8 Ways To Turn A Memory Into A Beautiful Gift

You should always cherish memories and cling to the happiest moments in your life. Shared memories are even more important; they connect you with someone else or multiple people. Unfortunately, we don’t always remember every moment of our lives – even the happiest ones. 

That’s why turning a memory into a beautiful gift is the perfect gift idea for a family member, friend, or special someone. 

It turns out you can bring amazing memories to life in more than one way. If you want to commemorate a special event or remind a loved one of some good times, then here are a few of the best ways to create loving gifts from memories: 

Custom Map Wall Art

There are loads of ways you can turn a map into the perfect gift. It’s a fabulous idea to give to partners as a way of remembering a certain event. For example, you could get a custom map displaying where you had your first date together. You’ll find maps like these online, and they’re a lot nicer than simply taking a screenshot from Google Maps! 

Someone will take your desired location and then turn it into a wonderful piece of wall art to hang in a frame. It’s a classy decorative gift with more than a personal touch. Another great use case for this type of gift is to remember where your child was born. Get a custom map displaying the hospital location to ensure it’s immortalized forever. 

If you want, you could even throw star maps into the ring with this one. They’re slightly different; you get an image of the exact star map for a specific date and time. It’s arguably a prettier image and piece of art, so it’s worth looking for places that do this type of gift. 

Laser-Etched Items

You can turn multiple memories into lovely gifts with custom laser engraving. Take a photo and then get it etched into a coaster, chopping board, or a pint glass. It’s such a simple yet beautiful way of making memories come alive. Sure, you’ve got the photo, and it will never go away, but there’s something special about being able to see it whenever you have a drink. 

The beauty of laser-etched gifts is that you can customize them however you want. Instead of engraving a photo, why don’t you engrave a map like from the previous idea? Or, you could engrave some special words that mean something to you and the recipient. Engraving your wedding vows onto something is an excellent wedding anniversary idea.

Photo Scrapbook

Let’s be real; you can’t go wrong with a photo scrapbook. It’s probably one of the easiest DIY gift ideas out there, making it a fine choice if you’re gifting on a budget. The biggest problem with gift-giving culture is that too many people focus on the price of an item. It’s extremely cliche, but the thought counts! Someone would much rather have a gift with a lot of thought put into it than an obvious gift that costs a lot of money.

That’s where photo scrapbooks excel! 

It’s a chance for you to put in maximum effort by scouring your archives for loads of photos. It’s also the best way to preserve memories – collect images from specific events or periods in a person’s life to job their memory, and all the good times come flooding back. 

Engraved Jewelry

If you’re buying for someone who loves jewelry, then some custom-engraved items make a lot of sense. Loads of independent stores on Etsy and other platforms sell products like these. You can buy a piece of jewelry and then engrave something special on it for the recipient to see and cherish. 

The world’s your oyster here; pick something that sparks a memory to life. 

For example, the date of your wedding day or the birth of your first child. If you’re buying a Valentine’s gift for someone you’ve been with for a long time, then this is the perfect opportunity to get creative. Engrave a ring or a bracelet with your loved one’s nickname – or even a short phrase that means a lot to both of you. 

Photo Projection Necklace

We’ll stick with jewelry gift ideas for a moment and look at photo projection necklaces. If you don’t know what these are, then don’t worry! They’re a bit of a recent trend and have rocketed in popularity over the last couple of years. In essence, you buy a necklace with a tiny photo inside it, which you see by looking through a small pendant. 

It might sound complicated, but a photo-projection necklace is such a neat little gift idea. The necklaces themselves look very subtle and beautiful – there’s just a small ball pendant that basically looks like a little gemstone. The image is tucked away, but the wearer can look at it whenever they want. 

Also – and this is where the “projection” part comes in – if you shine a light through the pendant, then it projects the image onto the wall! 

A Special Candle

Who doesn’t love a candle? Smelly gifts are always sure to please, but they’re not exactly personal. How can you create a gift that symbolizes a memory with a candle? Again, you can use customizations to put someone’s name on the candle or the data of a special event. 

However, the better approach is to look for custom candles where you can create your own scent. This lets your creativity run wild while ensuring you preserve a special memory in the most unique way. Think about an event or a memory that lives long in your mind and connects you with the recipient. Then, try to remember if this memory had any specific smells. 

That sounds weird, but you’ll be surprised how many memories are triggered by smells. For instance, maybe the smell of freshly cut grass reminds you of your first date with someone. Or, perhaps certain perfumey smells remind you of someone’s perfume/cologne when you got married. There are loads of ways a smell connects two people to a memory, so bring them to life with a candle. 

Soundwave Gifts

Soundwave gifts are the latest trend, and you can use them in two main ways. The first is to find someone who’ll take a song or a recording and find the actual soundwave of it. Then, they bring the soundwave to life in a beautiful print to hang on the wall. It’s an artistic gift with a lot of meaning behind it – and a great way to breathe life into a special song or immortalize your baby’s first words. 

The second way is to create Spotify soundwave tags. You get a Spotify Code for your favorite song – or a song that exudes certain memories – and engrave it onto a keyring, necklace, etc. The person receiving the gift can scan the code and be taken straight to the song. A truly romantic gift for Valentine’s Day or your anniversary, and one that immediately sparks lots of happy memories. 

Custom Storybook

A custom storybook is the final gift idea to consider. You can find companies or independent artists who will make a storybook for an event. This could be the tale of your first baby being born or a romantic little story of your first date. Parents love this type of idea for kids when they hit their big birthday milestones – you could get a storybook of your child’s life when they turn 21. 

It’s outside of the box, but this gift will be greatly appreciated because it jobs memories, carries lots of nostalgia, and shows how much you care. 

After all, that’s what gift-giving is all about! You want to show someone how much you care and appreciate them – and what better way to do this than by drawing up some happy memories?