Custom Gifts for Friends: 15 Ideas They’ll Never Forget

The difference between a good friend gift and a great one is specificity. Anyone can buy a candle. Only you can put the photo from the 2019 camping trip where everyone got rained out onto a pair of socks. That is the kind of gift that gets texted about in the group chat three years later.

Here are fifteen custom gift ideas for friends, roommates, bridesmaids, groomsmen and the friend who is impossible to shop for, all printable from a phone photo.

The inside joke gifts

• Face socks of the friend, given to the friend. Peak absurdity. Face socks start at $16.80 and we hand-cut the face so it looks clean.
• Face socks of you, given to them. So they can “always have you around.” Somehow funnier.
• A mouse pad with the worst screenshot of them from the group chat. Under $20. They will use it, angrily.
• A novelty license plate with the nickname. “BIG STEVE” on a real aluminum plate is a gift that hangs in an apartment for a decade. 6×12 plates.

The sentimental ones

• A desk mat of the photo from the trip. Wide landscape shots, the sunset from the rooftop, the whole group on the pier. The 14×24 is the sweet spot.
• A mini plate with the date you met or the address of the first apartment. 3×6 mini plates fit on a shelf.
• Matching mouse pads for long-distance friends. Same photo, two desks, two cities.
• Pet socks for the friend whose dog is the real best friend. Pet socks.

Wedding party gifts

• Groomsmen face socks with the groom’s face, for everyone to wear down the aisle. This is our single most-ordered wedding item, and it photographs perfectly during the shoe shot.
• Bridesmaid socks with each person’s own face and the wedding date at the cuff.
• A “Just Married” plate for the getaway car. Real aluminum, weatherproof, and it becomes garage wall art after.
• A custom plate frame for each groomsman’s car with the wedding hashtag.

Roommate and housewarming

• A desk mat for the new WFH setup. Their favorite art, a city map, or a photo of the old apartment.
• A plate for the new garage or the front door with the street number in a state-plate style.
• A mouse pad for the shared office that says exactly whose mouse it is.

Tips for ordering friend gifts

Use the best photo you have. Screenshots are fine for a joke mouse pad; for a desk mat, dig up the original. Group orders get discounts. Ten pairs of socks for the wedding party saves 5% automatically, 25 saves 20%. Different designs are fine. Every pair can have a different face and still count toward the bulk discount. Timing: plates and mats ship in 1-3 business days, socks in 3-5, then 3-5 days shipping. Start designing on any product page; preview is live and free.