It sure seems like this year has flown by, doesn’t it? Hard to believe we’re just two months away from Christmas. My family has a tradition of making handmade gifts for each other, and we just drew names for who we will make for this year. It got me thinking about how special this tradition is and how much I love the gifts that have been made for me over the years. But I know not everyone is creative and even fewer have the time or talent to make things themselves.
The good news is, there are lots of talented folks out there that can help you give a personalized gift to someone special. My go-to place for custom artwork is Etsy. Whether vintage, original or custom, you won’t be disappointed. Here are a few great Etsy sellers we wanted to highlight:
1.) Pawtrait Studio & Prints
Pawtrait Studio & Prints founders Brendon and Liezl started the company because of their deep love for their fur baby Kobe, a cavoodle. They work closely with clients to develop the perfect piece that captures your pet’s personality, look and special characteristics. Digital orders are typically ready in 2-3 business days and print orders should be ready to ship in 5-7 days (from Australia). They have graciously offered a discount to our readers too! Just follow this link or use the code treasurehunters15 for 15% off.
2.) Lucy Loves Paper
Lucy Saisse is the owner/illustrator behind Lucy Loves Paper. In just a few years, she has become well known for her custom portraits, even being featured in news media coverage and in an Etsy television ad. Lucy hand draws each portrait with her digital pen, no apps or pre-made templates are used. Your art is drawn based on your own photos in a lovely, vintage style custom portrait that is truly one-of-a-kind. She offers printable PDF files or prints. Delivery takes a couple of weeks after approval. I was so smitten with this unique art because of its vintage style vibe that I had one done for Jill and her family. It turned out amazing.
3.) Purple Paper People by Patricia Lima
Growing up, I was obsessed with paper dolls. I loved the 3-dimensional way they could come to life like a drawing couldn’t. When I came across this artist on Etsy, it reminded me of those days. Patricia Lima is the artist behind Purple Paper People – custom paper cut portraits. To create your piece, she works with three good resolution photos that you provide (1 close-upfront facing, 1 profile and 1 natural pose that shows personality). You also specify eye color, clothing and hairstyle preferences and she gets to work. Final product takes about a month for delivery.
4.) Annalee Prints ALP
Idaho’s Annalee Turner started her Etsy shop, Annalee Prints ALP, at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, focusing on whimsical home and family art. She has always loved creating – when she was in middle school, she came across a watercolor painting that she wanted to buy, but it didn’t fit into her 13-year-old budget. So, she decided to recreate it. While it probably didn’t come close to the original, that was when she discovered her love of watercolor and has been painting ever since. When you work with Annalee Prints, each watercolor painting is carefully made from your photo(s). Offered in 8×10 or 11×14, the custom painting will arrive ready to be framed. “When customers reach out and tell me how the paintings impact them or those they purchased them for, it’s very motivating. I love brightening lives through my watercolor.”
5.) Rozy Haze Studio by Katie Sweatman
Y’all know we love embroidery, as shared in a recent post. When I saw these cute custom home embroidery art pieces from Rozy Haze Studio, I knew I had found the perfect gift for my mom. She is moving from her beloved home to a smaller house that is closer to my sister and me. Although the transition will bring her lots of positives, she is sad about leaving the home that she loves. I sent the artist a photo of my mom’s house and she sent me back this darling embroidered replica. Whether you’re celebrating someone’s first home or commemorating your happy place, this is a memorable and meaningful gift. Delivery is typically within a couple weeks from purchase.
6.) Nana Workshop Studio
I’ve always loved architectural drawings of homes and buildings. They provide such a unique and detailed look at a structure. Nana Workshop Studio creates beautiful blueprint style architectural drawings customized for you. Nana is a digital graphic designer with over 15 years of design experience. Keep in mind that this is digital art which she can print for you, or she can provide the digital files that you can print yourself. After your order is placed, she will send you a proof to review in 3-5 business days and once approved you will receive the final digital drawing in high resolution via email shortly after. If you purchase physical copies, shipping will be 8-10 days after art approval. This would make a perfect housewarming gift, realtor gift to client or a great personal décor piece for your home.
7.) Helga McLeod
As I shared in an earlier post, I am a huge fan of vintage portrait paintings and have established a gallery wall of them in my home office. I wanted to include my beloved Nana amongst the ladies, so I sought out an artist to paint a portrait of her. I sent her a favorite photo of Nana and within a short turnaround time she sent me a sketch to approve. When it arrived in the mail a few weeks later, I cried happy tears because it was a near exact likeness of her. I ended up putting it in a vintage gilded French frame I found at a flea market and it now hangs amongst the other lady portraits in my office.
8.) Nibiru Design
Gizem Nibiru is the artist behind Nibiru Design, specializing in custom portraits for couples, families, friends and pets. In 2018, she opened her Etsy business, turning memories into cute and modern illustrations. Her work is drawn by hand from photos. She is able to combine photos to create a new composition as well. The best part of the job for her is seeing people’s happiness at the end…even sometimes tears of joy. “It’s also nice knowing that my art is lovingly displayed in so many people’s homes”. Products are digital only so no physical items will be shipped to you.
9.) Couple Artist – Rabia Bulut Embroidery
Seriously, how beautiful are these embroidered portraits by Rabia Balut? The detail is breathtaking. Each design is embroidered by hand with cotton threads on the hoop size you choose. The process is fairly easy – send the photo you want to use, and she will provide a sketch for approval before beginning any stitching. Delivery can take 1-2 months depending on her workload at the time, so you’ll want to allow for ample time if you’re ordering as a gift. This is such a unique and special piece of art.
10.) Paper Portraits by Kathryn Flocken
I am a sucker for silhouettes and have two gallery walls in my home of them. They are such a classic art form that captures a moment in time beautifully. Honestly it always surprises me how much they capture the essence of someone. I have worked with artist Kathryn Flocken a couple of times and couldn’t be more pleased with the silhouettes she has done for me. Both of them are featured here along with the photos I provided for her. As you can see, the likeness is amazing. Kathryn has been making silhouette portraits since 1989, mostly from her home studio in Orlando, Florida. All work is freehand cut with scissors by Kathryn, so she is not able to send a proof before work is completed. Orders can take a few weeks to complete and ship out, so be sure to factor that in when ordering.
11.) Studio202Co
Based in Prescott, Arizona, Sadie Sarti started her graphic/web design career over 10 years ago as an opportunity to spend more time with her boys. It quickly blossomed into a very successful small business. She loves creating on-trend creative concepts for people, along with her team at Studio202co.
12.) Custom Your Moment by Daisy
What really stood out to me about Daisy’s art was the focus on moments – it’s even in the name. There are many artists that do portraits – and she does those too – but I love the special and everyday moments she captures. I was inspired to order a special drawing for my dear friend Ingrid, who loves to travel and hike in beautiful locations. I thought it would be so nice to commemorate a moment from one of her photos where she is enjoying a breathtaking view. It turned out beautifully. Custom Your Moment offers pen and ink drawings from your photograph in a freehand flowing line that is colored with watercolor brushes. They offer posters, framed prints, wrapped canvas and digital files.
13.) Places and Spaces Art Co.
Places & Spaces Art Co. was founded by husband and wife creative team, Daryl and Corinna Horn. They were inspired to create art prints based on real-life travel experiences, stemming from two California road trips they took together a few years back. They aim to capture the joy of travel to enable customers to relive their own precious memories. They offer photographic styles, retro themes and hand-drawn illustrations. All of their pieces are Giclee printed on thick, textured, fine art paper to ensure a rich, vibrant, high-quality product. These would make great couple or travel buddy gifts. Delivery times are estimated to be about a month from order to completion.
Personalized gifts mean more to people than they can probably ever express. To find the right piece, just focus on the person and their traits that you appreciate, and of course the relationship you have with them. There are so many unique and affordable options to make someone important to you feel special.
~ Beckie
Photo Courtesy Credits:
Pawtrait Studio & Prints, Purple Paper People, Annalee Prints, Nana Workshop Studio, Nibiru Design, Rabia Balut, Studio202co, Places & Spaces Art Co.