Thoughtful and Personal Gifts for the Little One in Your Life

Oh, the weather these past few weeks has been glorious, hasn’t it?! WHAT a start to the great British spring, it’s been a few years since we’ve had such a sunny April.

Out in the hedgerows I have seen the first fluffy white heads of cow parsley, and the sweet smell of bluebells on the breeze. Thank you to all the people who have taken part in my spring colouring competition, you can pop into the shop and pick up a scavenger hunt/colouring sheet, there is still plenty of time to spot things! 

This month, I thought I’d chat a little more about thoughtful and personal gifting. If you’ve ever visited my shop at Wyresdale Park, you’ll know that most of my prints are designed with nurseries and children in mind.

That said, I absolutely love it when a ‘grown-up’ chooses a piece for themselves — after all, why shouldn’t we sprinkle a little magic and playfulness into our lives too?

Personalised Gifting for New Arrivals

Last week, I met a lovely lady who was looking to purchase something truly special for her new granddaughter — a timeless and personalised gift that her daughter would also cherish. She chose the Personalised Blooming Lovely print, inspired by wildflowers.
This print is a perfect choice for a new baby girl, as it can grow with her over the years — and what little girl doesn’t love flowers?

All of my prints can be personalised with a name, date of birth, or even a meaningful quote. I absolutely love hearing the beautiful names chosen for new arrivals — it’s such a joy! Personalising a print makes it an extra-special gift that’s truly one of a kind.

You can see my personalised prints here. I haven’t had the chance to add the personalisation option to all of them just yet, so if you have an idea or can’t find exactly what you’re looking for on my website, please don’t hesitate to get in touch — I’d love to help.

You can explore new baby gift ideas here. 

Timeless Christening Gifts  

My animal art prints are super popular as christening gifts! I created them with the hope of bringing a sense of calm to a little one’s room. Painted in soft, earthy tones, each piece is designed to inspire a love of nature from an early age.

When I was painting them, I imagined a baby looking up from their crib to see a friendly fox gazing back down — a gentle companion from the woodland world.

These prints are part of my Woodland Collection and can be mixed and matched with my nature prints to create a beautiful woodland-themed gallery wall. They also work perfectly as stand-alone pieces or grouped together as a little forest family.

You can see Christening gift ideas here. 

A First Birthday to Remember 

A few years ago, I decided to create a collection of minimalistic Personalised Letter Prints, a little different from my usual style of detailed illustrations. But they’ve turned out to be really popular, especially as gifts for a first birthday! 

Painted in timeless, gender-neutral colours, perfect for both little and big girls and boys! They also complement my other print collections, adding a touch of variety to any gallery wall.

Find more ideas for timeless First Birthday gifts here!

Nursery Prints Make a Perfect Gift

I always find it so interesting to see which of my prints are most popular, and the Whimsical Woodland Collection has definitely become the go-to for nursery artwork since I created it. I get the loveliest comments about this collection, which features animal tea parties, a woodland musical band, and a wise owl teaching at forest school.

These whimsical prints are such a joy to paint, and my mind is always full of ideas about what animals get up to when we’re not around. I have plenty more ideas to paint, so it’s an ever-growing collection.

I always hope my prints are just the beginning of a story for your little ones — I love imagining children looking at the images and creating their own little tales about what the animals are getting up to.

A Special Sort of Baby Shower

I’ve noticed lots more people looking for different ways to celebrate the pending arrival of a new bundle of joy, and I must admit I have really enjoyed being part of this special celebration and seeing the joy you have for each other and for doing something creative. During my baby shower group workshops all the guests paint a flower with a special meaning for the mother and baby to keep (based on the language of flowers). These can then be framed or could even be put into a lovely album/guest book along with lovely messages.

If you would like to enquire about organising a baby shower with me then please get in touch.

I hope this blog has given you a few ideas for thoughtful gifts — whether you're looking for something special for a new baby, a christening, or a first birthday.

If you're local to Lancashire, you’re always welcome to pop into my little shop to see the prints in person — [directions here]. You can even make a day of it and enjoy lunch at the Applestore Cafe! Or, if you prefer to browse from the comfort of your own home, you can explore all my print collections on the website here.

I offer free UK delivery on orders over £50, or free collection from the shop. Every online order is carefully wrapped in tissue paper, and many customers have told me they feel a little sprinkling of magic when they unwrap their parcel — which is all I could ever hope for.

Wishing you all a wonderful May!