A memorial Christmas gift for the first Christmas without them

A personalised soundwave print of a three-word recording drawn as bold teal bars, with the words set large beneath

The first Christmas after someone dies is often the hardest one. Their chair, their card on the mantelpiece, the thing they always said when the crackers came out. Some people want to mark it, and some would rather the day passed quietly. If you are looking for something to give, or something to keep for yourself, these are a few gentle options. None of them try to say more than you want them to.

Their voice, kept as a picture

Many of us have a recording we would never delete: a voicemail, a WhatsApp voice note, a few seconds of someone laughing in a video. The soundwave print draws the shape of that recording, with the words beneath it if you want them, and who said them and when.

The recording stays with you. Your browser reads it and keeps only the shape of the wave; the audio itself is never uploaded to us (more on our photos and privacy page). The voice message gift page explains how to save a voice note or voicemail from your phone, if you are not sure where to start.

The print does not play anything. It is a picture of the sound, something to look at rather than listen to.

Their life, in the moments that mattered

The timeline print sets out a life as a trail of moments, in your words: where they grew up, the day they married, the first house, the grandchildren, the caravan holidays. You type the dates and a line for each one. It can be a calm thing to put together as a family, sharing memories over a cup of tea and deciding what goes on.

The words that were theirs

Every family has its own phrases: the nickname nobody else used, the thing Dad said every time he locked the car, the way Mum signed off a text. The family words print gathers them on one sheet. It is often the small, odd phrases that bring someone back most clearly.

For a pet who is missed this Christmas

Losing a dog or cat leaves a real gap at Christmas too, whether it is an empty spot by the fire or no one waiting at the door. The pet portrait print engraves their face from your own photo, with their name and, if you like, their years. Our dog memorial gift page has advice on choosing the right photo.

Giving it to someone grieving

There is no right way to do this. A few things people have found helpful:

  • Ask a family member quietly before you use someone's voice or words, if it is not your loss alone.
  • Some people would rather open something like this privately than in front of everyone on Christmas morning. Giving it a day or two before, or after, is fine.
  • Keep the words short. A name and their years can be enough.
  • If you are not sure it is wanted, you can say so. "I made this, but only if you'd like it" leaves the choice with them.

If you are making it for yourself

You do not need a reason or an occasion. Some people make one in the first year, and some wait years. Every design is made to order from what you type and choose, and you see it before you order.