Family Reunion Gift Ideas

by Bobbi Ann Johnson Holmes

             When planning or attending a family reunion, you may want to present a gift to a special family member, or to everyone attending. Here are a few family reunion gift ideas to consider.

 Personalized Family Reunion Items

                There are countless items, which you can personalize with the family name, reunion logo, family crest or whatever digital artwork you choose to use. Items to personalize include t-shirts, coffee mugs, beer steins, key chains, mouse pads, postage stamps, three-ring binders, kitchen magnets, bumper stickers, charms and much more. There are countless online companies offering this type of merchandise, along with printing services, such as Zazzle, or use the services offered at photo shops or local vendors. Have just one item printed as a special gift, or bulk order an item to hand out at the reunion, and save on the per-piece price.

Family Tree Poster

                Ancestry.com offers a printing service to create impressive looking family history books and family tree posters. If you are a member of the website, and have created your family tree online, with complete data, it takes just a few minutes to create and order an impressive looking family tree poster, to use as a gift at your reunion.

Old Family Photos on a Photo CD or DVD

                When my father’s grandfather passed away, his cousin received all the family albums, which meant my father didn’t have access to many of the old family photographs. With today’s digital photography, there is no reason for just a few family members to enjoy old family photographs.  Begin a project to scan the old family photos you and other family members have. Copy these images to a CD, make copies of this photo CD, and hand out to family members at the reunion.

Grandma’s Cookies as a Reunion Party Favor

                In the Talbot family, cousins recall Grandma Stella Talbot’s beloved snickerdoodle cookies. If your grandma or great-grandma had a special cookie, use it to create tasty reunion party favors. Bake up a large batch of cookies, and prepare a baggie of cookies for each guest at the reunion. Slip two cookies in each baggie, and decorate each bag with a recipe tag, that includes grandma’s cookie recipe.

Family Reunion Christmas Ornament

                If your family celebrates Christmas, have customized Christmas tree ornaments made to commemorate the family reunion.

Use Family Tree Software to
Make Family History Books

                If you have family tree software, and have entered data on your family, then it is not difficult to create family history books, to use as gifts at the reunion. Family tree software typically has a feature to print out reports, such as descendant charts or individual family information. These can normally be saved as PDF or document files, which can then be used to create a family history book. Look into Lulu.com for printing services, or print off the book using your own computer and printer, and have the booklet comb bound at the office supply store.

Family Recipe Book

                Months before the family reunion, begin collecting recipes from family members, to create a family cookbook. Some printing companies, such as Morris, specialize in cookbook publishing for small groups. There are a number of other online print-on-demand printers and publishers from which to choose.