Christmas Gifts for Her

The test a good gift has to pass

Anything bought from a Christmas gift guide is, by definition, something thousands of other people are also unwrapping. A framed print of something that happened to her is not. That is the whole argument for a personalized gift, and it is why these tend to be kept rather than quietly rehomed in January.

Four things that work, in order of how safe they are

• A framed photograph of the people she would run into a burning building for. Almost impossible to get wrong.
• A photo collage of the year — better if the year had something big in it.
• A star map of a date she would recognise without being told: a birth, a wedding, the night you met.
• Sound wave art of a song that belongs to her, printed as the waveform of the recording.

Getting the photo without giving it away

The awkward part of a photo gift is sourcing the picture. The photos on her own phone are the best ones, and asking for them ruins the surprise. Usually a sibling, a parent or a best friend has the same photo — and a group chat you are not in. Failing that, older photos from four or five years ago are safer: she will have forgotten they exist.

Framing choices that suit a gift

If you do not know what her walls look like, oak or black are the two frames that sit comfortably in almost any room. A white mat adds a gallery feel and makes the print look considered rather than simply printed. Avoid matching a frame to furniture you have only seen once — plain is never the wrong answer for a gift.

When to order

Each piece is printed and framed by hand to order. Aim for early December; the live last-order date at the top of this page accounts for your country's mail and the holidays in between.

For more on choosing the frame, see Christmas picture frames .