7 Custom Art Ideas That Make a Perfect Gift (Including For Yourself)
Your walls are a place to express yourself, and what you put on them should show who you are and what matters to you. One great way to do that is with custom art based on images of people and places you love. Pieces like personalized family portraits and hand-drawn images of your home (whether it’s your current one or your home from childhood) are a great way to add style to your walls while telling a bit more of your story. Below, check out seven of our favorite custom art ideas, plus ideas on where to get your own made and ready to hang in your home.
Family Portrait
Getting the perfect family photo can be… a process, especially if you’ve got a big family with fidgety kids. Getting a photo where everyone’s smiling somewhat naturally with open eyes and no one’s saying “Can we be done?” is as rare as finding a pair of jeans that fits perfectly. One way to solve that problem: A custom family portrait. We recommend Etsy shop Printable Wisdom—you send a few family photos to the artist, and she draws a gorgeous portrait of your family that captures all the best sides of your loved ones (including open eyes and smiling faces). It’s a cute addition to a photo wall, and it comes without any frustration.
Buy: Custom Family Portrait, starts at $70 from Etsy
Pet Portrait
If you’re forever ditching plans to spend the night on the couch with your fur baby, show them (and all your visitors) just how much you love ’em with a custom pet portrait from West & Willow. These minimal, modern portraits are the perfect way to add meaningful art to your walls—and they’re stunning, too, with plain backgrounds and crisp illustrations that let your pet shine like they should. West & Willow gives you guidelines for taking the perfect photo of your pet so you can be sure to capture your furball in the best light, and get a frame-worthy piece.
Buy: West & Willow Framed Pet Portrait, starts at $79.95 $59.95
House Portrait
Home is where the heart is, so keep yours with you no matter where you are with a custom line drawing of your home from Minted. Just upload the best photo of your turf, pick a color (there are 26 to choose from!), select your image size, and, if you wish, choose your frame style. You’ll have a stylish drawing of your home to hang on your gallery wall in no time. And FYI—this makes a seriously thoughtful gift, too.
Buy: Custom House Portrait Art, starts at $32 from Minted
Couples Portrait
Here’s a guaranteed way to knock anniversary gift-giving out of the ballpark: an illustrated portrait of you and your partner. Ria Design Store owner Rana Akdoğan creates custom-drawn portraits of couples (and their pets!) that make perfect keepsakes for years to come. Just submit your photo, specify what colors you want in your background (or choose from pre-sets, if that’s more your speed), and await your love-filled piece! You’ll get a digital proof to allow for any changes, then a high-resolution digital file that you can print and frame to your liking.
Buy: Custom Couple Portrait, starts at $50 from Etsy
Family Signpost
Get a different kind of family portrait with this colorful custom signpost art found on Uncommon Goods. Inspired by the rainbow-colored sun-distressed signposts typical of Key West, this one acts as a family tree, of sorts, to keep loved ones nearby at all times. You can choose up to twelve signs labeled with loved ones’ names, or you can go a different route and have the signs inscribed with cities where family lives, favorite travel destinations, major life events, and more.
Buy: Personalized Family Signpost Art, starts at $75 from Uncommon Goods
Best Friends Portrait
Instagram’s great, but a hand-drawn portrait of you and your BFF’s best selfie? That’s amore. These custom drawings from Costanza Tonini Design are bright and colorful, capturing the pure joy that is a good friend. Submit a couple photos, describe a background you’d like, and choose what text you’d like on the drawing, if any. You can choose between a digital-only product (to print yourself) or a physical print that’s ready to frame and hang.
Buy: Custom Best Friend Portrait, starts at $29.31 from Etsy
Landscape Portrait
Have a favorite photo from a memorable vacation, or want to commemorate a special place? Turn it into an illustrated portrait! Paint Your Life has several different custom art options, but their landscape portraits in particular shouldn’t be missed. Choose between watercolor, oil, and acrylic paint, select your artist, upload your image, and you’ll have a truly one-of-a-kind portrait you’ll cherish forever.
Buy: Landscape Portrait, starts at $179 from Paint Your Life