Look It's About Me featured in Homegrown | Cultivating Success.

Custom Gift Ideas Make The Holidays Special

Change up your gift giving this season with unique and personalized items for your loved ones.

by Cat Juan Ledesma Posted on Nov 29, 2013

1

It’s easy to find yourself falling into a comfort zone when it comes to purchasing presents. Let’s be honest, how many fruitcakes or absorbent towels can one person really need in a lifetime?

You can find a more personal outlet for your burst of holiday spirit. Here’s our list of ways that you can offer custom-made gifts to those who matter the most.

DIY packages of love

Erica Paredes and Margaux Cortez, AKA The Powder Room Girls, realized that Christmas was going to be different for hundreds of thousands of families in the Visayas this year. In the spirit of giving, they decided to put up Shoeb ox Love. By filling a shoebox with essential items and a special something, you are helping those affected by Typhoon Yolanda celebrate Christmas.

PERSONALIZED GIVING. Poster image from the Shoebox Love Facebook page.

Best for:
Anyone and everyone. It is recommended that you indicate on your shoebox whether the gift is for a man, woman or child.

Minimum order:
None. They will happily take as many shoeboxes as you can fill, whether it be one or a hundred.

When to order:
Deadline for these shoeboxes is December 13. Find the drop-off point locations and phone numbers here.

Price range:
Entirely up to you. You are requested to fill the shoebox with these essentials and at least one special item:

1. Face Towel
2. Toothbrush/ paste
3. Flip Flops
4. Soap
5. Candle
6. Matches
7. Canned Goods
8. Bottled water

How to order:
You can email ericaparedes@ gmail.com or margauxsue@gm ail.com for additional details.

A very special children’s story

Look It’s About Me makes personalized children’s books and other personalized gifts such as coloring books, placemats, wall art prints and wrapping paper. Their most unique item would definitely be their personalized storybook—a hardcover book that is professionally bound in which the child is the protagonist of the story.

All their storybooks are personalized not only throughout the text but also in its illustrations. Each book is different since they ask for different data regarding the child. This is one gift you can expect the receiver to want to open again and again.

KIDDIE HERO. Look It’s About Me makes personalized storybooks that feature your child as the protagonist of the tale. Photos courtesy of Look It’s About Me.

Best for:
The storybooks are meant for kids up to age 10.

Minimum Order:
None.

When to order:
Because their products are personalized, it takes them seven to 10 business days to complete an order. For the Christmas season, orders should be placed at least two weeks before the date.

Price range:
All personalized storybooks are priced the same at PHP 1,200. They also have other products such as personalized coloring books priced at PHP 395, personalized placemats at PHP 250, and personalized all-art prints at PHP 200.

For the storybooks and the coloring books, they also offer a wrapping service, using coordinated wrapping paper.

How to order:
They have an online store at www.lookitsab outme.com.

Say it with silver

Good friends and certified ocean lovers Kaila Trebol and Catherine Ham decided to come together and start a small jewelry company called Cat & Kai Handmade Jewelry that specializes in handmade and customized sterling and pure silver pieces.

To represent their love for the ocean and for producing earth-friendly jewelry, they incorporate seaglass into their pieces, turning their designs into one-of-a-kind creations.

They also specialize in making personalized pendants with initials or names and birthdates of family or friends. Their range covers single letter initials and full names to personally designed monogrammed pendants

HANDMADE WITH HEART. Have customized jewelry made at Cat & Kai to give your loved ones a uniquely beautiful treasure. Photos courtesy of Cat & Kai.

Best for:
Someone special to you. If you want something made that no else has, they can do it.

Minimum order:
None. But they do give discounts for bulk orders.

When to order:
Please order at least two weeks before Christmas to give them good lead-time to produce the pieces.

Price range:
From PHP 880 to PHP 3,500, depending on the amount of silver and rarity of sea glass. The price for customized pendants starts at PHP 300, depending on the size, intricacy of the design and weight.

How to order:
Log on to Facebook and send them a private message.

Put a name on it

Name On Print is a bespoke products company that works hard to meet their clients’ exact needs. They try to make and source out items that are not commercially available at a very affordable price.

Their most popular items are customized rubber stamps, mouse pads, coaster sets, mugs, sports bottles, t-shirts, bag tags, gift tags, iPhone cases, key chains, and magnets.

NAME GAME. Name On Print takes monograms to a new level by expanding the roster of items you can decorate with your name. Photos courtesy of Name On Print.

Best for:
Anyone and everyone. They have designs or themes that work for any age group.

Minimum order:
None.

When to order:
They suggest for clients to put in their orders at least two weeks before Christmas. Smaller quantity items can usually be made between three and seven days, but it’s best to give them as much time as possible to make your order.

Price range:
From PHP 65 tp PHP 995. Their catalogue consists of items below PHP 1,000.

How to order:
Orders are accepted via e-mail at nameonprint@g mail.com.

Artful little items

Artist Rina Albert-Llamas has always enjoyed creating beautiful slice-of-life drawings. Through her company Rinad esign she puts them to good use by incorporating them into personalized note cards, note pads, notebooks, gift tags, onesies, shoe bags, canvas totes, mugs, water bottles, and bag tags.

DRAWN DELIGHTS. Rinadesign features personalized items with Rina Albert-Llamas’ charming drawings. Photos courtesy of Rinadesign.

Best for:
Women and kids.

Minimum order:
None.

When to order:
Orders can be processed in about five working days or less. For Christmas, it’s best for people to order before December 15.

Price range:
From PHP 100 to PHP 500 or so.

How to order:
You can order through the Rinadesign Facebook page.

To read the original article click here.