Christmas again? We love Christmas, but it has crept up on us this year! Here is our full Christmas guide.
This year our guide focuses not on gifts but on moments that matter, and on the little and big ways we can be reminded of them.
As a personalised gift shop, our whole product range is based around this whole concept (how convenient!), so as a completely biased judge we will be sharing our favourite personalised gifts and how to make this Christmas personal(ised).
Quick answer: the best unique Christmas gifts are personal, not pricey. A print of the night sky from a date that matters, a moon print of the night they were born, or a map of the place it all happened will outlast anything from the high street gift aisle. Personalised star maps start from £21.99.
A personal note
Whenever I receive a gift that is clearly thoughtful, with real effort put into it, I am a little taken aback, and so thankful. It means so much to me that someone has gone out of their way not only to give me something, but to put so much thought into it.
It matters just as much when I give a present. When I know it has sentimental meaning, I know the person receiving it will feel the same way. Whether it is a special moment we shared, a birthday or an inside joke only we remember, what better way than to frame that moment and keep it forever as a happy reminder.
On a side note, I am not sure if anyone else can relate, but there is always a little bit of anxiety about receiving gifts, and even giving gifts! Anybody else? No? OK, moving on.
Why do personal gifts beat expensive ones?
Expensive says you spent money. Personal says you paid attention.
After eight years of making personalised prints in Manchester, we can tell you the messages people add are almost never about the object. They are about the night, the place, the person. That is what gets kept and framed.
What do you buy someone who has everything?
Everything (almost). The answer is something that exists only for them. Here are our best answers, including a few that are not ours to sell:
A star map of a night that matters
The sky over the hospital the night they were born. Over the venue on the wedding night. Over the bus stop where you first kissed, if that is your story. A personalised star map charts it from real astronomical data for the exact date, place and even the hour, and the live preview shows you the finished print before you pay. From £21.99, printed on 285gsm museum-grade art cardstock.
A moon print of the night they were born
The Moon looked one particular way that night, and a moon print shows it, with the date and place underneath. It is a quieter, more minimal choice than a star map.
A map of the place it happened
First home. The town where you met. The street from the honeymoon. A personalised location map turns coordinates into wall art, and it works brilliantly for people who are more about places than planets.
Wearable moments: personalised jewellery
A moment does not have to live on the wall. Star map jewellery engraves the sky from their date onto a pendant or bracelet, from the same real star data as our prints. Location map jewellery does the same with the streets of a place that matters. A moment they can carry every day, and a good answer when a print feels too big a gesture.
- Tickets tied to a memory. The band from their teenage bedroom wall, not just “a concert”. An experience tied to a memory beats a generic voucher every time.
- A photo book of one single year. Twenty chosen photos do more than a scattergun of two hundred from the camera roll.
- A family recipe in the original handwriting. Nan’s scone recipe, framed or printed onto a tea towel, is the kind of gift that gets a quiet moment on Christmas morning.
- An old family photo, restored and framed. Local photo shops can clean up a faded print, and it often turns out to be the gift everyone talks about.
Which gift suits who?
- Your partner: a star map of the night you met or married. You need the date and place, and the time if you know it.
- Parents or grandparents: a star map or moon print of their wedding day, or of the night a grandchild was born.
- New parents: the sky on the night the baby arrived.
- Someone who loves a place: a location map of their home town or first home. You need the address or postcode.
- Someone who would rather wear it: star map or location map jewellery.
Star map prints start from £21.99. Frames and jewellery cost more, with prices shown on each product page before you buy.
When do you need to order by for Christmas?
Personalised does not have to mean slow. Most weekday orders placed before 3:30pm leave Manchester the same day, on free tracked delivery that usually arrives in 1 to 2 working days.
Even so, December runs hot, and Royal Mail publish their last posting dates nearer the time. Our advice: have it sorted by mid-December and spend the last week feeling smug rather than refreshing tracking pages.
How do you make a print feel extra special on the day?
Add a message line. If the right words will not come, our guide on what to write on a star map exists precisely because everybody freezes at that box.
Choose a frame at checkout so it arrives wall-ready rather than rolled in a tube waiting for a someday errand. And if this is for the office draw rather than your other half, a star map makes a weirdly good Secret Santa.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a unique Christmas gift for someone who has everything?
Something that exists only for them. A star map of the night they were born, married or met records a moment no shop can stock, and nobody can regift a sky with their name on it.
How late can I order a personalised print for Christmas?
Most weekday orders placed before 3:30pm leave the same day, and free tracked delivery usually takes 1 to 2 working days. Royal Mail announce final Christmas posting dates nearer December. Mid-December is the calm deadline.
What is a good unique Christmas gift for a couple?
A star map of the night they met or married. It is one gift that belongs to both of them.
Are personalised Christmas gifts expensive?
Not necessarily. Personalised star maps start from £21.99, and the message does more work than the price tag.
Start with the date. The rest follows. Create your star map and see their night before you buy it.
Ready to capture your special moment?
Create Your Star Map