Personalised Christmas Video Gifts: 9 Ideas Made From Photos, Memories and Inside Jokes
Updated: Sep 3
Every Christmas has at least one person who is almost impossible to buy for.
They already have enough socks.
They do not need another mug.
They say, “Honestly, don’t get me anything,” which is spectacularly unhelpful.
And after several years of chocolates, candles, gift sets and vouchers, finding something that feels genuinely personal can become difficult.
That is where personalised Christmas video gifts can be different.
Instead of buying another object from a shelf, you can take something that already belongs to the recipient — a favourite photograph, family memory, ridiculous habit, beloved pet or private joke — and turn it into a short personalised cartoon scene.
It might make them laugh.
It might make them unexpectedly emotional.
Ideally, it does both.
If you have plenty of Christmas memories but cannot decide which one would make the strongest present, see how to turn a shared memory into a personalised gift.
Here are nine Christmas video gift ideas built around the things that make someone unmistakably them.
Why Personalised Christmas Video Gifts Feel Different
Putting somebody's name on a gift makes it personalised.
But making the gift about something only they would recognise takes it much further.
Think about the stories that come out every Christmas.
The year Dad attempted to cook the turkey.
The holiday where somebody packed everything except the passports.
Grandad falling asleep before the King's Christmas message.
The dog successfully locating every wrapped edible present under the tree.
The family member who insists they are excellent at Monopoly despite twenty years of evidence suggesting otherwise.
Those memories are difficult to buy in a shop.
But they are excellent material for a personalised video.
A personalised cartoon video gift takes photographs and the story behind them and turns them into a short animated scene that can be watched, saved and shared.
The more specific the story, the more personal the finished gift can feel.
1. Santa's Sat Nav Disaster
Christmas Eve.
Santa is making excellent progress.
Then his sat nav sends him to the wrong house.
Unfortunately for him, it is yours.
Imagine Santa landing outside the recipient's actual home before being confronted by their dog, their children, their partner or whichever family member is most likely to cause trouble.
Perhaps Dad attempts to give Santa directions.
Perhaps Mum takes over the entire operation because nobody else is organising it properly.
Perhaps the dog steals something from the sleigh.
Perhaps Santa decides the house is too chaotic and leaves.
This works particularly well because the Christmas setting can be combined with details from real life.
You can find Santa's Sat Nav Disaster and more inspiration on our personalised cartoon video ideas page.
2. The Family Christmas Chaos Awards
Every family deserves recognition for its achievements.
Just perhaps not the achievements normally celebrated at awards ceremonies.
Create a cartoon Christmas awards night with categories based entirely around your family.
For example:
Most Likely to Start Eating Before Everyone Sits Down
Outstanding Contribution to Christmas Chocolate Consumption
Lifetime Achievement in Falling Asleep After Dinner
Best Performance Pretending to Like a Present
Most Competitive Board Game Player
Fastest Disappearance When Washing Up Starts
Person Most Likely to Ask When Dinner Will Be Ready
The recipient could host the ceremony, win every category or watch the whole family collect completely ridiculous trophies.
The beauty of this idea is that every award can be based on something people already joke about.
Nobody outside the family needs to understand it.
In fact, that is often what makes it better.
3. Turn an Old Christmas Memory Into a Cartoon
Look through your camera roll.
Then go further back.
There may be a Christmas photograph from five, ten or twenty years ago that immediately brings back a story.
Maybe it is:
the children's first Christmas together;
your first Christmas as a couple;
Christmas in an old family home;
a photograph with grandparents;
the year everybody wore terrible jumpers;
Christmas dinner with an enormous dog sitting hopefully beside the table;
or a family photograph where nobody is looking at the camera.
Instead of simply printing the photograph, use the memory behind it.
What happened before the picture?
What happened afterwards?
What does everybody remember about that Christmas?
Christmas photographs are often only one part of a much bigger family history. See our personalised family memory gifts from photos for ideas covering old homes, grandparents, holidays, pets and everyday family moments too.
A cartoon scene can take the real memory and play with it rather than simply reproducing the photograph.
If you are wondering which pictures are most useful, our guide explains how to choose the best photos and story for a personalised cartoon scene.
4. The Pet Who Stole Christmas
Anyone who has ever celebrated Christmas with a dog or cat knows that pets have their own understanding of the festive season.
Wrapping paper is a toy.
Cardboard boxes are obviously intended for cats.
Food left unattended is public property.
The Christmas tree is either suspicious or irresistible.
And every present under it must be investigated immediately.
That makes pets excellent Christmas cartoon characters.
Your dog could become Santa's completely unreliable new reindeer.
Your cat could appoint themselves Chief Executive of Christmas.
A rabbit could launch a secret operation to locate the carrots.
The family pet could catch Santa in the living room and demand additional treats before allowing him to leave.
Or you could recreate something your pet genuinely does every Christmas.
For more inspiration, see our guide to personalised pet gifts and cartoon pet videos.
5. Turn the Family Inside Joke Into Their Christmas Present
Some of the best Christmas gifts look completely baffling to everyone else in the room.
Then one person sees them and immediately starts laughing.
That is an inside-joke gift.
Maybe your family only needs to hear:
“Christmas 2019.”
“The gravy incident.”
“Never let Steve assemble it.”
“One quick drink.”
“Where are the batteries?”
And everybody already knows the rest.
Those private references make excellent personalised gifts because they cannot easily be copied.
You are not just saying:
“Merry Christmas.”
You are saying:
“I remember this ridiculous thing that happened to us.”
A small real-life incident can become something much bigger in cartoon form.
A disastrous Christmas dinner becomes a kitchen action movie.
Somebody assembling a toy incorrectly becomes an international engineering emergency.
The family's worst navigator becomes responsible for guiding Santa around the world.
If your Christmas joke has become part of family folklore, see our funny family inside joke gift ideas for nine ways to turn the strange phrases, annual disasters and stories only your family understands into the gift.
6. Make a Christmas Gift for Someone Who Lives Miles Away
Not everybody gets to spend Christmas in the same room.
Children move away.
Friends live in different cities.
Families become spread around the country or overseas.
People work over Christmas.
And sometimes you simply cannot hand somebody their present personally.
A digital Christmas gift can be useful because the reveal does not depend on the recipient being physically nearby.
Instead of posting another parcel, you can send them something built around the memories you share.
That could be:
an old friendship story;
a family memory;
photographs from previous Christmases;
an inside joke;
a message from the family;
or a cartoon version of everybody celebrating together.
The finished video can then become part of the Christmas message itself.
If digital delivery is useful, you may also like our guide to personalised gifts you can send by WhatsApp.
For ideas that work beyond Christmas too, see our guide to finding a digital gift for someone who lives far away.
7. Create Their Completely Unofficial Christmas Movie Trailer
Every family has somebody whose ordinary life could be made to sound dramatically more important.
This Christmas:
One man must face his greatest challenge yet... assembling three children's toys without reading the instructions.
Or:
One woman. One kitchen. Twelve guests. And absolutely nobody else being remotely helpful.
Or:
He thought Christmas shopping on 23 December would be easy. He was wrong.
Turn the recipient into the star of their own absurd Christmas blockbuster.
Their hobbies and habits can become the plot.
Someone obsessed with football could abandon Christmas dinner because a match has started.
The person famous for cooking could become a celebrity chef attempting to save Christmas.
Someone permanently attached to their phone could be recruited to coordinate Santa's global delivery operation.
The more recognisable the character, the funnier the trailer becomes.
8. Make a Christmas Scene About the Person Who Holds Everything Together
Not every personalised Christmas video needs to be ridiculous.
Sometimes the person you are buying for is the one who quietly makes Christmas happen.
The person who:
buys the presents;
remembers everyone's favourite food;
organises the family;
wraps everything;
travels between houses;
hosts dinner;
keeps the children entertained;
checks everybody is included;
and somehow still gets asked where the sellotape is.
A Christmas cartoon can exaggerate that role in a warm way.
They might become the true commander of Santa's workshop.
An army of elves could report to them.
Santa might telephone for advice.
The family could finally discover that Christmas has secretly been running because of them all along.
It is funny enough to entertain them while still carrying a genuine message underneath:
We notice everything you do.
9. Create a Christmas Memory They Can Replay
The best personalised gifts do not necessarily need an enormous punchline.
Sometimes one small moment is enough.
A grandparent surrounded by the family.
A couple remembering their first Christmas.
Children opening presents.
A pet curled up in its usual place.
A familiar home decorated for Christmas.
A family member doing the thing everybody associates with them.
Choose one moment and make that the centre of the scene.
Christmas is naturally nostalgic, which makes photographs and old memories particularly powerful.
You are not trying to squeeze somebody's entire life into one gift.
You are simply choosing one story worth bringing back.
Who Can You Make a Personalised Christmas Video For?
Almost anyone — provided you have something personal to work with.
A Christmas cartoon video could be created for:
Mum or Dad;
grandparents;
a husband, wife or partner;
a brother or sister;
your best friend;
children;
a colleague;
someone living abroad;
a pet lover;
or the whole family.
Buying for somebody at work? We've also put together funny personalised Secret Santa gift ideas for a colleague using office photos, catchphrases and the jokes only the team understands.
The recipient matters less than the story.
Ask yourself:
What do I know about this person that a shop doesn't?
That is normally where the best idea begins.
How to Create a Personalised Christmas Video Gift
You do not need to arrive with a finished script.
Start with four things.
Choose the person
Who is the scene for?
And should anybody else appear?
That might include family members, friends or pets.
Choose the memory, habit or joke
What makes them recognisable?
Think about:
their hobbies;
favourite phrases;
family role;
funny habits;
pet;
job;
Christmas traditions;
shared memories;
or the story everybody always tells.
Choose your photographs
Clear photographs of the people or pets involved give the scene its starting point.
They do not need to be professional pictures.
Everyday photographs are often more useful because they already contain personality.
Our photo and story guide explains what to look for.
Share your idea
You can then provide the photographs and describe what you would like the scene to capture.
You do not need to write the animation yourself.
If you want to understand the process before ordering, see how personalised cartoon video gifts work.
Can a Personalised Christmas Video Be a Last-Minute Gift?
Digital gifts have one obvious advantage at Christmas:
there is no parcel waiting in a delivery depot.
However, personalised does not mean instant.
A custom cartoon still needs to be created around your photographs and story, so it is sensible to order ahead rather than relying on Christmas Eve heroics.
If Christmas is getting uncomfortably close, check the current Send A Scene pricing and options along with the latest turnaround before ordering.
Once the finished video arrives, it can be sent digitally rather than posted.
That can be particularly useful for friends and relatives you will not see in person.
What Makes a Christmas Video Actually Feel Personal?
Specificity.
Compare these two ideas.
Idea one:
“Make Dad a funny Christmas cartoon.”
Perfectly possible.
But not particularly personal yet.
Idea two:
“Dad insists on cooking Christmas dinner every year, treats the turkey like a military operation, refuses all offers of help and always falls asleep on the sofa afterwards with our Labrador, Bert.”
Now there is a character.
There is a story.
There is a pet.
There is a setting.
There is a punchline.
That is the material that turns a generic Christmas video into his Christmas video.
The same principle applies whether the scene is funny, sentimental or somewhere between the two.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personalised Christmas Video Gifts
Can I use old photographs in a personalised Christmas video?
Yes. Older photographs can be particularly useful when the gift is based around a family memory or previous Christmas. Choose images where the important people are reasonably clear and provide extra current photographs if they help show someone's appearance.
Can a pet be included?
Absolutely. Pets are often responsible for some of the best Christmas stories. Dogs, cats and other animals can become part of the main scene rather than simply appearing in the background.
Do I need to write a script?
No. A useful starting point is simply who the gift is for, what they are known for, the story or joke you want to include and the feeling you want the scene to have.
Can I include more than one person?
Yes. Family and group scenes can work particularly well at Christmas. Keep the story focused, though: trying to include every relative, memory and joke from the last twenty years can make a short scene unnecessarily complicated.
Can I send the finished Christmas video through WhatsApp?
A digital video is naturally suited to messaging and sharing. This can be particularly useful when the recipient lives elsewhere or you want the video to arrive alongside your Christmas message.
What if I do not have a funny story?
It does not need to be funny. A favourite family memory, hobby, relationship, pet or Christmas tradition can provide more than enough material for a warm personalised scene.
Is a personalised Christmas video good for someone who has everything?
It can be particularly useful for somebody who does not need more possessions. Instead of giving them another object, you are creating something around a story, memory or joke that belongs specifically to them.
Give Them a Story This Christmas
Most people will forget exactly what they received for Christmas several years ago.
But they remember stories.
The disastrous dinner.
The family joke.
The dog attacking the wrapping paper.
The trip everybody still talks about.
The person who made Christmas special.
A personalised Christmas video gift gives you a way to take one of those stories and turn it into something they can watch, share and keep.
So before buying another generic present, think about the person.
What do they always do?
What do they always say?
What photograph makes you immediately think of them?
What story would make them laugh before you even reached the end?
That is probably where their Christmas scene starts.
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