Personalize gifts for an extra special touch

(BPT) - Choosing the perfect gift for your loved ones can be a difficult task. However, you don’t have to stress about going from store to store wondering if you’re picking out the right size or color or whether it fits your budget.

(BPT) - Choosing the perfect gift for your loved ones can be a difficult task. However, you don’t have to stress about going from store to store wondering if you’re picking out the right size or color or whether it fits your budget.

If you find yourself struggling to find the perfect gift this holiday season, consider taking a different approach - personalize gifts you know your friends, family and coworkers will love unwrapping. Personalized gifts show that you care enough to invest your time and energy to create the perfect present. In particular, photos from an event or family trip will often hold special meaning and can serve as the inspiration to a myriad of gift giving options.  Here are a few ideas:

Bring memories back

Opening a gift featuring memories of the great moments over the past year will have your loved ones beaming with happiness. Help the recipient keep track of important dates and meetings while also reliving favorite events of the past with a photo calendar. Take those favorite photos to Staples Copy and Print Center or order online, choose from hundreds of calendar designs, and pick up the finished calendar in as few as four hours. Need another gift for your loved ones? Use those same favorite pictures to create personalized photo books which make great stocking stuffers.

Create something artistic

You can really wow your loved ones this holiday season with a personalized gift that has an artistic touch – even if your talents are limited to stick figures. Photographs are one form of art, and you can turn a favorite photograph – whether it’s of a person, landscape or really intricate design – into a large mural with Staples EasyCanvas prints, available at Staples retail locations. Your photos will be printed on gallery-wrapped, high-quality textured photo paper, available in various sizes, allowing you to size the gift perfectly for the recipient’s home. One way to really make the photo mural stand out is to frame it to perfectly match the decor of the room where it will be hung.

Frame it your way

If you don’t have time to put a collage together for a calendar or photo book, a great last minute gift option is a basic photo enlargement. You can purchase a lovely frame to turn a simple picture into an elegant gift or have a larger version mounted or laminated. Places like Staples can do it for you instantly in store providing a convenient option when you’re pressed for time during the holidays.