Gifts for a grandma who has everything

What actually gets kept

Look around her house before you shop. The drawing on the fridge has outlasted plenty of expensive gifts, and so have the school photos taped inside the cabinet door. Anything with a grandchild’s name, face or handwriting on it tends to stay out. Most other gifts end up in a closet.

So ask yourself whose name, face or voice you can put in front of her. Some of the best answers cost nothing.

Ideas that cost little or nothing

• Record her. Sit down with a phone and ask how she met Grandpa, or what her first house was like. Save the audio somewhere the family can find it. You will be glad you have it.
• Copy down the recipes in her handwriting. Photograph the cards, then cook one with her.
• Start a drawing a month. Each grandchild mails one, with the date on the back.
• Book a standing call. Sunday at four, every week, is worth more than most things in a box.
• Print the photos. Most family pictures live on phones, and she has to ask to see them. A small stack of real prints in an envelope is a very good gift.

If you want something she can wrap up in

A blanket is useful at any age, and it gets used in the room where she spends her evenings. Ours come two ways.

The names blanket puts her title word big across the middle, with every grandchild’s name repeating around it in capitals. It holds up to 20 names, so nobody gets left out. Expect her to read each one out loud.

The photo collage blanket holds up to 9 photos, with her title across the bottom and an optional line for the grandkids’ names. Choose this one if you have good pictures and she misses seeing faces.

Blankets she can wrap up in

Grandma Blanket with Grandkids’ Names

Her title word big across the middle, every grandchild’s name repeating around it, in 14 colors.

from $44.99See it on Etsy

Photo Collage Blanket for Grandma

Up to 9 family photos, with Grandma, Nana or Mimi big across the bottom.

from $44.99See it on Etsy

If her walls have room

The family crossword canvas has two styles made for grandparents: Grandma’s favorite words, on a dark walnut look, and Nana’s BEST WORK, on soft sage. The grandkids’ names cross on shared letters, and you may find the kids hunting for their own name when they visit.

Getting the details right

• Use her real title. If the family says Mamaw, write Mamaw. It will mean more than the word on the store shelf.
• Check every spelling with each child’s parents. It is easy to get Kaitlyn wrong when it’s your niece, and we make exactly what you type.
• Decide the order. On the names blanket, names print in the order you type them. Oldest to youngest is the easy way to avoid a debate.
• Think about who is coming. A blanket can’t be updated. If a new grandchild is due soon, either wait until you know the name, or choose photos and words that won’t go out of date.

Which size and fabric

The 50x60 in sofa throw is our pick for most gifts. The 30x40 in covers a lap or a child, not an adult, and the 60x80 in covers an adult or lies across a bed.

Velveteen is soft and plush with a plain white back, and it is the lower-priced choice. It may arrive up to 3 in shorter than listed. Sherpa has a printed fleece front and a fluffy cream back, about 3 mm thick, and it feels fuller. For someone who runs cold, go with sherpa.

Going in on it together

A gift from all the grandkids is easier than it sounds. Pick one adult to collect the names and the photos, set a date for sending them in, and let each family add what it can. Sign the card from every child, in their own writing if they are old enough to hold a pen.

Questions people ask

Orders go through Etsy. Each See it on Etsy button opens our shop, The Kind Porch, where you personalize, pay and message us.