The Ultimate Photo Gift Guide For All Occasions

I LOVE giving a photo gift.

When my husband turned 50 a few years ago, I made a photo book celebrating his first five decades of life. It was a highlight of his 50th birthday party.

Every year for Christmas for almost 20 years, I have given my mom and sister a calendar filled with photos from the past year’s adventures.

For my aunt and uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary, I gave them my all-time favorite digital frame loaded with pictures from our family.

A few years ago, I scanned my mother-in-law’s photo collection.  At Christmas, I made her a photo book featuring old family photos of her ancestors and her immediate family, as well as pictures of her growing up in rural North Carolina and Virginia.  After opening it, she called and thanked me multiple times for the book. She told me that she was taking it on a “book tour” (her words) to show her siblings and her oldest, dearest friends.

When was the last time you got that kind of reaction from a sweater or a necktie?

There is something extra special about giving a gift with a precious photo on it and your reaction to it.

A Photo Gift Guide Just For You

Welcome to the Ultimate Photo Gift Guide for any occasion; I have rounded up some unique photo gift ideas as well as some old favorites. There is something here for every style, budget, and interest.

Also, this post contains affiliate links, which simply means that if you purchase something, I may get a small commission from the company at no extra cost to you. 

What is your favorite way to gift a photo?

Pro Tip: If you find a website that interests you, sign up for their mailing list. They are always emailing promotional codes. I raelypay full price formy photo gifts, especially around the holidays.

Decorate It Photo Gifts

Nixplay Digital Frame

It is no secret that I LOVE my Nixplay wi-fi-enabled digital frames (which are now Alexa-enabled).

I have three in my house and have given them as gifts to multiple family members. I have also set them up for several clients.  My favorite things about them are that they are good-looking and really easy to use. Just install the Nixplay app on your phone and upload photos to any frame from anywhere. Other family members can even add photos to the frame. This is actually how I learned that our nephew was engaged…when my sister-in-law added a picture to our frame. How fun is that?

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Wooden Pallet

These wooden pallets from MyWoodPhoto on Etsy are adorable and would look great in your sister’s living room.

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Photo Map

This idea makes me want to take a trip (or ten)!  For the family that loves to travel, this photo map of the United States from ThunderBunnyLabs on Etsy is a gift that continues to give over the years. Fill it with photos of your family’s adventures.

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Canvas Print

A canvas print of a favorite photo can be a fantastic gift. A few years ago, I snuck into my mom’s Photos Library (ok, so I manage it for her, but I like to think I was being stealthy) and found a great picture she took of a white heron in the pond behind her house. I had it printed on canvas, and she loved it! It now hangs in her living room. The next year she took a great picture of 3 different birds standing by her pond, and I had that made to match the heron.

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Statuettes

Make your favorite photo into a 3D (sort of) statuette that can be placed on a desk or a bookshelf. So cute!

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Photo Pillow

Is your college student sad that they had to leave their favorite dog or cat at home? How about getting them the next best thing, a pet pillow? Just submit a photo, and companies like The Pet Pillow will make a huggable likeness of your animal that can go anywhere

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Use It Photo Gifts

Personalized Wrapping Paper

How cute is this wrapping paper? Pick a favorite scribble from your favorite kid and have your own personalized wrapping paper made. And check out their other kid-art related gift items!

Phone Case

Everyone keeps their phone close at hand, so why not gift them a personalized photo case for their device? Pick a picture or two and create a custom case that will stand out at the gym or the grocery store.

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Cups & Mugs

I drink tea every morning, then the rest of the day I drink water, then I might enjoy a cocktail in the evening. Nothing makes them taste better than drinking them out of a cup with one of my favorite photos.

Whether you want a coffee cup, a large tumbler, a water bottle, or a wine glass, we’ve got you covered. And don’t just think about using traditional photos. What about using some of your kids’ artwork on a mug for Grandma?

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Phone Case

We are never far away from our phones, so why not give the gift of a custom photo phone case. There are so many styles and options for every type of phone available. It might be hard to choose.

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Magnets

Magnets are a great, inexpensive way to share photos that will be seen every day on the fridge.  You can order them online from a company like Pinhole Press or print your own at home using printable magnet sheets.

PRO TIP: Photo gift sites give away free gifts all the time. Log in to purchase a photo book or some Christmas cards, and it’s very likely you can get a free set of magnets or tote bag. Take advantage!

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Luggage Tags

Now that travel is on our radar again, giving the gift of a custom luggage tag will help Mom’s suitcase stand out. When we went to Europe for our 20th anniversary, I had photo luggage tags made for everyone in the family. My husband’s and mine featured a recent family photo, and my kids’ tags featured their own artwork. Ten years later, those tags still help us find our bags in a crowd.

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Pillows

I think these reversible sequins are so cool. My nieces have shirts with them, but I’ve never seen one that reveals a photo until now.

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Towels

How fun would it be to save your chair to the pool with a personalized photo towel? Or to decorate your kitchen with a tea towel with pictures of the grandchildren? Maybe this is a gift you give yourself this year. 

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Candles

If you are going to buy Grandma a candle anyway, why not add a photo? These would also make great teachers’ gifts. 

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Journal

If your loved one likes to journal or even just make lots of lists, a personalized journal/book will make the perfect gift.

 

Play With It Photo Gifts

Puzzles

A personalized puzzle is great for the jigsaw enthusiast in your life.  They come in various styles and numbers of pieces.

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Coloring Book

For the kids on your list (and even the adults), a personalized coloring book is a fun gift.  Find instructions on how to turn your favorite photos into a coloring book here.

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Customized Playing Cards

Every time Aunt Suzie plays solitaire, she can see your smiling face or the kids’ artwork when you make her a deck of customized playing cards. 

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Board Books for Kids

Little kids love photos, but you might not want to let them handle your paper photo books. Make them their own customized board books. I did this a few years ago for my niece. I included photos of all her close relatives on both sides of the family. My sister says she loves to look through it and name all of the people.

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Can cooler/koozie

Start off the weekend right with a personalized can cooler featuring your favorite photo. These would also make great bridesmaids and groomsman gifts.

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Get More Photo Gift Ideas on My Photo Gift Pinterest Board

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Wear It Photo Gifts

Custom Socks

There are lots of crazy socks out there these days, so why not wear your photos?  Websites like MyPhotoSocks allow you to make your own custom pair with photos of your family or your pets. You can also have custom undies and Hawaiian shirts made for the really hard-to-buy-for family member. Last year my daughter bought the entire family Socks socks. (Our cat is named Socks.) They were adorable!

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Photo Jewelry

What about a necklace made from a picture of your grandchild or your favorite pooch?  MyPets.gift has some cute sterling silver necklaces, while you can get more traditional photo jewelry from places like Shutterfly and Eve’s Addiction.

Leather Wallet

I know you technically can’t wear a wallet, but just go with me here. If you are going to grab a wallet for Dad or Grandpa anyway, how about getting one embellished with a photo of his favorite people like this one from PurpleHammerDesigns on Etsy?

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Old Favorites Photo Gifts

Candles and wallets make great gifts, but sometimes you want to stick with the good old standby, like a calendar or framed print. 

Calendar 

A photo calendar is always a good gift idea. I have been making these annually for 18 years for my mother, mother-in-law, and sister.  My preferred vendor for this is Shutterfly because I like its quality, price point, and easy-to-use interface, and they remember all of my birthdays from year to year.  All you need to make yours is 12 photos (or more if you want.) 

Many websites, including Shutterfly, also allow you to add birthdays and anniversaries to the calendar.  On my calendars last year, for each month, I included photos of the birthday boys and girls for that particular month. That was a fun way for me to integrate people like my dad and grandparents who have passed away. 

Using vintage photos is another fun twist on a calendar, as seen in this example from Kathy Stone of Calgary Photo Solutions.

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Photo Book

As you may have noticed at the beginning of this gift guide, I love to give a photo book.  I’ve created many for graduations, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays over the years.  My current go-to vendor for my books is Mixbook.  I’ve done several books with them over the past year, including my daughter’s graduation present and my husband’s 50th birthday gift. Their books are very customizable, and the interface is easy to use. The quality and customer service are great too. I’m sure you have a favorite too.

Need ideas for a unique photo book? Here are a few for you.

• Photo Books: They Aren’t Just for Special Occasions – Yes, I actually did make a photo book about holes.
• Fast Photo Book Idea for a Toddler
• Photo Books for Teens

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Frame A Picture

You can’t go wrong with a framed photo. Grab one of your favorites from this year (or an old treasure), print it, and stick it in a frame. It doesn’t have to be fancy. You can even order the print from Mpix and the frame from Amazon while sitting on the couch in your PJs.

These metal prints from MPix look fabulous.

Still, sound like too much work?  Companies like Framebridge will do all the work for you.

For the DIYer Photo Gifts

If you are more of a DIYer or just trying to keep the budget in check, here are a few projects you can try on your own at home.

• DIY Clip Frame from HeartWork Organizing
• Photo Magnets & Flower Pots from The Photo Managers
• Photo Advent Calendar Tree from The Photo Managers
• Photo Coasters from The Frugal Girls

Find more DIY photo gift ideas on the Good Life Photo Solutions Photo Gift Pinterest board.

For the Photo Lovers Non-Photo Gifts

These last few aren’t photo gifts per se, but they are still excellent gift ideas for photo lovers.

Photo Organizing Made Easy

This book was written by Cathi Nelson, the founder of  The Photo Managers (my professional organization), and is a great place to start if your loved one (or you) wants to start organizing and preserving your family photos.

Photo Storage

Give the gift of safe photo storage this year.  Pioneer is one company that makes quality storage options. Archival Methods and Native Archival are two other excellent choices. If you don’t know exactly what your loved one needs, how about a gift certificate to one of these vendors?

Pioneer Photo Boxes

Pioneer Scrapbook Boxes

Pioneer Leather Photo Albums

Fun Stuff

If your loved one likes to take selfies, look good on the work Zoom call or just take fun pictures, here are some great options.

Selfie Stick with Tripod

Selfie Ring Light and Tripod

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera

Other Gift Guides With More Photo Gift Ideas

Good Life Photo Solutions’ Photo Gift Pinterest Board

5 Personalized Gifts for Mother’s Day With Mom’s Favorite Photos

5 Graduation Photo Gifts They Will Cherish

What is your favorite photo gift that you have ever given or received?

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Want to Know More?

If you want to work with a photo organizer near you to help you organize and preserve your photos, contact us or visit The Photo Managers to find one in your area.

*This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you purchase from a link, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business. See my disclosure policy for full details.

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