Gifts for friends are often more frivolous, silly and fun than gifts for family members or partners. When choosing a gift for a friend, you need to consider both the occasion and your friend’s personality. A gift for a best friend’s milestone birthday, for example, might not be suitable as a graduation gift. Take a look through our list of personalized gifts for your best friend and everybody else in your friendship circle to ensure you give your friend something truly unique that shows how much they mean to you.
Birthday gifts for friends
Ring in your friend’s birthday with unique best friend gifts. Birthdays are the best time to go all out with gift-giving. Lean into whatever your friend loves best — and personalize it to their exact tastes, of course!
1. Photo book
A custom photo book — a collection of your most cherished shared memories — is a fantastic way to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Choose a theme, like vacations you’ve taken together or epic parties she’s thrown, or simply collect favorite photos starring the two of you, celebrating your friendship over the years.
Source: Friendship selfie via Depositphotos
2. Framed print
Framed prints make great birthday gifts for friends. Print a single photo, a series of photographs or a unique design that suits your friend’s tastes. Or maybe they’d like a collection of memorable quotes or a line drawing of the two of you hugging.
Source: Framed print via VistaPrint
3. Metal print
Similar to a framed print, a metal print can be of anything you want it to be! Print a favorite image or design onto the aluminum that will make your friend smile every time for a gift they will cherish forever.
Source: Custom metal print via VistaPrint
4. Wood print
Wood prints are another thoughtful way to gift a friend personalized decor. With wood, you get a rustic textured feel, and if that’s your friend’s aesthetic, they’re sure to cherish a wood print made just for them.
Source: Custom wood print via VistaPrint
5. Personalized glassware
Drinks just taste better when they’re in personalized glassware. So make every sip more enjoyable with a personalized pint glass, etched wine glass or another custom glass they won’t put down. Get their name, a meaningful date or a message expressing how much they mean to you etched onto the glass.
Source: Etched pint glass via VistaPrint
New home gifts for friends
When a friend moves, celebrate the new chapter with a custom gift that will make the house or apartment feel like a home. Personalized decor comes in different types and styles, so find something that matches your friend’s vibe perfectly.
Caption: Source: Wall posters via VistaPrint
6. Canvas print
A canvas print is a fun way to help your friend add a personal touch to their new home. Choose a size that fits their new space and print a photo or design that celebrates your friendship.
7. Photo tiles
Photo tiles are specifically designed to be displayed in groups. For a sentimental best friend gift, order a set of photo tiles in various sizes so they can be arranged as a gallery wall in your friend’s home.
8. Acrylic blocks
Looking to give your friend a photo gift that’s not wall art? Acrylic photo blocks, with an added chunk that brings visual weight to any shelf display, are great eye-catching housewarming gifts for friends. And because acrylic blocks just rest on a flat surface, they are especially great if your friend is moving somewhere where they can’t put any nails or screws into the walls.
Source: Acrylic photo block via VistaPrint
9. Custom calendar
If you’ve been friends for many years, you’ve undoubtedly made lots of memories together. Give your treasured pal the unique gift of a personalized calendar that showcases a specific memory for each month. A wall calendar, poster calendar or magnetic calendar is a great new home gift, whereas a desk calendar is perfect for a friend who works too much.
Tip
As well as both your birthdays, make sure to highlight specific dates and months that are important to your friendship, like the day you met or your first vacation together.
Source: Poster calendar via VistaPrint
10. Personalized blanket
Give your friend the gift of countless cozy evenings in and help them stay warm all winter with a custom blanket. Print a collection of happy photos onto the fleece or sherpa blanket for a meaningful gift any friend is guaranteed to love.
Caption: Source: Custom fleece blanket via VistaPrint
Congratulations gifts for friends
Celebrating each other’s achievements is one of the best parts of friendship. Whether your friend is celebrating a graduation, a new job or promotion, or any other achievement like getting published or passing the bar exam, express your excitement for them with these cool custom gifts for friends!
Source: Custom mugs via VistaPrint
11. Custom mug
Think about how great a custom mug will look on your friend’s desk, whether it’s in their new corner office or the comfort of their own home. Personalize a standard or speckled mug with their initials, an inside joke or a more touching message…whichever will resonate with your friend best. This is a great gift to celebrate a new job, making sure your friend’s new colleagues never use their mug!
Source: Speckled bistro mugs via VistaPrint
12. Custom backpack
If your friend is graduating and heading to college or into the workforce, mark the new chapter with a customized backpack like this premium laptop bag or business backpack. For a more personal friend gift, get their initials embroidered or heat transferred onto the bag.
Source: Journey laptop business backpack via VistaPrint
13. Custom journal
As your friend moves on in their career and toward bigger life ambitions, give them a personalized faux leather journal where they can keep a record of life’s ups, downs and surprises, as well as what they’re grateful for — including you!
Source: Faux leather journal via VistaPrint
14. Personalized pen
Complement the best friend gift of a custom journal with a personalized pen, like this engraved ballpoint pen. Engrave the special writing tool with your friend’s name for a thoughtful gift they will scribble away with until the ink runs out.
Source: Custom pens via VistaPrint
15. Personalized water bottle
No matter where your friend goes in life, they’ll need to stay hydrated. Help them to take care of their body by giving them a custom water bottle like this stainless steel insulated bottle. Just like all other personalized gifts, the image or message printed on the bottle is up to you!
Source: Custom insulated bottle via VistaPrint
“Just because” gifts for friends
You don’t need a reason to buy gifts for friends! Give them something to say “I’m always thinking of you” or “This is how much you mean to me.” The following custom gift ideas for friends don’t need to mark any occasion — they’re just for fun!
16. Personalized puzzle
There are lots of great things you can do with photos — one of them is to create a custom puzzle that reveals a special image when pieced together.
Source: Custom puzzle via VistaPrint
17. Personalized tote bag
Tote bags are one of the most popular items to personalize because they offer a large canvas to emblazon with your custom message or photo. They’re also super handy for carrying things around. Give your friend a personalized tote bag like this classic cotton tote so they’ll stand out at the farmer’s market, the beach or wherever else the day takes them.
Source: Cotton tote bag via VistaPrint
18. Custom notebook
If your friend is a writer — or organizer, planner or doodler — a custom notebook can be the perfect “just because” gift for them. Choose a photo or motto that captures your friendship for the cover or go with an interesting design you think they might like.
Source: Custom notebook via VistaPrint
Unique best friend gifts
Tell your one-of-a-kind friend how important they are to you with a one-of-a-kind gift. If you’re fortunate enough to have a friend you can call your BFF, celebrate that special bond with one of these unique best friend gifts.
19. Matching necklaces
This is a classic best friend gift for a reason. Matching BFF necklaces are a cute fun way to share something special with your best friend. And while they’re popular with children, there are lots of great options for adults, too.
20. Matching caps
Custom caps are the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for your best friend. Personalize a hat like this 6-panel baseball cap with your friendship motto or simply both your names for a special gift your friend will don for years to come. Get one printed for you too and you can be matching!
Source: Custom cap via VistaPrint
21. Matching T-shirts
Best friends do everything together. They listen to the same music, enjoy the same hobbies and sometimes they even dress alike! Print matching custom T-shirts like this colorful tie-dye number with an image, design or text for the dream best friend gift you can both enjoy.
Source: Custom T-shirt via VistaPrint
22. Custom pillows
Above all, a best friend is somebody you can be silly with! And what’s sillier than a set of custom pillows with each other’s faces printed on so you can wake up to each other every morning? It’s bold, in-your-face and — if that’s the kind of relationship you have — it’s perfect.
Personalized gifts make the best friend gifts
Unique friend gifts are always the most memorable. Show your friend you’re always thinking of them by giving them a personalized gift that celebrates your friendship and suits their personal tastes.
Whether it’s a photo gift, a hoodie with an inside joke printed across the chest or something else completely unique, remember to have fun when you’re choosing gifts for friends. Friends are special, so show yours how much they mean to you by giving them a thoughtful custom gift they’ll be sure to treasure forever.
