Engraving and embroidery

Things Remembered, in Kitsap Mall, specializes in personalized gifts. Popular as a place to buy gifts for bridesmaids and groomsmen, the store offers a wide range of products, from bracelets to baby blankets, from pen sets to keepsake boxes, that are appropriate gifts for nearly any occasion. Every item that they offer can be personalized either with engraving or embroidery.

Although the store will only embroider merchandise that they sell, they do offer engraving services for customers who have purchased items elsewhere. Turnaround times for engraving range from around one hour, for items purchased from Things Remembered, to around 24 hours for items purchased outside of the store. Embroidery services usually take seven to ten days. Those times may increase as the holidays approach, depending upon the number of orders they receive.

Many jewelry stores in the area offer engraving services, as well. Frequently you can bring in items that you have purchased elsewhere to be engraved, although the stores will normally give priority to customers who have purchased merchandise through the store.

Custom jewelry

Having a truly unique piece of fine jewelry designed specifically for you is an incredible gift. It’s also one that needs to be planned in advance. At Blue Heron Jewelry Company in Poulsbo, for example, it can take four to five weeks to have a custom piece made, depending upon the elaborateness of the piece.

Arts and crafts types who’d like to try their hand at designing and making a piece on their own have a wide range of bead stores to choose from, such as the Bead Garden, in Silverdale, That’s Beadiful, in Port Orchard and Imagine That! in Poulsbo. These stores carry a wide range of beads in all shapes, colors and styles, as well as other supplies for jewelry making. Many stores also offer classes and tutorials.

Do-it-yourself ceramics painting

Another arts and crafts-style personalized gift is a gift from a paint-your-own ceramics shop, like The Dancing Brush in Poulsbo. It offers a wide selection of pieces for purchase, including bowls, banks, dishes, cookie jars and mugs. For an additional hourly fee, customers are given access to their space, paints, brushes and other decorative materials. This fee also includes the cost of firing the completed piece. This gift also requires a little advanced planning, as firing takes five days.

Sit for a portrait

Few things are as personal as giving your loved one a framed photographic portrait of yourself. Kitsap County has a number of professional portrait photographers, such as Winifred Whitfield, owner of Big Valley Photo Art. A family photograph in a natural or posed setting makes an excellent gift for grandparents. Whitfield also offers tasteful glamour and boudoir sittings for a more romantic gift for a spouse.

It can anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to have a portrait completed, between the initial consultation, sitting appointment, proof review, and final delivery. Additional time should be factored in if the portrait will be professionally framed.