Christmas gifts for mum and grandma with a name

Every year the same question, and every year the same answer: "I don't need anything, love." Anyone looking for a Christmas gift for their mom knows that sentence. Grandmas tend to say it even more firmly. And still, nobody is happy when there really is nothing under the tree on Christmas Eve.

I'm a mom myself, and I have said my own version of that sentence a few times by now. It's even true. I don't need things. But I am very happy about something that shows me someone was thinking of me — not of "mothers in general", but of me.

I think that is the whole difference. Here are a few thoughts on it, with and without a shopping list.

What moms and grandmas really wish for

If you listen closely, most moms and grandmas wish for three things, and none of them are in a catalogue.

Time. An afternoon when you are really there. Not glancing at your phone, not already thinking about the drive home. A voucher for that can feel careless, but a specific date in the calendar doesn't: "On the second Saturday in January we'll pick you up and go out for breakfast together."

Attention. The feeling of being seen. A note saying what you are grateful for is often kept longer than the bag that came with it. A few honest lines are usually what stays the longest.

Something that gets used. Many moms and grandmas have cupboards full of things that are "too nice to use". It is lovelier to give something that is picked up every day. Then they don't think of the person who gave it once a year, but a little bit every morning.

Personalized Christmas gifts: a name makes the difference

A name on a gift says: this isn't off the shelf, this is for you. It doesn't have to be anything big. It is enough for the piece to have its place in everyday life.

In my workshop in Bergisch Gladbach I make breakfast boards from beech wood for that, roughly 22.5 × 12 cm. The Breakfast board for Mother’s Day has a sprig of lavender, and in script it says »Für die beste Mama« (for the best mom), with »Danke für alles« (thank you for everything) below. The name says Mother's Day, but the words fit Christmas just as well. And you can choose the script line yourself, for example »Für die beste Oma« (for the best grandma) or your mom's name.

If you prefer something without an occasion: on the Breakfast board “Flower meadow” the name stands like a sign at the edge of a field, with daisies, poppies, clover and grasses growing beneath it. It brings a bit of summer to the breakfast table in the middle of December, and it suits grandmas who miss their garden as soon as it turns grey outside.

A board isn't a big gift, and that is exactly what I like about it. It sits next to the bread roll, gets washed up, goes back into the drawer and is there again the next morning.

Christmas gifts for grandma and grandpa — and for parents together

Giving a gift to grandparents as a couple is easier than you might think. You just have to let go of the idea that each of them needs something of their own. What they share is their home, and there is usually room there for a piece that shows who belongs to this family.

The Two-layer name sign is that kind of piece. It stands freely on a shelf or windowsill: a sturdy base in capital letters at the bottom, with a line of script sitting on top. You choose both texts yourself, up to 20 characters each: »OMA« at the bottom and »Beste« (best) above it, or »OMA UND OPA« and your family name. It is only made after you order, printed on a 3D printer layer by layer, in 15, 20 or 25 cm width.

The same goes for parents as for grandparents: a shared experience often means more than two separate gifts. A dinner that you cook for once. A trip to the place where they met. A photo album with the pictures that have only lived on your phone for years.

When the children give too

For grandmas and grandpas there is hardly anything nicer than a gift the grandchildren have visibly helped with. And children don't just want to sign it, they want to decide.

Let them choose what they can choose. The name sign comes in fifteen colors for each layer, and the 3D preview shows them what their piece will look like before you buy. Children usually have very clear opinions about that. With the board, the child can decide what goes in the script line.

And then there are the things you can't buy: a drawing wrapped up with the gift, a poem recited on Christmas Eve, or a photo from baking cookies together. Add a small card like the Occasion card “Danke” (Thank you), which reads »Das war nicht selbstverständlich« (that wasn't something to take for granted) and, below, »Es hat mir viel bedeutet.« (It meant a lot to me.) For grandmas who look after the children every week, that is pretty much spot on.

Order in good time, without the rush

Anything that is only made after you order, or that carries a name, needs a bit of time: within Germany I count on 7–10 working days, production included, and 9–12 working days to Austria. Items in stock arrive within 3–5 working days in Germany. For Christmas that means: for personalized pieces, plan at least two weeks before Christmas Eve, so there is still some slack for the post in December.

And if it gets tight after all, the gift may arrive after the holidays. A note under the tree saying "Your present is on its way, I had it made just for you" is honest and usually very welcome.

Whatever you give: write a few sentences of your own to go with it. Moms and grandmas keep lines like that, often longer than the gift itself. And you can safely not quite hear the "I don't need anything".