Have you ever received a personalized gift? Maybe a silver goblet engraved with your anniversary date or a sweater with your monogram on the pocket.  How does a personalized gift make you feel? Appreciated? Loved? When you consider that the giver not only took the time to choose a gift for you, but also took the time to personalize it just for you, you do feel special.

You probably also take special care of that personalized gift.  Maybe it has a prominent space in your room, and you are probably especially careful about cleaning it. You might even plan on passing the gift down to your children or even grandchildren some day.   

Unfortunately, personalized gifts are becoming less common in households these days, even though they are part of a multi-billion dollar industry. Think about it for a moment – how many personalized gifts do you have in your house (excluding trophies and those gifts you purchased yourself)? Now think about why you don't have more personalized gifts. It might just be because personalized gifts seem too expensive, especially if the economy is in bad shape.

When the economy is down, even those of us who still have a little more to spend might be better off cutting back.  This might mean that your Valentine's Day gift budget is a little lower this year.  If you are on a tight budget and you don't have as much money to spend on gifts, you might not even be considering a personalized gift, especially if you are only considering some of the most common personalized gifts. 

Here is a list of some of the more common personalized Valentine's Day gift options:

1. Handmade Gifts (clothing, quilts, knitted items such as gloves, scarves or winter hats, handmade cards, etc.).  The cost of supplies for such items may be more affordable than buying the item already made, but the TIME involved in making these things adds to the cost, sometimes quite a bit.  This still might be a great option for the capable, well prepared – and well-timed crafters, but as we all know Valentine's Day time is full of unexpected events and adventures that can eat up our time.  Even the best planners can be left with unfinished craft projects forcing them to do last minute Valentine's Day shopping.

1. Engraved or Etched Gifts (plaques, picture frames, vases, cutlery, glassware, glass ornaments, etc).  Engraved or etched decorative items can be beautiful, and often come with a big price tag! Etched or engraved items can cost up to hundreds of dollars per item.  After all, you need to choose high quality materials so that the engraving or etch work won't chip away and ruin the gift. There is no other option here. No one wants to give, or receive, a "cheap personalized gift" that will deteriorate over the years.

1. Embroidered or Screen Printed Gifts (bath and hand towels, pillow cases, sports jerseys, fabric advent calendars, table linens, etc.) are always a nice gift. Perhaps the best part is that embroidered gifts come with a more reasonable price tag.  Be aware that some retailers will allot you a specific letter count with purchase and then every additional is $0.50 - $2.00/letter depending on quantity, size and color etc.  A gift like this is a great option when you are on a budget, but still want to give someone a gift that is totally unique.

Why does giving personalized Valentine's Day gifts have to be so difficult?  Why does it have to cost a fortune?  The good news is that it doesn't have to!  I have the perfect solution to giving Personalized Ornaments that might just save your Valentine's Day and your money!

Let me tell you about Personalized Ornaments. 

Personalized Valentine's Day Ornaments come in all shapes and sizes, they can look like any person with any hair color, or like snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, Valentine's Day cookies and just about anything you can imagine.  You can even find personalized Valentine's Day ornaments that are more about celebrating life's special moments – such as baby's first Valentine's Day, starting college,  turning 21, getting engaged, getting married, joining the Army, becoming a nurse or doctor, having a baby, buying your first home – pretty much anything you can imagine!    

The affordability is the best part about giving personalized ornaments as personalized Valentine's Day gifts.  You can find most personalized Valentine's Day ornaments for less than $15.00 if you know where to shop. The personalization can even be free too, at the right shop. You might even be able to find free gift bags and gift cards with your ornaments, making it much easier to give your ornaments to your loved ones – anything that can make Valentine's Day a little easier is a great thing!