There’s no time like the present (s’cuse the pun) to start sourcing that all-important trinket. Yes, it may be early November, but now’s the time get planning – because when something’s made to order, it might take Santa just a little longer to get it under the tree.
INITIALLY LONDON
www.initiallylondon.com
At the totally brilliant Initially London, you can design a personalised monogram from a choice of stylish fonts and cool thread colours and apply it to all sorts of overnight bags, sponge bags, beach bags, backpacks and baskets. The gifts on this site will genuinely please all the ages on your list – from your grandmother to your teenage nephew. What’s more, the quality is truly excellent. They say they won’t sell anything that they wouldn’t carry, use or give themselves.
HONEYTREE BESPOKE
www.honeytreepublishing.com
A bespoke online stationer with an eye for detail, HoneyTree Bespoke offers the full service when it comes to personalised invitations, correspondence cards, writing paper and other types of high-quality paper goods. It’s just the ticket for those stationary magpies in your midst.
JONNY’S SISTER
www.jonnyssister.co.uk
Hurrah for Jonny’s Sister, who won the Best of British category at the GWG Awards last year. This inspiring company continues to delight with the very best in personalised gifts, all handmade in Somerset. Choose from award-winning love-letter cushions, personalised enamelware (perfect for homemade cakes and biscuits), bunting, wooden alphabet letters, blankets and throws.
SWANKY MAISON
www.swankymaison.com
Because Swanky Maison sells on behalf of over a hundred talented artists, graduates and designers, many of their charming wares can be personalised. We love the children’s aprons (printed by hand in the Surrey Hills) with the name of your choice in a font of your choice. And check out the super-cool personalised “likes” fine art print.
THE KITCHEN GIFT COMPANY
www.thekitchengiftco.com
A perpetually bookmarked site here at The Good Web Guide, The Kitchen Gift Company is a one-stop shop for the homemakers in your life. Take your pick of the personalised gifts on offer – from chopping boards, scented candles and pet bowls to mixing basins and whisky tumblers.
BOB BOOKS
www.bobbooks.co.uk
Don’t let your photos fester forever on your computer. Turn them into glossy coffee-table tomes with the help of Bob Books, the UK’s top supplier of photobooks. These high-quality books are the perfect way to document your travels, family events, weddings and photographic portfolios. Once you’ve uploaded your photos – which is blissfully easy to do – you can also make wall art, Christmas cards and calendars.
MAKE ME SOMETHING SPECIAL
makemesomethingspecial.co.uk
Make Me Something Special comes up trumps with its bespoke wooden gifts that last a lifetime. This family-run company, based in Surrey, revels in fine craftsmanship, in which only the best materials are used (the wood comes only from sustainable sources, of course) to produce gifts that will exceed even the highest expectations. Bookends, toy boxes, swings – you name it, it will be divine.
THE CAMBRIDGE SATCHEL COMPANY
www.cambridgesatchel.com
Any recipient of an embossed bag from the Cambridge Satchel Company will see it as a sign that you really care this Christmas. Loved by the fashion bloggerati and celebrities alike, each of these bags is lovingly handmade in the UK. The collection includes stunning classic satchels, beautiful backpacks, cross-body bags and more. On offer here is quality and craftsmanship that will stand the test of time.
MR NUTCASE
www.mrnutcase.com
Mr Nutcase started out in 2011, specialising in personalised phone and tablet cases that continue to make great Christmas gifts. Theirs is, they say, a “tale of late nights, excessive coffee and our obsession for customisation”. Today, the company’s range of personalised presents – including mugs, towels, cushions, books and bottles of booze – is mind-blowing. This site could well answer every single one of your Christmas-shopping needs.
Updated November 2017