Quick answer: The best gifts for grandparents are the ones built around the family they made: names, places and memories rather than another box of chocolates. Our top pick is a personalised Family Tree word art print with every child and grandchild’s name worked into the branches, available as an instant digital download from £9.99 or framed up to £30.99.

Updated October 2026

In this guide

• Why personalised gifts for grandparents work so well
• The best ideas for Gran and Grandad together
• Ideas for Gran, ideas for Grandad
• Christmas gifts for grandparents
• Gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and moving house
• A quick comparison table
• What words to put on a grandparents print, with three ready-made lists
• How ordering works, plus answers to common questions

Why are personalised gifts for grandparents so popular?

Most grandparents will tell you they don’t need anything, and they usually mean it. After decades of birthdays and Christmases, the cupboards are full, the bath sets are stacked up and there is only so much shortbread one household can eat. What they do value is evidence that the family they built is still close: the grandchildren’s names, the old address everyone remembers, the silly phrase that has been said at every Sunday dinner since 1985.

That is why personalised gifts for grandparents tend to outlast everything else. A word art print takes those names and memories and arranges them into a shape that means something, such as a tree, a house or a heart, so the gift is literally made from the family. It hangs on the wall where visitors ask about it, and it becomes the thing grandparents point at when they talk about their grandchildren.

Everything below uses real designs from our personalised word art range. Each one is built from the words you type in, you see a free preview before you pay, and you choose between an instant digital download or a printed and framed version.

What is the best gift for Gran and Grandad together?

A personalised family tree print

If you are buying one gift for both grandparents, the Personalised Family Tree print is the obvious place to start. The design is shaped as a tree and filled entirely with the words you choose, which makes it a natural fit for showing several generations at once: grandparents at the roots, their children in the branches and the grandchildren spreading out to the leaves.

Who it suits: grandparents with a big or growing family, or anyone who loves having photos of the grandchildren on every surface. It also works brilliantly as a joint gift from all the grandchildren, because everyone’s name ends up on it.

What to put on it: both grandparents’ names, every child and grandchild, partners, great-grandchildren if there are any, and a short phrase such as “our roots run deep” or “family is everything”.

A personalised house print for the family home

For many families, the grandparents’ house is the centre of everything: Christmas dinners, school holidays, the garden where everyone learned to ride a bike. The Personalised House print is shaped like a house and built from the words you give it, so you can fill it with the address, the street name, the year they moved in and the names of everyone who has passed through the front door.

Who it suits: grandparents who have lived in the same home for years, and whose house is the place the whole family gathers.

What to put on it: the house name or street, the year they moved in, every family name, and phrases like “Sunday dinners”, “the big garden” or “home sweet home”.

A hand print for “the people who hold us up”

The Personalised Hand print is shaped as a hand and built from names and words. It is a quieter, more sentimental option than the tree, and it suits the idea of grandparents as the ones who have always held the family together.

Who it suits: grandparents who were hands-on with childcare, school runs and sleepovers, or a family who wants something gentle and meaningful rather than festive.

What to put on it: the grandchildren’s names, words that describe what Gran and Grandad have done for the family, and a phrase such as “hand in hand” or “together always”.

What can you get a gran who says she wants nothing?

She is still Mum to her own children, which makes the Personalised Mum print a lovely option, especially when it comes from her sons and daughters with the grandchildren’s names worked in too. It reminds her that she raised the family that now fills her house at Christmas.

Who it suits: a gran who loves being reminded of her years bringing up her own children, given by her grown-up children.

What to put on it: “Mum”, “Gran” or “Nana”, her children’s names, the grandchildren’s names, her signature dishes and the phrases she says most.

If the bond you want to celebrate is between Gran and her daughter, the Personalised Mum & Daughter print puts both of them at the centre. It makes a thoughtful gift for a mother who has also become a grandmother, given by the daughter who made her one.

What to put on it: both names, shared memories, places you’ve been together and a line such as “my mum, my friend”.

What is a good gift for a grandad?

Grandads are notoriously hard to buy for. The Personalised Dad print works well when it comes from his own children, because to them he is still Dad, but you can easily add the grandchildren’s names alongside so the whole family is represented.

Who it suits: a grandad who would never ask for anything, but quietly loves being reminded of the family he has built.

What to put on it: “Dad”, “Grandad” or “Grandpa”, his children and grandchildren, his favourite sayings, his football team or hobby (in words, not logos), and places he loves.

If grandad is the one who keeps the family history straight, the family tree print is also a natural fit for him on his own, filled with his parents’ and grandparents’ names as well as the newer generations.

What are the best Christmas gifts for grandparents?

Christmas is when searches for gifts for grandparents peak, and it is also when they are most likely to have the whole family around them. The Personalised Christmas print is shaped as a Christmas tree and filled with your own family names and festive phrases, so it can come out every December alongside the decorations.

Who it suits: grandparents who host Christmas, or who love their festive traditions just as they are.

What to put on it: every family name, the year, and the family’s own Christmas phrases: “Christmas at Gran’s”, “merry and bright”, the name of the board game that always causes an argument.

A few other ideas for Christmas gifts for grandparents from the range above:

• Family tree print for a big family Christmas, given from all the grandchildren together.
• House print if Christmas is always at their house.
• A digital download if you have left it late: it arrives instantly, so you can print it at home or at a local print shop on Christmas Eve.

Printed and framed versions take 3–5 working days, so if you want a framed print to arrive for Christmas, order with that in mind and leave extra room for the busy December post.

What can you give grandparents for other occasions?

Birthdays

For a grandparent’s birthday, the family tree, hand and Mum or Dad prints all work well. Add the year, the grandchildren’s ages or the names of the people who will be at the party, and the print becomes a record of that birthday as well as a gift.

A long wedding anniversary

If your grandparents are celebrating a really long marriage, a dedicated anniversary print is hard to beat. The Personalised 65th Wedding Anniversary print is a heart shape styled in royal blue and silver to match the traditional blue sapphire theme, with the number 65 and the wedding date given real prominence. It is often bought as a milestone gift from children or grandchildren rather than between the couple. For an even rarer milestone, there is also a Personalised 70th Anniversary print.

What to put on it: both names, the wedding date, the church or town where they married, every child, grandchild and great-grandchild, and the homes they have shared.

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

Grandparents are often forgotten on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, as attention shifts to the next generation. The Mum and Dad prints make thoughtful gifts here, especially when the grandchildren’s names are added alongside their own children’s.

A new grandchild

When a new baby arrives, an updated family tree print with the newest name added is a lovely way to welcome them, and a thoughtful gift for the new grandparents themselves. You can order an updated version each time the family grows.

Moving house or downsizing

Leaving a long-time family home is a big moment for grandparents. A house print listing all the memories of the old house is a kind way to mark it, while the Personalised Door Key print is a nice alternative for celebrating their new place, with the new address, the moving date and the family names worked into the shape of a key.

How do you choose the right gift for your grandparents?

Before picking a design, it helps to think about three things. First, who the gift is from. A print from one grandchild can be personal and specific, full of shared jokes and memories, while a gift from the whole family works best when everyone’s name is included, which is where the family tree shines.

Second, where it will live. Grandparents often have a hallway or living room wall already covered in school photos, so think about whether a framed A3 centrepiece or a smaller A4 for a shelf or side table will suit their home better. A3 framed makes a proper statement in a hallway or living room; A4 sits well on a shelf, a desk or as part of a gallery wall.

Third, the occasion. A Christmas tree print feels festive and can come out each December, while a family tree or house print is something they will want on display all year round. If you are not sure, choose the evergreen option: it will still look right in July.

Finally, think about the words before you think about the shape. If most of what you want to say is about their home, the house print is the natural choice; if it is mostly names across generations, go with the tree; if it is about how they have always looked after everyone, the hand fits beautifully.

Gifts for grandparents compared

Every print starts at £9.99 as a digital download. Framed prints are £22.99 at A4 or £30.99 at A3, with a white mount included.

What words to put on a grandparents print

The words are what make the gift, so it is worth spending ten minutes gathering them. Ask parents, aunts, uncles and cousins for a few each: the result will be richer than anything one person could come up with. Here are three example lists you can borrow and adapt.

Example 1: Family tree print from all the grandchildren

• Margaret & John
• Est. 1968
• Karen, David, Susan
• Paul, Mark, Lisa
• Ellie, Jack, Sophie, Ruby, Harry, Isla
• Our roots run deep
• Sunday roasts
• Caravan holidays
• Family is everything

Example 2: House print for the family home

• 14 Rowan Drive
• Since 1979
• Gran & Grandad
• Christmas dinners
• The big garden
• The swing
• Biscuit tin
• Sleepovers
• Always open
• Home sweet home

Example 3: Christmas print for grandparents who host

• Christmas at Nana & Pops’
• 2026
• Every family name
• Too much trifle
• The Boxing Day walk
• Charades
• Paper hats
• Merry and bright
• Together at Christmas

A few tips: use the names the grandchildren actually call them (Nana, Granny, Pops, Gramps), mix long and short words so the shape fills nicely, and include one or two in-jokes. Those are always the words people end up pointing at.

How it works

1. Choose a print. Pick the shape that suits your grandparents: tree, house, hand, Christmas tree, heart and more.
2. Type your own words. Add names, dates, places and phrases. The design builds in real time as you type.
3. See a free preview. Check the layout and change anything you like before paying a penny.
4. Choose your format. Take an instant digital download from £9.99 to print yourself, or order a printed or framed print (A4 £22.99, A3 £30.99, white mount included), which takes 3–5 working days.

Related guides

• Gifts for Nan: Personalised Ideas for Christmas and Birthdays
• Mother and Daughter Gifts: Personalised Ideas for Every Age
• Christmas Gifts for Mum: Personalised Ideas She’ll Treasure

Frequently asked questions

What is a good gift for grandparents who have everything?

Something that can only exist because of them. A personalised print filled with the names of their children and grandchildren, the places they’ve lived and the phrases the family always uses can’t be bought off a shelf, so it never duplicates anything they already own. It also takes up a few inches of wall rather than another cupboard.

What do you write on a family tree print for grandparents?

Start with both grandparents’ names, then add their children, the children’s partners and every grandchild. Fill the gaps with family places, pet names and a short phrase such as “our roots run deep” or “family is everything”. You see a free preview before you buy, so you can adjust the wording until it looks right.

How much should I spend on a gift for my grandparents?

There is no right amount, and grandparents are usually happiest with something thoughtful rather than expensive. Our personalised word art prints start at £9.99 as a digital download, and framed A4 prints are £22.99 with A3 framed at £30.99. Splitting a framed print between siblings or cousins is an easy way to give one