The key to giving the perfect gift lies in striking that balance between finding something thoughtful, preferably personalized, without it being overly tacky or flashy (think picture-printed mugs or pillows – cringe!). Too often people stress themselves out trying to figure out the perfect gift, waiting until the last minute and ending up with a run-of-the-mill item that just doesn’t excite the recipient.
It turns out, finding the perfect gift is actually not as hard as it seems. Why not get that special someone a monogrammed gift? Not sure how to? Don’t worry! In this post, we’ll guide you on how to monogram your way into the heart of your loved one!
1) What Is A ‘Monogram’?
A monogram is essentially a design or a motif that combines two or more letters that represents a person’s initials. It is one of the oldest forms of identification in the world, dating back to the ancient Greek and Roman times.
Monograms were then used to indicate the highest social status and as signatures for royals and artists. Ornaments are typically incorporated into a monogram design, which is perhaps the reason why it makes for an elegant and timeless gift for any occasion, up to this day.
2) Monogram Etiquette 101
There are many ways you can choose to create a monogram. The two main variation would be; monograms where all letters are the same size and monograms where the center initial is larger than the other two.
Personal monograms usually consist of three letters, in the order of first name, middle name, and last name. If you are opting for a larger-center-monogram, the order shall be – first name, last name, middle name. This applies to both men and women.
Traditionally, married women would shift their given last name to their middle name slot, and take their husband’s last name. Their personal monogram shall follow this order. But as more women are using both last names with a hyphen, the rules are now more fluid. There is no ultimate right or wrong in this – it depends on the individual.
For married couples’ monograms, if the woman takes on her husband’s last name, the initials on the monogram shall follow this order – wife’s first name, shared last name (with font size slightly larger than the other initials), husband’s first name. If both of them decide to keep her given last name, the monogram can also feature four initials, with their two given last names – in larger font – separated by a hyphen, dot, diamond, or another element. As a tradition, married couples and women shall only use their married monograms or new monograms, after the couple is official.
3) Monogramming Techniques
There are various techniques that can be used to transfer the monogram onto your gifts. The technique shall depend on the material of your gift and the final look that you envision. The two main techniques that you can choose from are embossing or engraving. These are particularly suitable for leather, plastic, metal, wood. The difference is that embossing molds the monogram design into the material, without removing any part of the material itself, whereby engraving carves out and removes the material to create the monogram design.
For glass material, you may want to choose the etching technique instead. Glass etching involves applying caustic compound on the glass surface, causing the glass surface to erode to form the desired design. Compared to glass engraving, glass etching produces better results in terms of precisions and crispness of design. As for fabric, embroidering the monogram design is the way to go. It adds a touch of opulence to the otherwise usual gift.
4) Choosing The Gift
To get started, you need to find a blank canvas for the art, so to speak. Today, monogrammed gifts come in many forms – from towels to jewelry to wine glass to doormats!
You may choose to buy the gift first and then send it to an artisan to be personalized with the monograms. That should be the way to go if the gift that you bought is one-of-a-kind and hard to come by. Otherwise, it is advisable for you to go with a shop that offers in-house customization services – some even offer it for free! It’ll save you the time and hassle.
We have scoured the internet and here is a list of some of the best-monogrammed gifts you can bookmark for your next gift-giving action:
Monogram Jewelry
Monogrammed jewelry features understated designs that are both elegant and timeless. The best part is, you can add a personal touch by engraving your loved one’s monogram onto the pieces on a necklace or bracelet charm, and ring. The jewelry comes in either solid gold or sterling silver. Our personal favorite pick is the bar necklace!
Monogram Lipsticks from Yves Saint Laurent
Another take on mongrammed gift is by choosing a monogrammed makeup set from YSL as a gift to your favorite girl that she sure is going to take everywhere! Choose from the extensive lipstick collection by the French fashion house. Depending on the lipstick shade and type, you can choose the opulent gold tube, the ornamental silver tube, or the classic black tube. It’s also good to know that your favorite girl can refill the lipstick at YSL boutique – your gift will last forever!
Personalized Watch
If a celebration that marks an important milestone such as a graduation, you may want to consider a monogrammed watch from Fossil. Known for making durable, high-quality fashion watch at an affordable price tag, you can choose to customize your watch (from the case to the strap, mostly under USD200) and have it engraved for free. What’s more, you can have fun designing your monogram via the website, and have a look at the how the end product will look like before placing your order!
Monogram Phone Case
If you are looking for a practical yet fun gift, monogram a phone case! In the smartphone age, a phone is something that follows us literally everywhere. The brand ‘AlphaCovers’ offers an extensive range of phone cases for almost every phone model on the market. With a wide option of customization – from colors to shade to font – you can get creative and truly create a unique gift for your loved one.
Monogram Doormat
For married couples, you can choose to gift a matching set of bathrobes or other household items with their new initial embroidered on them. There is a lot of similar services that you can find online for this. Personally, we would recommend you to get a monogrammed doormat, just because it is something that the couples will see and use a couple of times every day. As they adjust to a life together as a married couple, looking down at the doormat will be a sweet reminder of their wedding day! You can browse through Etsy for many unique variations! As a side note, we recommend you to check with the couples on the initials they prefer to use after being official, to play it safe.
Getting a monogram gift will definitely make your gift stand out among the others but more importantly, it will show the recipient that you have put a lot of thought and soul it. Just don’t forget to have fun through the gift-choosing process!
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