10 Ideas to Help You Pick the Perfect Photo Gift for Friends this Valentine’s Day
“When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Your friends are the few people you know you can always count on. The ones who will show up for you, no matter what. They’re there when you need a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, or to just sit comfortably in their presence. They see you, and they know you, better than anyone else. You’re there for them, as they are for you, all built on a thousand small kindnesses swapped back and forth again. If that doesn’t sound like a Valentine, we don’t know what does. After all, that meaningful bond deserves to be celebrated! And though life’s many distractions may oftentimes get in the way, there’s no time like the present to show them just how much you truly appreciate them. After all, as Australian poet Pam Brown said, “A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.”
These 10 photo gift ideas for friends are a great place to start! Whether it’s for a BFF you’ve known since kindergarten or a new pal you’ve made in adulthood, photo gifts make for the perfect present because they not only give you the opportunity to give your friend something totally unique and personalized to them, but they also provide a great opportunity to reminisce on all the experiences you’ve shared and memories you’ve made together! Here’s to you making many more.
Help Them Step Up Their Social Media Game with an Automatic FaceTracking Phone Holder
“Six speed modes, epic shots.” The Pivo Pod makes filming yourself easier than ever! All you have to do is attach a smartphone, pair via Bluetooth, and watch as it follows you with a seamless 360-degree rotation and automatic zoom! Plus you can get the Pivo Pod with either the Starter or Essential Kits to include everything your friend may need, from a remote, smart mount, and travel case to all the above PLUS a tripod. It may not be the cheapest item on this list, but if your friend is an athlete, influencer, streamer, or social media maven, this friendship photo gift idea pays for itself over and over again.
Celebrate Your Friendship with a Custom Crystal Flash Drive
We don’t know about you, but we always seem to be running out of space on our personal laptops. And with so many extended storage options out there, it can be hard to find the right one! That’s where our Personalized Crystal USB 16GB Flash Drives come in. Not only do they boast a read speed of 25mb/s and a write speed of 10mb/s, but you can also customize the attached crystal with a photo of you and your friend and watch it come to life lit by brilliant LEDs when you plug it in! Then, when you're done using it, you can keep it safe with the included polished chrome cover. If you want to make it an even sweeter friendship gift for Valentine’s Day, fill up the flash drive with photos of the two of you or your whole friend group before you gift it to them!
Protect Their Device with a Custom Phone Case
Every day there are new ways to show off your style and, for our money, one of the most important is your phone case. Whether you are scrolling away on your commute, your phone’s left sitting on your desk, or you’re walking around with your phone to your ear, your phone case is one of the things people see you with the most. So why not help your friend express themself with a case tailor-made for them? With brands like Casetify, you can upload a few of their favorite photos and– voila! Is there any better way to create a photo collage gift for friends who are looking to protect their phones in style?
Pair Their Favorite Scent with a Cherished Memory
It’s long been known that our sense of smell has a big impact on our memory. Sometimes, just catching a whiff of something can trigger a rush of memories long past, or even seemingly forgotten. It’s that phenomenon that inspired our genius team of designers to create our Custom Crystal Candle Holders. By pairing a cherished photo with a soothing scent for our organic soy wax candle collection, you’ll find yourself transported right back to the place you snapped the pic, the memory emerging from the flicker of the candle flame. It’s one of the most sentimental Valentine’s Day gifts you can give!
They Can Reminisce While They Read with a Custom Bookmark
One of our favorite things to do after lighting one of our candles is sit back and relax with a good book. Sometimes it can be hard to gauge what type of book your friend might enjoy, let alone not knowing if they already read something without spoiling the surprise! That’s why the best picture gifts for friends who love to read are custom bookmarks. Better yet, with brands like Walgreens, customizing your own bookmark is easier than ever! Just pick out your favorite design, upload a photo (or a few) and, place the order, and you can pick it up right in-store in just minutes.
Upload a Photo and Watch it Come to Life in a 3D Crystal Square
We’ve shouted out a couple of other photo crystals earlier on this list, but none quite as showstopping and timeless as this! The 3D Crystal Photo Square’s classic design puts the focus on your friend’s most cherished memories in breathtaking detail, turning any flat, 2D picture into a 3D masterpiece with a mesmerizing “following” effect as you turn the crystal. Plus, it comes with a FREE 3D Preview of your 3D Model before we start engraving your crystal so you can request revisions and work with our team of designers every step of the way to ensure your friend’s photo gift is perfect.
Put Together a Custom Jigsaw Puzzle Together
The best photo gift ideas for best friends are those that provide an experience; even better if it’s something you can do together! At puzzleYOU you can design a photo puzzle of your very own and make a delightful Valentine’s evening of it, putting the puzzle together with your friend– or friends, if you’re working on a particularly large puzzle. With hundreds of personalized puzzle designs to choose from, you can create yours by uploading up to 65 photos, choosing a template of up to 2000 pieces, and customizing the box however you like.
Remind Them They Always Have a Friend Nearby with a Personalized Keychain
Sometimes life gets busy and we don’t get to see our friends as much as we’d like. With the Custom Crystal Keychain Square, you can always keep them near! Masterfully engraved with state-of-the-art subsurface laser technology in high-quality K9 crystal, you can transform a photo of your BFF into a 3D Photo Crystal attached to a zinc alloy keyring that attaches to any set of keys. PLUS, it comes with a small, battery-powered LED light that makes your engraving stand out even more!
Let Them Know You Care with a DIY Message in a Bottle
If you’re looking for cute picture ideas for a best friend, the perfect one just washed ashore! At shops like Callie, you can design a personalized message in a bottle in a unique photo booth style that comes with an oak display stand you can engrave with a special message like “Friends Forever.” You can even add your own secret message on the backside of the photos! Feeling crafty? Check out this blog from Chrissy Marie Blog to learn how to create your own!
Design Your Own Friendship Time Capsule in 3D
Time capsules are a way to connect with the future. From saving important memories and helping prevent a loss of information to setting manifestations and intentions and providing future generations (or even a future you) with something to reflect on, putting together a time capsule is an exciting and creative way to capture who you are now. That’s why making one with a friend is so fun! So, should you decide to open it up later, decades down the line, you can look back at who you both once were and reflect on where you are now. That’s exactly what our designers had in mind when creating the 3D Amber Capsule Keepsake. Crafted to capture your fondest memories, every crystal in our Heritage Series was made to be passed down for generations. Just upload a photo and design one of your very own! Crafted with high-quality K9 crystal, this custom photo keepsake ensures your memory will never fade.
Love these Valentine’s Day friendship gift ideas? You can find even more picture gifts for best friends at our online shop, featuring up to 40% OFF + 50% OFF Crystal Copies for a limited time only!