $25.00. That's $2.50 a card: ten identical cards with the same photo, to tuck into presents or send to ten people.
- A little more: the A4 calendar, , or the tote bag, $38.00.
- A step up: the canvas, from $35.00, for a photo that deserves a wall.
For a selection that stays within a tight budget, see our small-budget gift ideas.
What makes the gift original
A mug is nothing special. A mug with the photo of the cat that fell asleep in the suitcase is. The idea counts for more than the item.
- A memory only you share: breaking down on the motorway, the cake that collapsed, the first day in the new flat.
- A joke of yours: the blurry photo that became a legend, the line they always come out with. Our guide to in-jokes helps you find it.
- A twist: their dog, cut out with the free Remove background (AI) button, dropped into the Seventies template or the big-number template (« Gros chiffre » in the studio).
- An unexpected home for the photo: the 1998 school photo on a tote bag rather than in an album.
Which photo and what text
On a small item like a mug, the photo has to read at a glance.
- One subject, nice and sharp: a face, an animal, an object. A group photo of twenty people is hard to make out on a mug.
- A photo saved from a chat that's too small: the Make the photo sharper (AI) button helps. The pointers are in our guide to resolution.
- Three to five words of text: a date, a nickname, a quote. The ready-made text styles take care of the layout.
The preview appears on the item straight away, with no account: you can see whether it works before you pay anything.
The maths for groups and quantities
A slightly bigger gift becomes cheap once it's shared.
The automatic discount applies from 10 items in the same basket, and you can mix items, but frames don't count towards that total.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing the item before the idea: start from the photo, then look for the item that suits it.
- Too much text: a whole sentence on a mug becomes unreadable.
- Guessing the size of a t-shirt: check it against the size guide. Clothing comes in adult sizes only.
- Ordering the night before: printing and delivery take 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US, up to 15 elsewhere. It can, however, be delivered straight to the person.
Free shipping from €50, no minimum order. Printed to order near the delivery address, delivered in 5 to 10 working days in the UK, Europe and the US, up to 15 elsewhere.
Questions we get asked
What's a cheap but original gift? A photo only you have (a memory, an in-joke, their pet) on a mug at $25.00 or a t-shirt at $29.00 + shipping.
What personalised gift can I get on a small budget? The photo mug at $25.00 and the t-shirt at $29.00 + shipping.
How much does a personalised postcard cost? The set of 10 A6 postcards costs $25.00 + shipping, which is $2.50 a card, with a different photo on each if you like.
How do I make a cheap gift more original? Choose a photo nobody else could have given, cut it out if needed with the free Remove background (AI) button, and add a few words of text.
Start with my photoNothing is sent before you order: the preview is generated in your browser.
Read next: small-budget gift ideas · finding the right in-joke · when you have no idea at all
