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A Guide to One-of-a-Kind Gifts

15 Unique Gift Ideas To Celebrate What Matters

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Unique gift ideas that include a cocktail book created using Artifact Uprising Everyday Photo Book

No matter the occasion, the gifts we give are extensions of our gratitude for those who matter most in our lives. And while busy schedules and uninspired guides can get in the way of giving a tears-of-joy gift, we all set out with the best of intentions in our search for something truly meaningful.

Here, we share 15 unique gift ideas from our community that can help in the search — each a source of inspiration for something they'll never forget.


For Couples

A Gift Worth Drinking To

Are you something of a mixologist? Well, here's an idea they'll drink to: share all of your secret recipes to their favorite drinks in the form of a DIY cocktail book. At 7 x 7", the Everyday Photo Book is the perfect size, featuring an elevated linen cover sure to look right at home on any bartop. Plus, all it takes is ~12 drinks to easily fill a whole book. Just put directions on one side and a photo on the other, while interspersing each "section" of drinks with its own title page.

Pro tip: To put a little extra styling on your recipes, type it up in your favorite word editing program and take a screenshot. You'll be able to crop the image in the editor to make it fit the page just right.


For Your Travel Companion

Celebrate Your Journeys

Whether it's a partner or friend, we all have someone who's put in their fair share of miles with us. Creating a travel album of those many moments of note along your journeys is the perfect way to honor and celebrate them. (Let's be honest, you'll probably want a copy too!)

Pro tip: For a little inspiration, take a page from @allitav's book. She filled this album with the many coastal camping adventures shared with her partner — a thoughtful way to bring a little extra joy to their anniversary.


For Very Littles

Make Them Big

Every parent gets a bit snap-happy when it comes to the littles — which means you already have plenty on your camera roll for a unique gift you'll both love. We're big fans of blowing up your favorite photo of the wee one and putting it on their wall. You'll help them build familiarity with their own face, while giving yourself the perfect excuse to print more baby photos. It's a piece you'll both return to often… long after they leave the nursery.

Pro tip: If you're not sure how to enlarge a photo, we put together a handy guide that can help you print larger without losing quality.


For Tots

Personalize Story Time

What better way to personalize storytime than by making them the stars? The Baby Board Book makes it easy with a fully customizable theme that lets you take the creative reigns, like @thehayleerae did when she gave her kiddos these one-of-a-kind gifts: "They love their new favorite books (about themselves) from @artifactuprising … these custom Baby Board Books are so sweet, and the perfect new addition to their bookshelf. I was able to completely customize the books, from the text/colors/photos and I am so happy with how they came out!"


For a Parent

Honor Their Legacy

Family history book open on woman's lap
Hardcover Photo Book

Photo by @capturelifeinsound

Our own narratives are deeply intertwined with those of our parents and mentors, yet we seldom take the time to sit down and honor their stories. Seeking out the moments that made them who they are — and in turn shaped you — can be both inspiring and enlightening. But collecting them in a family history album, like @capturelifeinsound, is a gift beyond words.

Pro tip: As with many collaborative photo books, you'll likely need help from friends and family to gather the photos — work that will be well worth it when you see that tears-of-joy reaction.


For the Family

Put Those Photos on the Wall

Gallery wall of family photos above couch in monotone living room
Gallery Frames

Photo by @honeywild

From family photos to the people and places we hold close, our walls are a blank canvas best filled with the familiar. Putting those images up in a gallery wall is a one-of-a-kind gift that the whole family will appreciate day in and day out. Keep it clean and uniform like @honeywild or mix and match styles for a more eclectic result — whatever fits your family best.


For a Mentor

Look Back on Lessons Taught

Woman's hand flipping through photo book with captions under images
Hardcover Photo Book

Gifts for mentors deserve a touch of creativity and care. After all, there's no shortage of lessons that these sages impart on us, each deserving of its own thanks. Recount them in an album by giving each lesson its own page, pairing captions and stories with photos to spin a story of wisdom shared. Many of our photo books allow you to easily add text alongside your images, for a simplified process with seamless results.


For a Friend

Words of Inpsiration

Brass Easel Print Display with inspiring words on dresser next to plants
Brass Easel & Prints

Photo by @shelbygoodman

Laughs, adventures, advice… the things we share with close friends are endless, but little words of inspiration are perhaps the most priceless. Give them the gift of those words, whenever they need them, in the form of a Brass Easel & Prints. The design-forward, unpatinated brass easel comes paired with a set of 12 prints — so they can display the words that feel right for the moment at hand.

Not a designer? No matter. Free tools like Canva can make it easy, plus how intricate you go is all up to you! Try keeping it clean and simple with your favorite font on a solid background. (You'll be surprised at the results.)

Pro tip: We've collected some of our favorite gifts for friends, if you find yourself looking for more ideas.


For Your I Do

Put Your Best Day in Print

Your best day together, relived. We'd be hard-pressed to think of a more meaningful gift for a birthday, holiday, or anniversary. And since you most likely have the photos, all that's left is to (re)tell the story. The Hardcover Wedding Photo Book and Signature Layflat Album are worthy of that story, handcrafted with intention to give each moment its due.

Pro tip: If you need some inspiration to fill those blank pages, we have a few wedding album ideas that might give you a spark.


For New Grandparents

12 Months of The First Year

all 12 months of a baby photo calendar laid out next to one another
Photo Calendar Refill Pack

Photo by @shopwithkendallyn

We all know what new grandparents really want: photos of the little one. So this year, gift them a recap of baby's trip around the sun, preserved in the pages of a custom desktop calendar. All you need is 12 photos of those most meaningful months to keep them close to their new favorite human. (Don't worry — there's a refill pack for when they ask for another one next year!)

Pro tip: We have plenty of other gifts for grandparents who can't get their fill of baby photos.


For the Newborn

The Story of You

Story of You Baby Book next to baby in bassinet on bed
Story of You Baby Book

Photo by @raising.little.women

Give them the gift of their story, narrated by you and told from the very beginning. The Story of You Baby Book is a pass-me-down gift for newborns and new parents alike. Filled with thoughtful prompts, tuck-away pockets, and more, it's an interactive take on the traditional scrapbook — carefully crafted to help you document the all-too-important first year of their new little life.


For Partners in Parenting

A Book to Mark Their Bond

Hardcover Photo Book titled days with dad on table next to succulents
Hardcover Photo Book

Photo by @white.farmhouse

Parenting takes a small army, at times. And for those we share it with, we carry endless gratitude. Channel that gratitude in the form of moments made tangible, celebrating your partner in parenting inside the pages of a photo book. Fill it with photos that speak to what they mean to the family, and watch their eyes fill with happy tears when they tear open the wrapping.


For the Photographer

Print It in Gallery Quality

Large Format Print still in packaging unrolled at woman's feet
Large Format Print

Photo by @freedoutfitters

Every artist loves to see their own creations come to life, but photography is perhaps the only artform where friends and family can make it happen. So for the photographer in your life, consider a fine art print of one of their favorite images — rendered in true-to-life, giclée quality on archival paper.

Pro tip: You won't be able to enlarge a photo taken from their website or Instagram without quality issues, so you'll need the full resolution file. (But working around that might be as easy as asking for the photo to use as your desktop wallpaper!)


For a Sibling

A Home for Sentimentals

Artifact Uprising Wooden Quote Box with ticket stubs and photo prints inside
Wooden Quote Box

We all have little knicks and knacks stowed away, hidden in shoeboxes and beyond, that are symbolic of times spent with siblings. Those long-kept pieces are unique gift ideas in the making, just waiting to be collected and shared. An elevated container is all it might take to complete the transformation from scattered sentimentals to "I can't believe you kept all of this!"

Pro tip: From quick-to-make photo books to custom calendars, we have plenty of other gift ideas for siblings to get you started.


For Yourself

Return Tickets to Moments Gone

Photo prints on bed next to camera and hat
Everyday Photo Prints

Photo by @lmpetruczenko

Don't forget about yourself in all of this — you deserve a little something too! Treat yourself to the often overlooked joys of taking it off your device and into your life by creating a quick set of prints.


Unique Gift Ideas Start Here

Don't forget to share yours with us on Instagram!



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