Personalised Gifts for Grandparents: Photo Gifts They'll Actually Show Off

Ask a grandparent what they want for their birthday and you'll get "nothing, don't be silly." Ask what's on their fridge and it's the grandchildren. Every gift on this list starts from that: a photo or a name they'll want to look at every day. All made to order in the UK, and nothing here is over £25.

Under £10

A fridge magnet, or several

The photo fridge magnet is the cheapest thing we make and one of the most reordered. Grandparents' fridges are galleries already. Send a new one each school year and they build a timeline. 7.5×5cm, printed with any photo.

A photo coaster

A personalised coaster with a grandchild's face goes next to the armchair and stays there. Round or square, and cheap enough to do one per grandchild.

Under £20

The photo mug

The 11oz photo mug is the gift that gets used most. Put a favourite photo on it, or a collage, or a drawing with "To Grandad" in the child's own writing. It's dishwasher and microwave safe and arrives gift boxed, ready to hand over.

Family charms with the grandchildren's names

For grandmas who wear jewellery, boy and girl silhouette charms engraved with each grandchild's name are the one gift on this list that gets shown to strangers. Stainless steel with a small red enamel heart. Order one charm per grandchild, and add to it when the family grows.

A mug and coaster set

The mug and coaster bundle puts a photo on both for less than buying them separately. Use two different grandchildren, or the same photo twice, and it arrives as one boxed gift.

Under £25

A photo rock slate

For a milestone birthday or an anniversary, a 20×20cm natural rock slate with a family photo and a line of text is the piece for the mantelpiece. The rough stone edges make even a phone photo look like something framed. The 15×15cm version suits a bedside table.

An engraved bar necklace

A horizontal bar necklace engraved with "Nana" and a date, or with the grandchildren's initials, is minimal enough to wear daily. Rose gold or silver.

Photos that print well

• One clear face beats a group of eight tiny ones, especially on mugs and coasters.
• Outdoor, daylight photos print brighter than indoor ones.
• For a collage on a mug, three or four photos is the limit before faces get small.
• Send originals from the phone rather than screenshots or forwarded copies.

Ordering for someone who isn't online

Most grandparent gifts are ordered by the parents and posted straight to the grandparents. Put their address as the delivery address and your message in the gift note at checkout. See how it works for dispatch times.

123custom is run by The Boys Clubhouse youth charity. Every order supports its work with young people in London.