When there’s a special occasion or event to choose that perfect gift for, it can be tricky not to fall head-first into the usual cliché ideas of little to no real merit. Of course, there’s technically no such thing as a gift that isn’t thoughtful or meaningful, but it’s hard to get across any genuine thought or message of kindness with generic store-bought bits and pieces.

This is precisely why more shoppers than ever before are taking to the web to order a vast array of personalised gifts that tick all the right boxes for pretty much any and all occasions. The whole point of giving a gift in the first place is to demonstrate thought and sentiment with a token than carries a message from you – in this instance, quite literally. Unsurprisingly, the market for custom gifts has exploded over recent years to include all manner of weird and wonderful items and products.

So when the time comes to select a gift from the collections on offer, what kinds of gifts are guaranteed to go down a storm for any important occasion or special event?

1 – Personalised Picture Frames

Well, first of all there’s perhaps no more universally welcome gift than that of a personalised picture. The reason you can’t go wrong in this instance is of course the fact that pretty much every home up and down the land is decorated to at least a certain extent using picture frames. Designed to preserve and present precious memories, a good picture frame becomes less of a gift and more of a treasured keepsake for life. According to the experts at www.mementoframes.co.uk, the right frame can make a uniquely perfect gift for anything from birthdays to weddings to graduations and so much more.

2 – Engraved Glassware

Another of the most uniquely universal gifts on the market right now that can be personalised in a variety of ways is that of glassware. Things like wine glasses, vases and bowls have for many generations been the kinds of gifts that have represented the mainstay for engraving businesses. However, the kinds of engraving technology used across the industry today is wholly on another level than that of years gone by, which in turn allows for some truly outstanding results. From simple names to longer messages and right through to more complex images, anything that can be imagined can be engraved with pure perfection on quality glassware.

3 – Personalised Cups

Another classic if ever there was one and also a gift idea that’s impossible to go wrong with, personalised cups are fabulously affordable and wonderfully welcome without exception. There are literally infinite ways in which a cup or mug can be customised. From the name of the recipient to full-colour photographs and all manner of witty designs that can be modified to suit, it’s a timeless gift idea that’s just as apt today as it ever was – only a hell of a lot cheaper and more accessible. And of course, the fact that cups are the kinds of everyday essentials most people need in their lives really doesn’t harm matters either!

4 – Personalised Alcohol

A more recent addition to the ranks, personalised alcohol is slowly but surely becoming a very big deal to say the least. In this instance, it’s a case of purchasing a bottle of the alcohol of your choosing which prior to being sent out is personalised as specified during the purchase process. From the date of the special event to the name of the recipient and literally any other message imaginable, anything it takes to make the bottle something unique and fitting can be done. And in terms of the types of alcohol available, these days you can pick up anything from wines to beers and even single malt Scotch whisky that’s been meticulously personalised to order.

5 – Personalised Cards

Last but not least, one of the most effective of all personalised gifts on the market also happens to be the simplest and the most affordable too. Right now, it’s just as easy and cost-effective to order personalised greetings cards as it is to buy store-shelf cards that are just like a million others. When a card carries a unique and heartfelt message from the sender, it immediately becomes something so much more. Rather than a disposable card that’s sent for the sake of it and ends up in the trash in no time at all, a simple card that’s been personalised by you is a genuinely unique and fantastically thoughtful gift in its own right.