Gifts for Nan: Personalised Ideas for Christmas and Birthdays
Quick answer: The best gifts for nan are the ones made from her family: the grandchildren’s names, the things she always says and the memories everyone shares at her kitchen table. Our top pick is a personalised Love Heart word art print filled with every grandchild’s name, available as an instant digital download from £9.99 or framed up to £30.99.
Updated October 2026
Shopping for both grandparents at once? Our main guide to gifts for grandparents covers ideas for Gran and Grandad together. This one is all about Nan.
In this guide
- What makes a good gift for a nan who says she wants nothing
- Personalised ideas for Christmas, birthdays and Mother’s Day
- Gifts for a nan who loves her tea, her home or her family
- A quick comparison table
- What words to put on a nan print, with three example lists
- How ordering works, plus answers to common questions
What do you get a nan who says she doesn’t want anything?
Ask most nans what they want for Christmas and the answer is “nothing, just come and see me”. She means it, too. After years of slippers, bath sets and boxes of biscuits, what she actually treasures is proof that the family is close: the grandchildren’s names, a nickname only she uses, the phrase she says every time someone leaves without a coat.
That is where a personalised word art print comes in. Each design is a shape, such as a heart, a tree or a teacup, built entirely from the words you type in. Nothing on it is generic, so it can’t duplicate anything she already owns, and it gives her something to point at when she talks about the grandchildren (which she will). Every idea below is a real design from our personalised word art range.
What is the best personalised gift for nan?
A love heart full of grandchildren’s names
The Personalised Love Heart print is our first choice for nan because it is simple, warm and works for any occasion. The heart is built entirely from your words, and while it is often used by couples, it works just as well filled with a whole family’s names.
Who it suits: a nan whose world revolves around her grandchildren, and a gift from all of them together.
What to put on it: “Nan” or whatever the family calls her (Nana, Nanny, Granny), every grandchild’s name, great-grandchildren if there are any, and a line such as “loved by all of us”.
A family tree with Nan at the roots
If she is the one who keeps track of every birthday and knows who married whom, the Personalised Family Tree print is a natural fit. The design is shaped as a tree, so you can put Nan’s name at the base and let her children and grandchildren spread out through the branches.
Who it suits: a nan with a large or growing family, or one who loves looking back over the generations.
What to put on it: her name, her children and their partners, every grandchild, and a phrase such as “our roots run deep” or “it all started with Nan”.
What are good Christmas gifts for nan?
Searches for gifts for nan rise sharply through November and December, and Christmas is when she is most likely to have everyone around her. 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: a nan who hosts Christmas, or who has kept the same festive traditions for as long as anyone can remember.
What to put on it: “Christmas at Nan’s”, the year, every name around the table and the family traditions: the Boxing Day walk, the trifle, the game that always ends in an argument.
If Christmas is always at her house, the Personalised House print is an alternative that stays up all year. It is shaped like a house, so you can fill it with her street name, the year she moved in and the names of everyone who has come through her front door.
Printed and framed versions take 3–5 working days, so leave extra room for the busy December post. If you have left it late, the digital download arrives instantly and can be printed at home or at a local print shop.
What can you get nan for her birthday?
For a birthday, choose a design that reflects what she loves rather than the number on the cake. If she is never without a brew, the Personalised Cup of Tea print is shaped around a teacup and built from her name, her favourite tea and exactly how she takes it.
Who it suits: a nan whose first words to any visitor are “I’ll put the kettle on”.
What to put on it: “Nan’s kitchen”, her favourite tea, “milk, no sugar” (or however she takes it), “kettle’s on”, “biscuit tin” and the grandchildren who drop in for a cuppa.
For a softer, more sentimental birthday gift, the Personalised Heart Hand print is shaped as a hand making a heart. It is a distinctive alternative to a plain heart, and it suits the nan who has always held the family together.
What to put on it: the names of the grandchildren, the words that describe her (“kind”, “funny”, “always there”) and a short line such as “held in Nan’s heart”.
Is there a good Mother’s Day gift for nan?
Nans are easily overlooked on Mother’s Day, even though she is still Mum to her own children. The Personalised Mum print works beautifully coming from her sons and daughters, with the grandchildren’s names added alongside.
What to put on it: “Mum” and “Nan”, her children’s names, the grandchildren’s names, her best recipes and the phrases she has said for decades.
If you are her daughter and want to mark your bond with her, the Personalised Mum & Daughter print puts the two of you at the centre. It is a thoughtful gift from the daughter who made her a nan in the first place.
What about a nan who is moving or downsizing?
Leaving the family home is a big moment. A house print listing the memories of the old place is a kind way to mark it, while the Personalised Door Key print celebrates the new one, with her new address, the moving date and the family names worked into the shape of a key.
Gifts for nan compared
| Product | Best for | Example words to include | From price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Love Heart | Any occasion, a gift from all the grandchildren | “Nan”, every grandchild’s name, “loved by all of us” | £9.99 |
| Family Tree | Big families and several generations | Nan’s name, her children, grandchildren, “our roots run deep” | £9.99 |
| Christmas | Christmas gifts for nan | “Christmas at Nan’s”, the year, family traditions | £9.99 |
| Cup of Tea | Birthday gifts for a tea-loving nan | Her favourite tea, “milk, no sugar”, “kettle’s on” | £9.99 |
| Heart Hand | A sentimental birthday or thank-you gift | Grandchildren’s names, “held in Nan’s heart” | £9.99 |
| Mum | Mother’s Day, from her own children | “Mum”, “Nan”, her recipes, her sayings | £9.99 |
| House | A nan whose home is the family hub | Her street, year she moved in, “Sunday dinners” | £9.99 |
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 nan print
The words are what make the gift, so it is worth gathering them from the whole family. Send a message to the family group chat asking everyone for three things they associate with Nan, and you will have more than enough. Here are three example lists to borrow and adapt.
Example 1: Love heart from all the grandchildren
- Nana Jean
- Ellie, Jack, Sophie, Harry, Isla, Noah
- Sleepovers
- Jam sandwiches
- Cuddles
- Best nan in the world
- Bingo nights
- Loved by all of us
Example 2: Cup of tea print for her birthday
- Nan’s kitchen
- Kettle’s on
- Milk, two sugars
- Custard creams
- Biscuit tin
- A good natter
- Tea fixes everything
- Pull up a chair
Example 3: Christmas print for a nan who hosts
- Christmas at Nan’s
- 2026
- Every name around the table
- Pigs in blankets
- Too much trifle
- The King’s speech, then a nap
- Paper hats
- Merry and bright
A few tips: use the name the grandchildren actually call her, mix short and long words so the shape fills nicely, and include at least one in-joke. Those are always the words she ends up pointing at.
How it works
- Choose a print. Pick the shape that suits her: heart, tree, teacup, house, Christmas tree and more.
- Type your own words. Add names, dates, places and phrases, and watch the design build as you type.
- See a free preview. Check the layout and change anything you like before paying.
- Choose your format. Take an instant digital download from £9.99 to print yourself, or order a printed or framed print (framed A4 £22.99, A3 £30.99, white mount included), which takes 3–5 working days.
Frequently asked questions
What is a thoughtful gift for a nan who has everything?
Something that can only be made for her. A personalised print filled with her grandchildren’s names, her favourite sayings and family memories can’t be bought off a shelf, so it never duplicates anything she owns. It also takes up a few inches of wall rather than another cupboard.
What should I write on a personalised print for my nan?
Start with the name the family calls her, such as Nan, Nana or Granny, then add every grandchild’s name. Fill the rest with her sayings, her favourite things and shared memories, like sleepovers or Sunday dinners. You see a free preview before you buy, so you can adjust the words until it looks right.
Can I order a personalised gift for nan in time for Christmas?
Yes. Unframed and framed prints take 3–5 working days, so order with that in mind and allow extra time for the Christmas post. If you’ve left it late, the digital download arrives instantly and you can print it at home or at a local print shop.
How much do personalised gifts for nan cost?
Our personalised word art prints start at £9.99 as an instant digital download. Framed prints are £22.99 at A4 and £30.99 at A3, with a white mount included. Splitting a framed print between the grandchildren is an easy way to give one bigger gift from everyone.
Can I include a grandparent who has passed away on Nan’s print?
Yes. You can include the names of family members who are no longer with you alongside everyone else, which is a gentle way to keep Grandad part of the picture. A family tree or heart-shaped print works especially well for this.
The bottom line on gifts for nan
The best gifts for nan celebrate the family she has built. A personalised print filled with her grandchildren’s names, her sayings and her traditions says more than anything off the shelf, and it starts at £9.99. Pick the Love Heart for any occasion, the Christmas print for the festive season or the Cup of Tea print for her birthday. For more ideas for both grandparents, see our full guide to gifts for grandparents.
About Personalised Stuff
Personalised Stuff is a UK shop based in Milngavie, Glasgow, with more than 500 personalised word art designs. Every print is made with the customer’s own words, names and memories, so no two are the same.