I’m always on the look out for personalised Christmas gift ideas with a difference.  There are only so many calendars and mugs that I can send people after all.  As you all know we’re big steam train fans here and for my husband’s birthday I had some shots I’d taken over the last few years, enlarged, mounted and framed.  Ever since then my son has been asking me for something for him with trains in too.  With his birthday and Christmas spread over a couple of weeks, finding a unique gift can be rather hard.

Anyway with the idea of using my own photographs to create some personalised Christmas gift ideas with a difference I came up with a few different ideas.  With the weather turning so much colder so quickly , it’s the perfect time to wear a hat and I thought a personalised beanie hat might go down well with my cool little dude. I could add photos and text and there would be no way that would get lost at school.

Knowing my son is asking for money this Christmas to put towards his Hornby railway, I thought a personalised ceramic piggy bank pot might be another option.  That way he could have a photo of one of his favourite trains printed on it, along with his name or perhaps ‘train fund’ written round it.

I had also thought a lamp for his bedside table might be a fun option, again with one or a collage of train prints around the shade.

But then we were having lunch at home last weekend, a treat on a tray in the living room rather than being sitting at the kitchen table and I knew exactly what I needed to get for one of my personalised Christmas gift ideas with a difference.  We only have two trays, which I’d bought long before my son was thought of.  But for ages my son has been asking for his own tray. Bingo.  A designed photo tray all of his own, the perfect solution.  Available in different sizes I opted for the large 43 x 33 cm size so it will get plenty of use in the years to come.  You can add a photo of your choice as well as text.  Perfect.

A throw for his bed is another idea that I think would work well.  A personalised photo blanket with a college of his favourite trains would be something a little different from the norm.  Available in a range of sizes, a fleece blanket was another great idea.

Personalised Christmas gift ideas with a difference can actually include wrapping paper and I just know what my son’s face will be like if he see steams trains all over personalised wrapping paper.  He’d be as excited about that as by whatever lay within.  There are all sorts of options for the actual print as well as two sizes for the paper itself.  I couldn’t decide on one train, so opted for a collage again.

The personalised wrapping paper from Bags of Love comes rolled in a protective tube and is made from a thick luxury grade of paper.  In fact it’s almost too nice to use for wrapping paper and I’m thinking of getting it framed to hang on my son’s wall instead.

I love finding personalised Christmas gift ideas with a difference and I know my selection is going to go down very well this year. Bags of Love have a really impressive range of personalised gifts to suit every budget.

disclosure:  we were given three personalised items in exchange for this post.  My thoughts as always remain my own honest opinions