Gifts for Nan and Grandparents: Birthday and Christmas Ideas They’ll Treasure
Quick answer: the best gifts for a nan are the ones that carry your own words, and a personalised Family Tree Word Art Print from £9.99 is a lovely place to start. Fill it with the names of her grandchildren and the memories she brings up every Christmas, and it becomes something she will want to display. The same idea works for grandparents together, birthdays and Christmas alike.
Updated October 2026
Need it today? Every print can be a digital download that arrives instantly (from £9.99), ready to print at home or at a local print shop the same day, and you get a free preview first. Framed and unframed prints are posted (3-5 working days in the UK), so they suit buyers with a little more time.
Nans and grandparents are famously hard to buy for. They have most things, they tell you not to spend money, and yet they keep every card and drawing for years. That is the clue: they value words and names far more than gadgets. Browse the full range of anniversary and special occasion word art prints if you want to see everything on offer.
In this guide
- What to buy a nan who says she wants nothing
- Gifts for nan and grandad together
- Milestone anniversary gifts for grandparents
- Birthday gifts for nan
- Christmas and xmas gifts for nan and grandparents
- A comparison table of ideas
- What words to put on a print for your nan
- How it works, FAQs and about the shop
What do you buy a nan who says she doesn’t want anything?
Take her at her word, and give her something that isn’t “stuff”. A print made from your own words takes up one spot on a wall, never needs batteries and only gets more precious with time. The Personalised Family Tree Word Art Print (from £9.99) suits this perfectly, because it gathers her whole family onto one page: children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, even the pets if they count as family in her house.
If your nan is the heart of the family in a gentler, quieter way, the Personalised Love Heart Word Art Print (from £9.99) lets you fill a heart shape with the words that describe her: kind, funny, generous, the best cook in the street. It reads like a letter she can hang up.
What are good gifts for a nan and grandad together?
When you are buying for both grandparents, look for a gift that belongs to the couple rather than to one of them. A family tree print does this well, as does an anniversary print if they have a date to celebrate. The names of their children and grandchildren sit side by side, and nobody has to choose whose gift is whose.
If you are also buying separately for him, our guide to personalised grandad gifts has ideas that pair nicely with a gift for nan, so the two presents look like they belong together under the tree.
What anniversary gifts suit grandparents?
Many grandparents have a wedding anniversary that the whole family quietly looks forward to, and a print is a thoughtful way to mark it. There are several to choose from, each from £9.99:
- The Personalised 40th Anniversary Word Art Print for a ruby anniversary, with the memories of four decades packed into one piece.
- The Personalised 50th Anniversary Word Art Print for a golden milestone, ideal as a joint gift from the whole family.
- The Personalised 50th Wedding Anniversary Word Art Print if you want the wording to focus on the wedding itself.
A golden anniversary is exactly the sort of occasion where several grandchildren can chip in for one framed gift, with everyone’s name included in the words.
What are the best birthday gifts for nan?
For a birthday, make the gift about her. The Family Tree Word Art Print works year-round, but if she has a daughter who is also your mum, the Personalised Mum & Daughter Word Art Print (from £9.99) can be a lovely way to celebrate three generations when mum and nan share the occasion. Likewise, the Personalised Mum Word Art Print (from £9.99) can be adapted with her grandchildren’s words if you want a tribute to the matriarch herself.
For a big birthday such as a 70th, 80th or 90th, use the print to list the years of her life in small ways: the places she lived, the jobs she did, the songs she sang along to. Pick the digital download if the party is soon, or a framed A4 (from £22.99) if you would like it ready to hang.
What are the best Christmas and xmas gifts for nan and grandparents?
Christmas is when a personalised gift really earns its place. A print can be wrapped, tucked into a card or even emailed on Christmas Eve as a digital download if the posting has slipped away from you. For grandparents who have everything, try one of these:
- A family tree print listing every grandchild, with a short message such as “you are the roots of our family”.
- A love heart print filled with the reasons you love them, written as a list the whole family contributes to.
- A joint gift from the cousins, framed (A3 from £30.99), with everyone’s name on it so nobody has to buy a separate present.
If your Christmas shopping list is long, you may also find our guides to Christmas gifts for your husband and Christmas present ideas for couples useful for the rest of the family.
Gift ideas for nan and grandparents compared
| Product | Best for | Example words to include | From price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personalised Family Tree Word Art Print | Nan or both grandparents, any occasion | Children’s and grandchildren’s names, “where it all began” | £9.99 |
| Personalised Love Heart Word Art Print | A nan who is the heart of the family | Kind, generous, best cook, always there | £9.99 |
| Personalised Mum & Daughter Word Art Print | Celebrating mum and nan together | Names, shared memories, favourite sayings | £9.99 |
| Personalised Mum Word Art Print | A tribute from grandchildren to a much-loved matriarch | Grandchildren’s names, her catchphrases | £9.99 |
| Personalised 40th Anniversary Word Art Print | Grandparents’ ruby anniversary | Wedding date, first home, favourite holidays | £9.99 |
| Personalised 50th Anniversary Word Art Print | Golden anniversary, joint family gift | Fifty years, names of the whole family, the wedding venue | £9.99 |
What words should you put on a print for your nan?
This is the part that turns a nice gift into a keepsake. The best word lists are specific: they sound like her, not like anyone’s nan. Here are three examples to borrow and adapt.
For a nan’s birthday
- Nan, with your own pet name for her if you have one
- Sunday roast, Yorkshire puddings, always a second helping
- Knitted jumpers, the biscuit tin, the seaside
- The names of every grandchild
- “Always has time for a cuppa and a chat”
For nan and grandad at Christmas
- Both their names and the year they married
- The street or town where they raised the family
- Christmas Eve traditions, the crackers, the carols
- Every child and grandchild, in order of age
- “Together since” and a date
For a golden anniversary
- Fifty years, the wedding date and the church or venue
- First dance song title, honeymoon destination
- Names of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren
- Small loves: dancing, the garden, the caravan, the crossword
- “Still holding hands”
A useful trick: ask the rest of the family for one word each before you start. A list that everyone has contributed to feels like a gift from all of you, even if one person does the ordering. If gardening is her thing, our guide to gifts for gardeners may spark a few more words to add.
How does it work?
- Choose a print. Pick the design that suits your nan or grandparents, from the family tree to a love heart or an anniversary design.
- Design it with your own words. Add names, dates, places and memories. Each print is made to order with your words.
- Preview it free. Check the spelling and the layout before you commit.
- Get it your way. Take the instant digital download, or have a printed or framed print delivered. Framed prints ship within 3-5 working days in the UK and 7-15 days internationally.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good gift for a nan who doesn’t want anything?
Choose something personal rather than another object to dust. A word art print made with her grandchildren’s names and a few memories takes no space, costs from £9.99 and means more than a bought-in gift. Because you preview it free before ordering, you can check every word is right.
Can I get a personalised gift for my nan at the last minute?
Yes. Every print can be bought as a digital download that arrives instantly, from £9.99. You can print it at home or at a local print shop the same day. Framed and unframed prints are posted, taking 3-5 working days in the UK, so they suit buyers with a little more time.
What should I write on a gift for my nan and grandad together?
Use the names of everyone they love, the year they married or the street they raised the family on, and a few words that sum them up as a pair. Phrases such as the Sunday roast, the allotment or the caravan holidays make it feel like theirs. The Personalised Family Tree Word Art Print is a good fit because it holds many names at once.
What is a good Christmas gift for grandparents who live far away?
A digital download works well because it reaches them instantly, wherever they are, and they can print and frame it locally. If you would rather send a finished gift, a framed print is posted from the UK, with international delivery taking 7-15 days. Either way, you can add a handwritten note with it.
How much does a personalised print for a nan cost?
Digital downloads and unframed prints start from £9.99. A framed A4 print starts from £22.99 and a framed A3 print from £30.99. The prints in this guide all start at £9.99, so you can choose the format that suits your budget and your timing.
About Word Art Prints
Word Art Prints is a UK shop making personalised word art prints since 2017. With over 470 designs, every print is made to order with your own words, from names and dates to memories and places, so the finished gift is genuinely one of a kind.