There are a lot of things you can put a logo on.
But if you’re spending the time and money to create a custom gift for your employees, customers, volunteers or organization, you probably want it to be something they’ll actually keep.
That’s always important to us.
We make a lot of small, affordable products, but we never want them to feel like throwaway promotional items. A custom product can still be practical, affordable and easy to order while also feeling personal to the person receiving it, and there are so many more options now than the traditional branded pen or mug.
Here are five custom gift ideas we particularly like, and a few different ways organizations can use them.
1. Custom Wood Photo Blocks
Our custom wood photo blocks are a really nice option when you have an image or design that deserves to be displayed.
They combine a solid wood block with a clear acrylic front, creating a freestanding piece that can sit on a desk, shelf, reception counter or anywhere else you want it to be seen.
The obvious choice is a photograph, but you definitely don’t have to stop there.
You could use artwork, a company design, a photograph of a meaningful place, an award or recognition message, event artwork, or something created specifically for the recipient.
We especially love these for employee and client gifts because they don’t automatically feel like corporate merchandise. The design can be as branded or as personal as you want it to be.
They’re also popular with museums, attractions, destinations and gift shops. A great photograph or piece of artwork can become a souvenir that feels a little different from the usual options.
Great for: employee recognition, client appreciation, milestones, events, destinations, souvenirs and photographs.
Explore Custom Wood Photo Blocks →
2. Custom Charm Keychains
We’ve always believed that something doesn’t have to be big to mean something.
That’s a huge part of what we do at Lifeforce Glass, and our custom charm keychains fit that idea perfectly.
The glass stone charm can be customized with your artwork, logo, image or message, turning an everyday object into something much more personal.
Someone can add it to their keys or a bag and take it with them. A logo can represent belonging to a company, team or organization. An image can bring back a particular place or event. A few carefully chosen words can provide encouragement when someone needs it.
That’s what makes these so interesting to us. You’re starting with a very simple product, but what you put on it can completely change what it means to the person receiving it.
Great for: organizations, events, teams, schools, recognition programs, souvenirs and appreciation gifts.
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3. Custom Apparel Clips
Custom apparel clips are one of the more unusual options, and there’s so much you can do with them.
They give you a way to add a custom design, logo or message to something someone already owns. They can be clipped onto clothing, hats, bags and other items, so the design becomes something people can actually wear, move around and have a little fun with.
For teams, clubs and organizations, that could mean a logo, a shared message, event artwork or a symbol that means something specifically to the group.
But we also see a completely different opportunity for retailers.
Imagine a kid walking into a store and spotting a clip with a funny phrase, a trending saying (dare I mention six seven…) or a design that feels very right now. It’s inexpensive enough to be an easy little purchase, and they can immediately clip it onto their backpack, hat or jacket.
For the retailer, the designs can be changed regularly too. You can respond to what people are talking about, what’s trending, the season, local events or simply what’s selling, without committing to an expensive product line. Keep the designs fresh, give customers a reason to look again, and have some fun with it.
That flexibility is what makes apparel clips so exciting to us. They can be branded and meaningful, but they can also just be clever, funny, current and something someone sees and immediately wants.
Great for: teams, clubs, events, organizations, campaigns and group gifts.
Explore Custom Apparel Clips →
4. Custom Commemorative Coins
Custom commemorative coins are one of those products we feel strongly about because they give a moment somewhere to live.
An employee anniversary. Completing a program. A team achievement. An organizational milestone. An important event. There are moments that deserve more than a quick congratulations and then moving on to the next thing.
A commemorative coin turns that moment into something physical.
They’re small enough to carry or keep on a desk, but they have a weight and permanence to them that makes them feel important. When someone picks that coin up months or years later, it can take them straight back to why they received it.
We also love what happens when a whole group receives the same coin. Everyone has their own, but it represents something they experienced or achieved together.
That’s what makes these more than another branded item to us. The design matters, of course, but the real value is in what the coin represents.
Great for: milestones, achievements, anniversaries, recognition programs, events, teams and commemorations.
Explore Custom Commemorative Coins →
5. Customized Diaries
Then there are gifts that earn their place simply because people can use them.
Our customized diaries are a good example.
They’re practical enough for everyday note-taking, planning, journaling or keeping track of ideas, but the customization gives you the opportunity to make them specific to your company, organization, event or recipient.
For businesses, they can make thoughtful employee or client gifts without feeling overdone. They can also work well for conferences, retreats, welcome packs, training programs and organizations that want to give people something useful.
We particularly like products like this because the branding doesn’t have to take over the entire gift. You can create something that looks good in its own right and then incorporate your logo, message or design in a way that feels natural.
Great for: employees, clients, conferences, retreats, welcome gifts, training programs and organizations.
So, What Makes a Good Custom Gift?
For us, it comes down to thinking about the person receiving it before thinking about where the logo is going to go.
What would they actually enjoy?
What would they use?
What would they be happy to have sitting on their desk or attached to their bag?
And if the gift is recognizing something important, what would they want to keep as a reminder of it?
Your branding can absolutely be part of the answer. But it doesn’t always have to be the biggest thing on the product.
Sometimes the most effective branded gifts are the ones where the company or organization is connected to a positive memory: being thanked, achieving something, belonging to a group, visiting somewhere special or simply receiving something thoughtful.
That’s a much better reason to keep something than because it has a logo on it.
Have an Idea? We’d Love to See It.
One of our favorite parts of making custom products is seeing what people come to us with.
Sometimes it’s finished artwork. Sometimes it’s a logo and a rough idea. Sometimes a customer knows what they want to say but has absolutely no idea what product they should put it on.
That’s completely fine.
We can help you work out what makes sense for your organization, your budget and, most importantly, the people who are going to receive it.
Whether you’re looking for custom corporate gifts, employee recognition gifts, client appreciation gifts, custom keepsakes or something we haven’t thought of yet, we’d love to see what you have in mind.