Giving someone a photograph in an ornate frame this Christmas is a classic gift idea which adds a wonderful personal touch and can be kept for years to come. But if that’s the same gift that you gave them last year then it looks like you’re running out of ideas.

Having a photograph digitally ‘iced’ on the birthday cake has become all the rage. Now companies have realised the huge demand for people wanting to personalise gifts with images which means there are plenty of jazzy gift ideas for you this Christmas which let you share your favourite snaps of the year.

You can now photo personalise almost anything, from keyrings, a large canvas print to even a cushion. And what is better is that you get to design the product with your very own bespoke image. It could be the newborn baby, the kids, the car or even the family pet that can say hello (or woof) with a photographed smile.

You can make can make somebody’s work office a cosier environment with personalised mugs, stationery and even mouse mats. It beats having the family picture computer screensaver that all their colleagues have.

With the New Year just around the corner (has it gone that fast?) it is the perfect time to design your very own personalised calendar. You can choose your own album theme. A day out with the kids, their school pictures, a family event or your favourite holiday snaps on the beach.

It’s a great way to convert your digital photos into a gift that can be festively wrapped. You can let the grandparents know how fast little Ben is growing, especially if they live far away or overseas. It is much easier for grandma to appreciate your digital pictures as she’s still trying to work out how this sharing-photos-on-the-Facewhat-site-malarkey works!

You can further personalise these gifts with your own messages or funny catchphrases which can add a light hearted element to your present. If you know they will already be stocked up on calendars, choose your favourite photographs of the year - a sort of ‘end of year review’ if you like - and compile them into a professionally printed photobook.

These make the perfect gift as they show your images in a lovely finish and quality. Photobooks mean no precious photographs falling here and there out of the plastic sheets in the photo album. It also means photos are kept in the right order and are easy to store as one book. They are even available in a hardback finish to make them even more durable.

Of course these are gift solutions that are not limited to the festive period. They can be extended to all occasions, including key birthdays, graduation celebrations, anniversaries and weddings. They would also make the perfect gift for both Mothers’ and Fathers’ Day.

Don’t spend days in the cold aimlessly searching for that last minute and expensive Christmas present - the perfect gift is sitting at home on your digital camera waiting to be turned into an imaginative and smiling creation.