Personalised Christmas gift ideas: 8 engraved keepsakes for the people you love
8 October 2026 8 min read
In short: a good personalised Christmas gift idea starts with the person: Grandma and her grandchildren, a baby’s first Christmas, a couple, the whole family or a child’s teacher. We laser-engrave their names and the year on an artisanal Salernes terracotta tomette (a small hexagonal Provençal tile) in our workshop in Hyères, in the Var, from €18.90. Order early: every piece is engraved to order.
Every year the same question comes round: what can you give the people you love that will really mean something? Another thing to unwrap won’t do it. A first name, a nickname or the year of this particular Christmas will. Here are 8 personalised Christmas gift ideas, sorted by who you are buying for, with what to engrave and when to order.
What makes a good personalised Christmas gift
An original Christmas gift doesn’t need to be complicated. The ones that hit home usually tick three boxes.
It’s about them. Their nickname, the names of the people they love, the year of this Christmas. It’s also a simple answer for someone who has everything.
It comes back every year. It’s unpacked with the decorations each December, or stays on display all year round.
It travels well. It’s small, and the parcel ships with no invoice or prices inside, so you can send it straight to them.
Two Christmas designs to personalise
Notre tribu à Noël (our clan at Christmas) brings together the names of the whole household. Mon premier Noël (my first Christmas) records a baby’s name and the year of their first festive season. Check where each name sits in the preview.
8 personalised Christmas gift ideas, from Grandma to the teacher
Every Christmas design comes as a hexagonal tomette or a square tile, with or without a hole for hanging.
1. For Grandma (and Grandad): Noël chez Mamie
The Noël chez Mamie design (Christmas at Grandma’s) takes her name and the grandchildren’s names. It makes a lovely joint gift: one piece from several people, with the cost shared. If there are lots of grandchildren, choose the 13 × 13 cm square tile and check the spacing in the preview. For Grandad, the Papi d’Amour design works the same way. For more inspiration, see our personalised gift ideas for grandparents.
2. For a baby’s first Christmas: Mon premier Noël
Mon premier Noël carries the baby’s name and “Noël 2026” (Christmas 2026). Parents can bring the tomette out every December, and the child will find it again as they grow up. It’s a decorative piece, so keep it out of the child’s reach. See also our personalised new baby gifts collection and our guide to original new baby gift ideas.
3. For a couple’s first Christmas: Notre premier Noël à deux
Two names, two mugs and the year: Notre premier Noël à deux (our first Christmas together) marks a couple’s first festive season. The tomette slips under the tree, or into your suitcase if you’re spending Christmas with the in-laws. More designs in our personalised couple gifts collection.
4. For the whole family: Notre tribu à Noël
One piece for the whole family: Notre tribu à Noël gathers the household’s names around little bundled-up figures. Prefer a simpler design? Joyeux Noël en famille (Merry Christmas as a family) pairs the family’s names with three fir trees. See also our personalised family gifts.
5. For the teacher or teaching assistant: Thank you teacher, Merry Christmas
Before the end of term, the Thank you teacher, Merry Christmas design carries the teacher’s name and the child’s, with your own short message. A small gift that makes a change from chocolates. See also our teacher gifts.
6. For whoever is hosting Christmas: Joyeux Noël chez les…
Spending Christmas at someone else’s? Joyeux Noël is engraved with the name of the family hosting you: “Joyeux Noël chez les Leroy” (Merry Christmas at the Leroys’). A host gift that returns to the hallway every December.
7. For the bakers: Biscuit d’amour
A gingerbread man and the family’s names: Biscuit d’amour (love biscuit) finds its place in the kitchen, between the biscuit cutters and the recipe book.
8. With a family photo: the engraved photo tile
A family photo can also become a personalised Christmas gift. With the engraved photo tomette or tile, your image is interpreted as a drawing, then engraved into the terracotta. It isn’t a colour print, so check the faces and composition in the preview. From €24.90.
Torn between two ideas? Ask yourself where the piece will live (mantelpiece, kitchen, hallway, bedroom) and who will look at it every December.
What to engrave on a personalised Christmas gift
A few well-chosen words are enough.
First names on their own: the children’s, the couple’s or the whole household’s.
A nickname plus first names: “Granny Jean”, followed by the grandchildren’s names.
The year: “Noël 2026”, or “Christmas 2026” if you prefer English, dates the keepsake for years to come.
The family name: “Merry Christmas from the Martins”.
A family saying: keep it short, and it will raise a smile the day the gift is unwrapped.
Keep the wording short and readable at a glance, and check the spelling in the preview. For a joint gift, ask another family member to check the list of names. For inspiration, see how to find the right words to engrave.
The safe bet: a tomette engraved with their name
Personal, lasting and easy to give
An artisanal tomette in Salernes terracotta, laser-engraved in our workshop in Hyères: the names are engraved into the clay itself, not printed in ink or stuck on. It stands on a shelf, or hangs on the wall in its drilled version. All our Christmas designs are gathered in the personalised Christmas gifts collection.
Personalisation is included. The drilled version (+€3) lets you hang the piece up. Delivery costs are shown before you confirm your order.
When to order for Christmas
Our recommended last order date for Christmas delivery in mainland France: Friday 11 December. It allows for preparation and usual delivery times, but we cannot guarantee them. For deliveries elsewhere in Europe or outside the EU, please order earlier: transit takes longer, and customs can add delays outside the EU. Please also check the delivery times shown when you confirm your order.
Every tomette is engraved to order in our workshop in Hyères. Allow an average of 3 working days for preparation before dispatch, plus the delivery time of the carrier you choose, which depends on your destination. These times are a guide only. In the run-up to the festive season, preparation can take longer, and we say so on the site when it does. In December, carriers are also very busy.
The simplest approach is to order early, as soon as your list of names is ready and checked. That gives you some leeway for a last-minute typo or a parcel that takes longer than expected.
More Christmas designs from the workshop
Each one is personalised online, with an on-screen preview.
Frequently asked questions about personalised Christmas gifts
What personalised Christmas gift can I give my parents?
A piece that brings the family together: Souvenirs précieux Noël (precious Christmas memories) or Joyeux Noël en famille (Merry Christmas as a family), engraved with the family name or first names and the year. From €18.90 as a tomette, €24.90 as a square tile.
Tomette or square tile: which format should I choose?
The 12 × 10 cm hexagonal tomette (€18.90) suits a nickname and a few first names. The 13 × 13 cm square tile (€24.90) leaves more room for a large family or a message. The drilled version costs €3 more.
Can the gift be delivered straight to the recipient?
Yes. The parcel ships with no invoice or prices inside, so simply enter the recipient’s address when you order. Outside the EU, the customs form on the parcel states its value.
Can the tomette stay on display after Christmas?
Yes. It stands on a shelf, hangs up in its drilled version or is packed away with the decorations until next Christmas. For a baby’s first Christmas, place it out of the child’s reach.
In summary
To find a personalised Christmas gift idea, start with the person, engrave a few well-chosen words and order early. A terracotta tomette or tile engraved with their names costs €18.90 to €27.90 and comes back out every year with the decorations. A question about a name or delivery times? Email us at contact@mytomette.fr.
Esprit de Noël (Christmas spirit)
from €18.90
Magie de Noël (Christmas magic)
from €18.90
Souvenirs précieux Noël (precious Christmas memories)
from €18.90
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