Personalised gifts for him

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Hands holding out a brown-paper wrapped present tied with string

Men are famously hard to buy for, and they often say they don’t want anything at all. A personalised gift gets round that: even something simple and useful feels considered once his name, his joke or his family is on it. The trick is to personalise things he’ll use, not things that will sit in a drawer.

Check the spelling, twice. Personalised gifts are made to order, so they can’t be returned if a name is wrong. Double-check spellings and dates, and order with a few days to spare.

Engraved glasses

Traditional style personalised pint glass from You Personalise

A traditional pint glass engraved with his name

A classic dimpled-style pint glass with his name and a short message engraved on the side. Simple and timeless, and a good present for a dad, brother or friend who likes a pint.

About £11.99.

See the traditional pint glass

Personalised "The Original" Beer Brand themed  Engraved Glass from You Personalise

His name on a beer-label pint glass

Designed to look like a classic beer brand label, but with his name and details in place of the brewery’s. A bit more of a statement piece, and a fun one for a birthday.

About £19.50.

See the beer-label glass

“Probably the Best Dad in the World” engraved glass from You Personalise

A Probably the Best Dad glass for a father’s birthday

A nod to the famous advert: “Probably the best dad in the world”, engraved with his name. Versions for grandad, grandpa and uncle are available too.

About £11.99.

See the Best Dad glass

For the kitchen and the barbecue

King of the Grill BBQ Themed Personalised Engraved Chopping Board from You Personalise

A King of the Grill board for the barbecue boss

A wooden chopping board engraved “King of the Grill” with his name. Equally useful for slicing the steak in July and serving the cheese at Christmas.

About £14.99.

See the King of the Grill board

Tea or Coffee Order Notes Personalised Mug from You Personalise

A mug printed with his exact brew order

Milk, sugars, strength, all printed on the mug alongside his name, so anyone making a round knows exactly how he takes it. Ideal for the office or a busy family kitchen.

About £8.95.

See the brew-order mug

Photos, scent and a bit of fun

A3 Personalised BROTHER Photo Frame in WHITE with Collage of pictures inside letters with  from You Personalise

A BROTHER frame full of your shared photos

An A3 frame with the letters of BROTHER filled with seven photos of the two of you over the years, plus a message. A great birthday or best-man present for a brother you don’t say soppy things to often enough.

About £24.99.

See the BROTHER frame

Personalised Scented Candle Gift for Him from Cupidly

A personalised candle for his desk or den

A scented candle in a fresh, masculine fragrance with his name on the label. A nice change from socks and aftershave, and it suits a home office, shed or man cave.

About £31.99.

See the candle for him

Gift voucher from Cold Case Inc

A murder mystery he can solve on his laptop

Cold Case Inc’s gift voucher lets him pick one of their online detective cases and play it in a browser, solo or with a friend. Ideal for a man who loves true-crime podcasts or thinks he’d have spotted the killer in every TV drama.

About £9.99 per case.

See the Cold Case gift voucher

A black leather wallet

An engraved wallet card with a message

A thin metal card that slips inside his wallet, engraved with a short message or a family photo. Small, discreet and carried every day.

Wallet insert cards on Amazon

How to get the personalisation right

Keep the wording short. Most engraved gifts have room for a name and a line or two, and a simple message usually looks better than a long one squeezed in. His name, a date and a short phrase he actually says (“Cheers, Dad”, “Back in my day”) feel personal without trying too hard.

Think about who it’s from, too. A gift from the children can carry their names or a photo of them; a present from a partner can include a private joke; a gift from a mate can be a bit cheekier. Engraved glasses and boards suit almost anyone, while photo frames and mugs work best when there’s a family or a friendship to celebrate.

Order early, especially before Christmas and Father’s Day, when makers are busiest. Most personalised gifts take a few working days to make before they’re posted, so allow at least a week to be safe, and keep the order confirmation in case you need to chase.

What to avoid

Novelty items with his name on that he’ll never use, and anything engraved with a joke he hasn’t heard before. Stick to everyday things in his life: his drink, his mug, his kitchen, his family.

More personalised ideas: Personalised gifts at You Personalise · Gifts at Cupidly · Personalised cards at Lush Lobster

More gift guides