Gift Ideas Blog

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Your Photo-Your Story: Eleanor’s Photo Blanket

We were very grateful to receive the following review of our Photo Blanket from Eleanor, whose dad was in intensive care for 13 weeks:

‘If you have a loved one in hospital, the photo blanket is a fantastic idea for a gift, and so much less clutter for the patient to deal with than if you leave photos in frames etc. It was such a cheerful and useful present, and I am sure it actually improved the quality of my dad’s care when he was seriously ill.

 The service from Bags of Love was great. The blanket arrived within a couple of days and it looked gorgeous. We did a photo collage with over a dozen pictures of home, holidays, pets, and all dad’s family, as well as a picture of dad smiling when he was well.

 This gift was great for my dad’s memory and reduced his confusion and fears in intensive care. It also became a huge talking point for the staff. The nurses and doctors often stood with him chatting about the pictures on the blanket.

 Three months on, my dad is well on the way to a full recovery. The blanket has washed beautifully and now lives on the back of my parents’ sofa.’

- Eleanor

It’s nice to know that our photo gifts can provide some comfort and reassurance to those who are experiencing a long stay in hospital. Being in hospital is obviously worrying and stressful for patients but it seems as though the photo blanket was a welcome distraction for Eleanor’s dad. Because you can personalize our blankets with photos, a more homely feel can be given to a hospital bed, which can then help lessen the scariness of the situation. It’s also great to hear that the pictures on the blanket helped Eleanor’s dad to remember people when he was coming out of a coma. (You can see the blanket placed on back of the sofa).

Photo blankets make wonderful photo gifts for loved ones in hospital and can really help to put a smile on their faces.

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Towel Day Competition Winners Announcement!

Our Towel Day Competition was a roaring success, a big thank you to all those that entered! Your designs are fabulous, we loved looking at what you came up with and we hope you enjoyed designing them as much as we enjoyed looking at them. As a gift from us, all those that took part will receive a 20% discount – you lucky things! (Please check your email)

Don’t worry if you missed out, keep an eye on us as we have many more competitions up our sleeves!

This competition is now CLOSED. 

A huge 144 entries made it a tight competition and the judging process tough (so tough!), but we settled on the lucky 5 winners. Have a nosy and check out their winning-formula designs below!

Kirsty from the UK

Valentina from Ireland

Zack from the USA

Simon from France

Ghia from the USA

Bags of Love is the home of original printed beach towels! All our custom printed beach towels are handmade by us and thanks to our sophisticated printing methods, your image will not peel or fade with use. We make 5 different sizes and can even custom make huge bespoke towels up to 10 metres long!

These towels will last years and years and are perfect for a holiday trip, hiking, or at the gym. So use them well winners, and always know where your towel is!

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Welcome To Towel Day Competition!

The 25^th of May can only mean one thing, Towel Day! What? You’ve never heard of Towel Day? Well, let us fill you in… The day is a celebration of the life and work of the late Douglas Adams observed by his fans through carrying a towel all day. A quote from Adams’ work ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ states the value of towels as being ‘about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have’. Indeed, towels have many uses which Adams outlines:

‘You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta’
‘Wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat’
‘Wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal’
‘Dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough’
   - Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

COMPETITION DETAILS – How to enter

THE COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Here at Bags of Love we would also argue that towels make great personalised photo gifts! So, to celebrate Towel Day we’re giving you the chance to win an awesome custom towel.

Here’s how you can win a MAXI sized Beach Towel in 3 simple steps!

1. Click this button (opens in new window)

2. Design a beautiful towel

3. Click “Save Design” button and enter your name as: yourname #towelday and put your email address.

The competition is now closed

Not 1, but the Top 5 design winners will each receive a MAXI sized personalised beach towel with their design printed on it.

* Please don’t worry about the 2 automated emails you will receive from us once you saved the design. We’re sorry for the glitch.

Terms of the competition:

-  The competition is open worldwide and will close at 5pm (BST) on Tuesday 21^st May.
-  We’ll be featuring your design on our Facebook album so you can share it with your friends and family members (Mentioning your Name and Design Id on the image will set your design apart).
-  For the purpose of this competition you will be unable to use any copyrighted images in your design and therefore will be barred from taking part in the competition if found using any.
- No offensive designs.
- The winners will be selected by our expert designers and the prize will not be exchangeable or refundable.
Take a look at few designs from our participants:  World Towel Day Album

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Tips For Hiring A Wedding Photographer

Wedding photos are a great way to remember your big day from the dress and cake to embarrassing dancing at the reception. Whilst the hors d’oeuvres will be eaten and cake served your wedding pictures will adorn your walls for years to come. The pictures are often the only tangible memory of a wedding that will stay with you forever so it’s vital to make an informed decision when hiring a photographer.

1: Hire a professional

Just because a relative or family friend has a digital camera doesn’t mean they are equipped to capture your irreplaceable memories. It can be fun for your loved ones to take their own photos, but don’t rely solely on them. You need to find a photographer that, ideally, specialises in wedding photography.

2: Meet the photographer

Meeting the photographer is important because if they are friendly they will put you at ease and your photos will not look awkward and tense. If you build a good rapport with the photographer it is likely that you will take their directions well and the photography will be a fun part of the wedding.

3: Which equipment?

Ask your photographer which camera and equipment they will be using and how will they achieve the desired effects that you want. You might not understand all of the technical jargon but if they don’t have much to say, then that is a cause for concern. A great photographer will be passionate about what they do and happy to talk to you about cameras and the techniques they use.

4: See their portfolio

It’s important that the style of the photographer matches the style of photos that you want. If your wedding is quite laid back and casual, candid photography or a photojournalism style would be appropriate. In these types of photography photos are taken without being staged, they can be action shots. If your wedding is more formal you may opt for more posed portraiture. Either way it’s nice to get a mix of styles, but make sure that your photographer specialises in the style of photography that you want.

5: Digital or film

If your photographer shoots using film, after the wedding you will probably be presented with hard copies of your photos as proofs. With a photographer using digital, you will most likely be sent your photos online or be posted a DVD containing the images. It can be nice to have digital photos to create personalised gifts, but whether you choose digital or film is a matter of personal preference. Also make sure that you know exactly what you are getting in terms of the wedding photography package i.e. how many albums will you receive.

Following these tips will ensure that your wedding photography is a success and the memory of your day is not ruined by awful photos.

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DIY: How To Make A Cushion Cover

We love to know what our customers make using our fabrics, and when sent a picture of Clare Byfield’s awesome cushions we just had to write a blog post on them. We are passionate about handmade products so it’s great to see our customers getting the DIY bug and designing and making their own creations. With our fabric printing service you are only limited by your imagination! Clare made her cushions with our Suede Vision fabric, which is perfect for this application.

These wonderful vintage inspired cushions will add a statement and a touch of style to any room. One of the perks of making your own cushions is that you can make them any size or shape you like, which is great if you need to fill a space. It’s really easy to make your own cushions, here’s how:

Guide to making a square or rectangle cushion cover with a zip

1) Cut your printed fabric leaving extra material for the hem and also allowing for the plumping up of the cushion. If you would like a 40 x 40cm cushion, cut your fabric into two 48 x 48cm squares.

2) Pin a hem of about 1cm along one side of each of the fabric cut outs (this will be used to attach to the zip).

3) Sew the hems in place with a machine, then fold both hems over once more and machine again to create a double hem.

4)  Open the zip and pin to both sides of the double leaving about 3mm of fabric above the teeth of the zip (which will hide the zip when closed).  Sew the zip in place.

5)  Fold the fabric pieces together so that the printed sides are touching and the cover appears inside out.

6)  Pin the other sides of the cushion cover and sew about 3cm in from the three edges (maintain the shape you are wanting to create).

7)  Trim off excess fabric and turn inside out.

Get exactly the print you want with Bags of Love, there is no need to trawl the shops and end up choosing the best of the bunch. Also when making your own cushions you will have much more variety when it comes to fabrics to choose from compared to pre-made cushions. So, showcase your creative talents with homemade cushions and reap in the compliments from friends and family!

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Your photo – Your story: Tim’s personalised Demi Lovato T-Shirt

Allover print on your photo t-shirt

Today I’d love to share this very special design from one of our customers in Germany. Tim  is a huge fan of Demi Lovato, an American actress and singer who some of you might know for her role in the series ‘Camp Rock’ . Songs like ‘Skyscraper’ and the latest single ‘Heartbreaker’ is trending on the radio all around the world and is available as download only.

You might have noticed that one of our latest additions to the product range of Bags of Love, the personalised T-Shirts, is quite unique since it is not just a tiny print on the front of the Shirt – we print on both sides of the Shirt and are quite proud of the outstanding edge-to.edge printing.
Tim’s design has caught my eye immediately and we have been in email contact ever since.  He loves the shirt and proudly wears it and got back to me telling that people stop him on the street to tell him that they like the design of the Shirt. First I thought he might be exaggerating but then he sent me over this great image of him wearing the Shirt. I have to admit, the design looks pretty cool – what do you think?

I was interested to find out why Tim has decided to design a T-Shirt with his favourite picture and how he found our website and in particular why he has chosen to design a Demi Lovato T-Shirt – here ‘s his reply! Thanks Tim for sharing this with all of us!

How did you come up with the idea to design a T-shirt yourself?

I have been browsing the Internet for hours, desperately looking for great t-shirts and I knew that I wanted to have one with a picture of Demi Lovato but did not find any good ones. I then came up with the idea to  just design my own t-shirt … but where could I do that?

How did you come across our site?

Through a big search engine everyone of you will know, of that I am sure, I  just typed in my request and your page came up in an instant. There were quite a few companies offering printed T-Shirts, but yours were the only ones with the allover photo print – and that’s exactly what I was looking for!

How did you find our design program? Do you have any tips and ideas to improve it?

Designing couldn’t have been easier to be honest! I simply uploaded my image, centered it so it looked alright in the preview of my shirt and then I placed the order. 3 easy steps – I have nothing to complain about.

Where did you get the idea for your design? Why Demi Lovato?

I’m a huge fan of Demi Lovato and always wanted to have a cool t-shirt with a picture of her. I got a Shirt with this design from friends but the print was just a tiny print on the front of the shirt. Since this is one of my favourite pictures of her I simply wanted to have a fully printed T-shirt.

Demi Lovato is a strong and confident woman. I admire her for that. Their songs inspire me again and again. I know I am a guy and that it might sound weird, but I don’t care,she is one of my biggest role models.

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Your Photo – Your Story: Book Of Love

“When I first saw you I was afraid to meet you. When I first met you I was afraid to kiss you. When I first kissed you I was afraid to love you. But now that I love you I’m afraid no more. “

Each and every moment shared with your partner has a special meaning, treasuring them as we go down the road.  The first time you met, your first date, your first kiss, and the moment you fell in love. Capturing those moments and reliving them is something we all desire as the first wedding anniversary approaches. Of course, the wedding video is on the checklist followed by an elegant dinner. But what about the special gift your partner is expecting? It doesn’t have to be an expensive present, just a thought and great memento of the 1st year as a couple will be suffice.

The ‘Book Of Love’ is one-of-a-kind first-year anniversary gift, where together with your partner you reminisce every special moment. Upload your 12 favorite photos and personal text with each photo conveying a story you shared.

Adriano, one of our customers, designed the ‘Book Of Love’ for his wife, Pina and was happy to share his story with us.

Express your feelings with these precious photo memories. Watch the video here.

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Make A Colourful Living Room

With the arrival of spring, there is nothing more beautiful than a colourful living room. It doesn’t have to be expensive wallpapers, lamps or furniture. but something as simple as a collection of cushions can take your living room from cold to chic instantly.

Cushions are one of the easiest and quickest ways to brighten up your living area.  Not just the ordinary but handmade personalised cushions with photos of family members and pets can also brighten up your home making guests feel warm and cozy.

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Decorating Your Home With Canvas Prints

When it comes to decorating houses, we often choose the cliché to go with tables, chairs and sofas. But what turns that house into a home are personalised gift items. We all have our priceless moments we like to capture with our close ones but wouldn’t it be great to revive them forever. So how about adorning your home with high quality custom sized canvas prints, capturing your memory in vivid colors.

Suzanne, our loyal customer, was more than happy to share this picture of her home wall decorated with canvas.

So go ahead and transform those snapshots on your camera and smartphones into a wonderful piece of wall art.

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St. David’s Day Celebrations

What is St. David’s Day?

The Welsh people today are proud to celebrate St. David’s Day. Also known as the feast day, it is a day Saint David, the patron Saint of Wales died, 1 March 589.

How to celebrate St. David’s Day?

There is more than one way to commemorate this special day.

Some people wear small daffodils and carry leeks, one of the many traditional ways to celebrate whereas others join parades across the country holding Wales national emblem wearing the Welsh national dress.

Cardiff is among the largest to honour St. David with large parades, concerts, food festival taking place across the entire city.

St. David’s Day Recipe

The traditional Welsh Cawl recipe made of bacon/lamb, cabbage and leeks is one of the popular dishes to pay tribute to this feast day and how about a personalised apron on this special day.

Happy St. David’s Day!!