7 Custom Gifts Under $20 That Don't Look Cheap

The Sub-$20 Gift Trap

We've all been there. A birthday party this weekend, a teacher gift due tomorrow, Kris Kringle at work with a $20 cap. You need something that says "I put thought into this" on a budget that says "I also have a mortgage."

A lot of cheap personalised gifts for kids end up as generic tat from a discount bin. Here are seven personalised gift ideas under $20 that put the thought where the money isn't. Whatever you pick, check delivery times before you order if the gift is due soon.

1. A Custom Sticker Sheet of Them as a Character

Upload a photo of whoever you're buying for, pick a scene (Space Explorer, Rainbow Unicorn, Dino World) and you get an illustrated sticker sheet of them as a cartoon character in that world.

For kids, it's their face, as a superhero or a dragon rider, on stickers they can put everywhere. For adults, it's an absurd-but-personal gift that can end up on a laptop lid.

A sheet is $12.00 AUD, and shipping is $5.00 AUD, free over $40 AUD, so one sheet with shipping stays under $20 in Australia. It doesn't look like a budget gift. It looks like you had something custom made, because you did. You can try different scenes here to see what suits.

2. A Personalised Name Label Set

Practical and personal. Name labels for school bags, drink bottles, lunch boxes and pencil cases help keep things out of the lost-property pile, and plenty of kids like seeing their name in their favourite colour.

Not glamorous, but useful for any parent of a school-aged kid. Check out our guide to school labels for more on this.

3. A Printed Photo Magnet

A single photo printed onto a fridge magnet is easy to find at online print shops. Pick a great photo of the recipient's kid, pet, or a moment you shared together.

The trick is choosing the right photo. Not a formal portrait: a candid moment that makes them laugh when they see it every morning.

4. A Custom Sticker as a Party Favour

If you're organising a kids' birthday party, personalised sticker sheets make good party favours. With a photo of each guest, every child can get a sticker of themselves as a character. Sheets drop to $10.00 AUD each from 3 sheets and $8.00 AUD each from 10, and shipping is $5.00 AUD, free over $40 AUD.

Order a batch with each child's photo and hand them out in the party bags.

5. A Personalised Bookmark or Bag Tag

For the readers and the school kids. A laminated bookmark with their name and a fun design, or an acrylic bag tag for their school bag. Both get used daily, and both come in enough designs to match any kid's personality.

These work especially well for end-of-year teacher gifts when you want something from the class that isn't a gift card.

6. A DIY Sticker Card or Letter

Buy a personalised sticker sheet and stick one inside a handwritten card. Post it. Done.

It works as a thank-you note, a thinking-of-you card, or a "sorry your week was rubbish" pick-me-up. A sticker of someone as a cartoon character tucked inside a card is a nice surprise. Total cost: a sticker, a card, and a stamp.

7. A Custom Sticker for a Drink Bottle or Laptop

One large sticker of someone as their favourite character, placed on a drink bottle or laptop, is a daily reminder that someone thought of them.

For teens especially, a laptop sticker of themselves in a Pixel Hero or Surf Adventure scene can get a laugh.

Why Personalised Stickers Win on a Budget

A lot of budget gifts are consumable. Chocolates disappear. Candles burn down. Novelty mugs get banished to the back of the cupboard.

A personalised sticker can go on a surface the person sees every day, and it features their face or their kid's face.

The Occasions Cheat Sheet

Occasion	Best pick from this list
Kids' birthday	Custom sticker sheet (#1) or party favour (#4)
Teacher gift	Name label set (#2) or sticker card (#6)
Kris Kringle	Custom sticker sheet (#1)
Thank you	Sticker card (#6) or photo magnet (#3)
Stocking stuffer	Bookmark or bag tag (#5)
Party favours	Batch sticker sheets (#4)

Under $20

Personalised gifts under $20 work because they show you thought about the person: you picked their photo, chose their scene, wrote their name. Start with a photo and see what happens.

For more on why kids love personalised stickers, we've written a whole piece on it.