A personalised Christmas gift for Mum, in your own words

A personalised family words print: Mum, defined like a dictionary entry inside a drawn wreath

Ask most mums what they want for Christmas and the answer is "nothing, don't spend money on me". A print made from things only her family knows gets round that, because it can't be bought off a shelf. Here are three, each asking something different of you: some writing, a list of birthdays, or a few memories.

"Mum, defined"

The Definition style of the family words print sets the word Mum like a dictionary entry: how it sounds, its part of speech, and up to three numbered meanings that you write. It takes the most thought of the three. One rule makes the meanings easier: keep each one short, and make each one true of her and nobody else.

  • Something she always does: "1. The one who knows where everything is, including what you lost in 2009."
  • Something she always says: "2. Origin of the phrase 'I'm not a taxi'."
  • What she is to you: "3. First call with any news."

Plain spellings such as /mum/ print exactly as typed, which is safer than phonetic symbols. The word doesn't have to be Mum: Mam, Mom, Nan or her first name all work. The same design is also available on a mug.

Her children as flowers

The birth flower garden print paints each of her children, or the whole family, as their birth-month flower, gathered into one bouquet with the names beneath. It needs only names and birth months, for up to twelve people, so it is the quickest of the three if Christmas is close. Our birth flower print guide has more on how it is put together.

Her life so far

The Our Story timeline print doesn't have to be about a couple. It can follow one person: where she grew up, the job she was proudest of, each child, the house she still talks about. Every moment needs a year and a few words and gets its own picture. Rough years are fine, and a moment nobody can date can go without one.

From all of you

A definition print works well as a joint present, with each child writing one of the three meanings. Agree who has the final say before anyone types, then check the preview together: what you see is exactly what prints, and nothing is retyped at our end.

If she reads more than her horoscope, our birth chart gift page covers a print of her whole chart, cast from when and where she was born. For Dad, the same Definition style works for "Dad" or "Grandad", and our Christmas gifts page has ideas for the rest of the family. If Mum and Dad reach forty years married this year, see ruby wedding anniversary gifts. Prints are made to order in the UK, and each product page shows its delivery estimate.