What Should I Commission? – 7 Unique, Personalised Gift Ideas

Something I’m incredibly proud of is my range of unique, personalised gifts, all of which are thoughtfully designed, hand lettered and illustrated by me using beautiful, high-quality materials. 

Filled with meaning, a custom piece of art always feels special to give and receive. Whether you’re celebrating a big birthday, marking an anniversary or looking for a distinctive housewarming present, we can work together to create the perfect gift for your friend or loved one. 

7 Unique, Personalised Gift Ideas  

Not sure what to commission? Here are some ideas to get you started…

1. Custom ‘Things I Love About You’ List

The perfect gift for milestone birthdays and wedding anniversaries. 

Make that special someone feel seen and appreciated with a personalised list of things you love about them. With the option to use ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, this also makes a great communal gift. For example, to a grandmother from all her grandchildren. 

I’ll write your list of things in my signature calligraphy and add in some small painted illustrations. To guarantee a teary smile when they open their gift, don’t forget to include some in-jokes and a few details only you and they will understand. Presented on A3 hahnemuhle german etching paper, the end result is a deeply personal, meaningful gift. 

Commission a Custom ‘Things I Love About You’ List 

2. A Hand Lettered List of Family Members

The perfect gift for Mother's Day and Father's Day.

This simple hand lettered print featuring the names of your family members makes a lovely gift for any parent. After all, a family is a team. Having everyone’s names written together in one place is a perfect reminder of this, and looks lovely amongst photographs of everyone on a picture wall. 

Commission a Family Names Bespoke Print

3. A Hand Painted Personal Bible Cover

The perfect gift for a christening or baptism.    

As well as creating a brand-new, personalised Bible, I can also restore older Bibles with a fresh coat of paint and a gorgeous design. 

This is actually how the idea first came to me. I loved reading my bible and I didn’t want to part with it, but the cover was stained and beginning to feel drab. I decided to transform the cover, opting for a light apricot colour with a hand painted sunflower design. It came out so well and it’s back to being my favourite possession. I know it's about what’s inside, but I do love a beautiful book cover, too!

Your design brief can be as specific or as vague as you like. If you’re not sure where to start, think about the recipient’s favourite colours, passions and hobbies. As well as adding details that reflect their personality, I can also hand letter a specific scripture.  

Commission a Bespoke Bible Cover Painting

4. Custom Watercolour House Portrait

The perfect gift for any occasion.  

You can learn more about the work that goes into these commissions in How I Create My Custom Watercolour House Portraits. They make a thoughtful, personal gift for all kinds of occasions, especially for someone moving out of the home where they raised their family or spent a significant portion of their life.  

I’ve also had commissions from people who are about to undertake major renovations and want a before-and-after to showcase all their hard work. Recently, someone who had purchased a gorgeous chateau commissioned a portrait, intending to give it to the previous owners who had done significant work during their time living there. How thoughtful!

We can make your commission extra special with an inscription below the watercolour, adding context or to mark an important milestone or event. 

Commission a Custom Watercolour House Portrait 

5. Custom Watercolour Church or Wedding Venue Portrait

The perfect gift for a wedding or anniversary. 

I know most couples tend to have a registry, but the two wedding gifts I remember vividly were the ones people chose specifically for us, not from our list. I remember who gave those gifts and the stories behind them as well. 

One was a wooden chopping board made from a type of wood that only grows in New Zealand, gifted to us by someone who had lived there for a few years. We also received some gorgeous pottery from a local artisan. I always think of the people who gave it to us whenever I use the kitchenware. 

This is why I believe choosing something you think the couple will love and cherish is a great idea for a wedding gift. A custom watercolour portrait commemorating the place where their marriage began definitely fits the bill! 

Commission a Custom Watercolour Church or Wedding Venue Portrait 

6. A Hand Lettered Poem or Set of Wedding Vows

The perfect gift for any occasion. 

As the traditional gift for your first wedding anniversary is paper, a set of hand lettered wedding vows makes a beautiful present for your spouse. Beyond this, the options are endless. Here are some examples of pieces I’ve created in the past…

• A group of friends commissioned me to hand letter a poem they had written for their flatmate who was getting married.
• A mother commissioned me to hand letter a blessing her husband recites to their children each night.
• A daughter jotted down a poem that holds meaning for her parents and asked me to hand letter it beside a painting of the church where they were married.
• Two daughters commissioned me to hand letter a poem by Michael Rosen to mark their mother’s retirement after 50 years working as a nurse in the NHS.   
  

I have carefully hand lettered and illustrated each of these, transforming carefully chosen words into a special keepsake to display on the wall.

Commission Hand Lettered Wedding Vows 

Commission a Custom Hand Lettered Print 

7. A Bespoke Personalised Greeting Card 

The perfect gift for a special occasion. 

I firmly believe pen and paint on paper will always be more memorable than a digitally printed greeting card design. Whatever you’re celebrating – a big birthday, milestone wedding anniversary, new baby, or an engagement – I can hand paint a personal, unique card for any occasion. 

All you need to do is provide a general idea of what you want or share some key details about the recipient. Based on this, I’ll draw up a digital proof. Once this has been approved, I’ll create your special card, elevating the original design by hand drawing and painting on lightly textured, thick watercolour paper. I can even incorporate special pigments like gold, copper, and silver to add a little sparkle. 

Commission a Custom Hand Painted Greeting Card

More Meaningful Gift Ideas from And Hope Designs 

As well as the bespoke, personalised options listed here, I offer a wide range of elegant, playful cards, journals, mugs, prints, candles, tea towels and other goodies designed to bring joy, send encouragement and help your most important relationships bloom! You can browse the collection here >>> Shop All Gifts