14 Family-Friendly Gift Ideas

As Christmas gets closer, you’ll need to start planning your gifts for everyone in the family! But, what do you get when you’re giving a family gift? It can be difficult to find something that either represents everyone or is something that the whole family can use. We’ve put together a list of family-friendly personalized gift ideas that are sure to help you find the perfect gifts to give this holiday season! We’ve also added some special tips and tricks that will guide you along the way.

Before You Go Shopping

Before you go shopping for Christmas gifts, there are a few things you’ll want to consider or plan:

• Make a List: List out all the family gifts you need to get. This will help as you pick out each gift for the different families. You’ll find that having a list will really go a long way as you plan out your holiday season to-dos!
• Establish a Budget: Whether this is a total amount to spend on all your family gifts combined, or it’s a maximum you can spend per family, you need to establish a budget. This way, you don’t go overboard on one family and feel bad when you can’t spend as much on another. This can also help if you’re getting gifts for families who have contact with each other. They won’t feel like you spent less on them compared to another family. 
• Decide Between Pre-Made or DIY: You can find beautiful personalized gifts for families that are pre-made, or you can make them yourself! If you purchase one that’s pre-made, you’re supporting a small business while still providing a personalized, caring touch to your gifts. However, if you really like to craft and have the time to create gifts, then DIYing might be a good idea for you. In fact, you can actually do a bit of both! There’s nothing wrong with DIYing a small gift and adding a bigger, pre-made personalized one that you didn’t have to hassle with. 
• Think Practical: Get them something they’re going to use! Whether it’s a set of personalized cutlery or even a sweet personalized puzzle, you want to find something they can use in their everyday lives. Even if they have something similar, they’ll love knowing that you took the time and energy to find them something personalized and practical. Determining the types of practical personalized gifts you’re going to get for each family can help you in the long run because you’ll spend less time later stressing about whether it’s something they’re actually going to use. 
• Do Some Recon: The next time you’re at your friends’ house, take a brief look around. Whether you snoop on your way to the bathroom or casually glance while you hang out in their kitchen, taking stock of what they may or may not be missing can help you determine what you’ll get them. You can even subtly mention it when you text or talk with them–mention something you own and see about their reaction to it. If they seem interested in something similar, then you’ll know what to get them!
• Get Out There Early: Don’t wait until a week before Christmas to do all your ordering and shopping. The phrase “the early bird gets the worm” is true–especially during the holiday season! Waiting until the last minute to get gifts can really create chaos in your life, especially if you’re working around children’s Christmas plays, annual dinners with families, working extra hours or just trying to plan out when you’re going to wrap the presents. By getting your presents early, you’ve got time to ensure any personalized gifts you get will arrive on time. Plus, if you have to mail anything out, you’ll be able to make sure the families get their gifts before Christmas!

Family Gift Ideas

Now to the best part–what gifts to give to whole families! Here are some of our favorite gift ideas:

• Monogrammed Family Sign: Turn their last initial into a work of art by getting them a unique sign that has their monogram on it. Whether they hang it on their front door, in their living room or use it as a focal point on their gallery wall, it’s a great way for them to take pride in who they are as a family.
• Latitude/Longitude Artwork: A latitude/longitude artwork piece is a cute way for the family to show the places that mean something to them. Find out where Mom and Dad met, got engaged and got married and then find out where each of their kids was born. If they have fur babies, find out the location of the animal shelter they adopted from! Have those locations printed onto a canvas, or create the list digitally and have a print created. Frame it so they can hang it in the living room or the master bedroom!
• A Set of Family Mugs: Family coffee mugs are adorable! No one will have to fight over mugs in the house once you give them each their own personalized mug. Have one side of the mug personalized to have their monogram on it, but then have the other side include that family member’s name. This way, they have their own cup to use! No more confusion or arguments over who gets to use what mug. 
• A Family Candle: Give each family their own unique scent this Christmas! Look through and see what candles they already have and then find one that either complements what they currently own or introduces something entirely new for them. Have the label personalized to include a sweet message or their monogram to make it even more unique!
• A Board Game: Family game nights are here to stay! Get them a board game, such as Clue or The Game of Life, to play together as a family. If they’re big into cards, a deck of personalized playing cards is also a great idea. 
• A Blanket: If they love to watch movies together as a family, then they need a blanket to curl up in! Get them one of our fun custom blankets they can use every season. We have a variety of colors, designs and materials to choose from. Whether you’re looking for sherpa or flannel, we’ve got the perfect blanket for every family you’re giving one to. 
• An Engraved Cutting Board: If they love to spend time together in the kitchen, then an engraved cutting board is perfect for them. Whether it’s something they prop up against their kitchen backsplash or actually use to serve vegetables and grilled food on, it’s a unique addition to their kitchen decor. 
• An Address Stamp: A custom address stamp is perfect for the family who sends out letters, Christmas cards or family newsletters. An alternative to the return address label, the stamp will make their envelopes feel elegant and luxurious! Make sure to stock them up with a few ink pads so they don’t run out anytime soon. 
• A Throw Pillow: Designed to have their names, initials or birth dates printed on it, a unique family throw pillow is perfect for them to place on their couch. Whether they place it in their living room, outside on the patio or use it in the game room, every time any one of them looks at it, they’ll think of you and how much you cared about their family. 
• An Ancestry Kit: If you’ve got the budget, why not give them an ancestry kit? More and more families are itching to learn about who they are and where they come from, especially if their parents passed on early in life. They will love getting to send in some DNA to have tested for regional information. Some kits even link you with people who share a large portion of your DNA! Who knows? You might be the one who helps them find some distant cousins they didn’t know they had!
• A Personalized Dog Bowl: Perfect for the family who loves their dog, a customized dog bowl will show them that you love their dog, too! What pup doesn’t want a sweet gift just for them? Consider the size and age of their dog to help you determine which type of dog bowl is going to be best. Then, have it personalized with their name or initials! 
• A Custom Frame with a Family Photo: If they’ve recently taken family photos and posted them online for everyone to see, you can save one of the photos and have it printed! Then, have a personalized picture frame made to match their home decor and place the photo into it. They will love having a unique piece to show off the new pictures in! 
• Themed Gift Baskets: Whether you pick a movie night in, hot chocolate mixes or DIY a terrarium, a themed gift basket is one of the ways you can give them all something to do together. They will love that you thought about activities they could do as a family! Make sure to add some personalized elements into the gift baskets, too, so they know that you thought about them as a whole. 
• A Gift Card to a Restaurant: If you’re still coming up short with ideas, a gift card to a restaurant they can go to together is always a good option! Contrary to popular belief, gift cards can be personal gifts. Not only are they practical, but you can choose a gift card you know they’ll use. Choose their favorite restaurant to visit as a family, or pick one that they’ve discussed wanting to go to but never getting a chance. They’ll get to enjoy a free meal, and you’ll know they are enjoying time together. 

After Getting the Gifts

After you get your family-friendly gifts for all the families in your life, there are a few other things you should do before giving them their gifts! 

• Write a Card: You shouldn’t ever give a gift without a card to go with it. Whether you write it out yourself using a blank card or you find one from your local card store, you should make sure it wishes the family a merry Christmas. You should also include a sweet note to them about how you enjoy being in their lives, especially if you have a family of your own and that’s the main connection between the two of you. 
• Wrap the Gift: Any gift you give should always be wrapped. Whether you wrap it using wrapping paper, tape and ribbon, or you place it into a decorative gift bag with lots of tissue paper, their gift shouldn’t be handed to them unwrapped. Part of the whole experience of getting a gift is unwrapping it!
• Consider Doing Something for Each Family Member: Whether you give them each a card with a small note or you give them a small stocking stuffer, it’s important that you recognize each member of the family when you give them a large gift. That way, everyone feels recognized and included when you give the gift. 
• Plan Out When/How You’re Going to Give Them: Reach out and find a day/time for you to give the family their gift. If you’re attending a dinner or event at their home, then that’s also a good time to bring their gift and place it somewhere for them to open later or give when you arrive. It’s important that they don’t feel pressured to open it in front of you or any other guests. You don’t want the other guests to feel bad if they didn’t bring anything! If you’re not attending anything at their home anytime soon, or they live far away from you, make sure you plan out either a time to meet up with them or when you’ll head to the post office to ship it out to them. 

Finding family-friendly gifts is much easier than you probably think. No matter what, focus on finding a gift that goes well with the family you’re getting it for!