No matter how well you know your boyfriend—his tastes, interests, and the things that make him smile—choosing a gift can be a real challenge. Whether it’s his birthday, your anniversary, another special occasion, or you want to find a great present for your boyfriend “just because,” photo gifts are always an ideal choice.
Creating a custom gift around one or more meaningful photos adds emotional resonance to any gift idea. Options range from little crafty creations to carefully considered photo book projects. No matter your budget or your boyfriend’s style, one of these totally original and versatile photo gift ideas will show him how much you care.
Personalized photo books
Mixbook’s hundreds of fully customizable photo book themes make it so easy to create a beautiful book with a design he loves, filled with his favorite photos. The options are endless, so start with a general concept for a photo book your boyfriend will enjoy, then browse for a theme that suits his style. Gather photos that match that theme, and simply drag and drop them into place, then customize the book using the tools in Mixbook Studio™.
If you’re making a birthday present for your boyfriend, browse our birthday book themes. Consider collaborating on the book with his family and friends to help gather a comprehensive collection of photos and memories.
Want to make a romantic gift, perhaps for Valentine’s Day or your anniversary? Check out our romance book themes. Options include sweet and loving themes such as 10 Reasons Why I Love You and lighthearted ones like the Punny Illustrated Couples Custom Storybook.
If you and your boyfriend enjoy cooking together or for each other, how about creating your own custom cookbook? Take photos of your favorite culinary creations, write up the recipes, and surprise him with this unique gift.
How about a travel book full of photos of memorable trips you’ve shared? Or a custom coffee table book that captures one of his hobbies or interests.
Traditional scrapbook
If you’re artistic and crafty, consider making your boyfriend an old-fashioned scrapbook full of photos and mementos that capture happy memories. This gift is similar to a digital photo book, but made by hand with paper, scissors, glue, and all kinds of arts and crafts supplies. It’s an opportunity to get really creative with collages that combine photos and paper memorabilia like ticket stubs, postcards, maps, and more. Decorate the pages with hand-drawn artwork and writing, stickers, washi tape, rubber stamps, and glitter, among other embellishment ideas.
Get inspired with these 10 romantic scrapbook ideas to document all the special moments you share with your boyfriend!
Custom wall art
A custom home decor print is a super-easy photo gift idea for your boyfriend, and it’s also a meaningful gesture that brightens his living space. Mixbook offers a variety of different decor print types and sizes. Choose from a classic, gallery-quality canvas print, a contemporary, frame-free acrylic print, sleek and modern metal print, or an eye-catching, budget-friendly poster print.
All you have to do is choose one or more photographs that you know he’d love to look at every day. It could be a sweet pic of the two of you together, an amazing landscape shot from his travels, or a picture representing one of his major hobbies or interests. If your boyfriend has a pet he loves, a stunning pet portrait could be a winning choice.
“Now & then” framed photos
For a sweet and romantic gift idea for your boyfriend, find a nice-looking, high-quality photo frame that holds two photos side-by-side. Then, choose and print two photos that match the concept of “then and now” to place in the frame.
Keep it romantic with photos of the two of you on your first date and then a more recent shot. Or celebrate your boyfriend’s milestone or big achievement with, for example, a first day of school pic (ask his parents!) next to a graduation portrait. Pair a photo of him winning an art award as a child next to a photo taken outside his first gallery show. How about a pic of a younger him playing with his new puppy, paired with a photo of them both older and enjoying a walk?
Custom photo calendar
Help your boyfriend stay organized all year with a personalized photo calendar. This is a fun project to create, with a wide range of themes to choose from. You can include one favorite photo for each month, or make monthly collages out of a whole collection.
Think about seasonal or monthly selections, such as holiday memories or snowy winter scenes for December, romantic pics for February, and pumpkin patch shots for October. Every time he flips the page, he’ll smile at a whole new set of happy memories.
With Mixbook’s custom calendars, you can also personalize all the holidays and events listed on the calendar. Decorate the date boxes with stickers or additional photos, and add captions using the text tools.
DIY photo bookmarks
Another fun DIY photo gift idea for your boyfriend is to make a set of custom bookmarks. Print any favorite photos featuring a person, animal, or object that you can cut out with scissors. Photos of people posing like they’re holding something over their heads are ideal, as they give the impression of dangling from the bookmark’s tassel! Laminate the cut-out photo shapes, punch a hole in the top, and tie the laminated photos to a loop of ribbon, string, or a tassel made out of embroidery thread.
Find complete instructions for this project with this tutorial from the Hallmark Channel.
Tip: If you don’t have a laminator, ask your local office supply store, drugstore, or mailing and shipping store about self-service laminating.
Keepsake photo box
Turn a collection of special photo prints into a thoughtful gift by presenting them to your boyfriend in a keepsake box. Look for boxes that are the perfect size for the photo prints, such as a shoebox size for a large collection, or a recipe card or pencil box size for a smaller amount. Look for decorative boxes that suit his style, or a wooden or metal box that you can have custom engraved with his name, a monogram, an important date, or other special message.
Another option is to find a plain box and decorate it using your own arts and crafts skills. You could paint a design on the box, cover it with fun paper, or use decoupage techniques to decorate the box with paper cut-outs or even a collage of printed photos.
Give this as a gift along with a few mementos, such as ticket stubs, love notes, and other keepsakes, tucked inside.
Personalized magnets
For a small but mighty gift for your boyfriend, turn a favorite photo into a personalized magnet for his fridge. Mixbook’s custom magnets are available in nine sizes and six different trims, and you can start with a fun theme like Simple Love or design your own from scratch with a blank canvas. Add your own photos, text, stickers, and background for a totally unique creation.
These fun little photo keepsakes pack a big dose of heartwarming charm that he'll appreciate every time he sees them.
Iron-on photo T-shirt
For a really fun photo gift your boyfriend can wear with pride, create a custom photo T-shirt using special iron-on transfer paper. Choose a favorite photo or create a collage, and consider adding text or other graphic design elements. If you can print it, you can turn it into a T-shirt!
Be sure to purchase the correct kind of heat transfer paper for your type of printer ink. Another important step is flipping the design before printing so that it prints as a mirror image. This ensures that when you transfer it to the shirt, it will appear the correct way around.
For the best results, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package of transfer paper. Generally, you will place the printed paper face-down on the shirt, press the back of the paper with a hot iron for a short time, then peel off the backing paper.
Tip: Heat transfer paper also works for other textiles. Consider making your boyfriend a photo-print tote bag, kitchen towel, or bandana.
Chain locket
There’s something so timelessly romantic about gifting a chain locket with a tiny photograph tucked inside. Look for a locket in a style you know he’ll be happy to wear. You might buy a brand new locket and chain at a jeweler or find a vintage set at an antique or thrift store. Also choose a meaningful photo to go inside the locket. You’ll probably have to re-size the pic to a tiny size before printing, and perhaps cut it into the correct shape.
For additional personalization, look for a locket with an engraving area on the front or back to add a short, loving message, his initials, or a symbol.
Acrylic photo block
Mixbook’s Acrylic Block prints offer a fun, modern way to display photos in a smaller format. These free-standing, 6-by-6-inch blocks are designed to stand out on a shelf, windowsill, desk, or mantel. Choose one perfect photo to turn into an acrylic block, or select two or three pics to make a cohesive set.
DIY folding photo cube
A folding photo cube is a fun puzzle-type item that’s also a creative way to display multiple different photos. It looks kind of complicated, but if you carefully follow the steps of a tutorial for a “magic folding cube,” you should find it’s actually quite easy. You’ll need eight square-sided wooden blocks, double-sided adhesive sheets, and paper prints of eight square photos and two rectangular photos.
Your boyfriend will love playing with the “magic folding cube,” which can be endlessly flipped to reveal the different photos. It’s both a fun fidget toy and a nice way to display a revolving set of photos.
Personalization ideas
Personalizing a gift for your boyfriend shows you truly put time and effort into it. Here are some creative ways to do this:
- Include a special date: Engrave or print a meaningful date, such as an anniversary or his birthday.
- Add a favorite quote: Choose a quote that resonates with both of you or has special meaning in your relationship.
- Incorporate a monogram: Add his initials or a monogram to give the gift a sophisticated and personalized touch.
- Include inside jokes: it could be a phrase or image that represents an inside joke only you two share.
- Customize with coordinates: Print the coordinates of a special location, like where you first met or had your first date.
- Add a handwritten note: Include a handwritten message or love note to make the gift more intimate.
- Use his favorite colors: Choose colors that he loves or that match his style for the design of the photo gift.
- Incorporate a themed design: Tailor the gift to a specific theme, such as his favorite sports team, movie, or hobby.
Don’t forget to include a card!
Along with a thoughtful photo gift, surprise your boyfriend with a personalized greeting card featuring one of your favorite photos and a message. Choose a snapshot that captures the love and good times you share, whether it's a candid laugh, a tender embrace, or a grand adventure. Then, write down a sweet note expressing how much he means to you.
No matter which photo gift idea you choose, the most important thing is that it comes from the heart. Your boyfriend is sure to appreciate the thoughtfulness behind it.
These photo gifts allow you to capture your favorite memories together and give him a tangible reminder of your love and commitment. So go ahead, get creative, and surprise him with a personalized photo gift!
