First Christmas Together Gift: A Keepsake for the Year

A first Christmas together is an odd one to buy for. You know each other well enough to choose something personal, but there isn't a drawer full of shared things yet. A mug or a jumper is a kind present. The first Christmas together gift I'd point you towards is the one still on the wall next December, long after the mug has chipped.

Quick answer: choose one photo of the two of you taken in daylight and have it drawn as a one line couple portrait, or as a faceless portrait with soft colour blocks. If faces feel like too much, a two place map print or a song lyric print tells your story without them. The drawing takes one to two days. Printing takes about a day more.

Why a drawing feels different from the photograph

Your phone already holds the photo, somewhere among a few thousand others. It records everything, from the bin behind you to the half blink.

A drawing keeps less. I decide where each line goes, so the tilt of a head or the way one of you leans in survives and the clutter doesn't. It reads as the two of you rather than as a Tuesday in March.

That leaving-out is why a single line drawing suits a first home. It sits lightly on the wall and doesn't fight the landlord's magnolia paint. It looks right above a bed, or propped on a desk in a rented flat where you're only allowed two nails.

Four first christmas together gift ideas that last

Each of these is made from your details rather than picked off a shelf. Two need a photo. The other two don't.

A one line couple portrait

I draw the two of you as one continuous line, usually from the shoulders up, with no shading. It's $20 and works from almost any photo where both faces are clear. I've written more about why it makes such a good present in this guide to the one line couple portrait as a gift.

A faceless line portrait with colour blocks

Here the features are left out, and soft blocks of colour sit behind or across the figures. It's also $20. It forgives a slightly blurry photo, and it suits someone who would rather not be recognisable on their own wall. Matching the colours to a cushion or a rug in the room is a nice touch.

A two place map print

Two maps sit side by side, showing where each of you grew up or the two cities you lived in before you met. These are $17 to $19 depending on the layout. If you're buying a first Christmas gift for a boyfriend or girlfriend who hates having their picture taken, this is the one I'd choose.

A song lyric print

This one sets out the words of your first dance, or the song one of you sent the other at two in the morning in those early weeks. It costs $13 and is the most typographic of the four. Pick four to eight lines rather than the whole song. The words need room on the page.

I draw and lay out all four by hand at OpenHeartLines, the Etsy shop behind the portraits on this journal. If one of them already feels right, you can browse the couple portraits and map prints on Etsy and send your photo with the order.

How to order a couple portrait gift well

Most of what makes a portrait good is settled before I start drawing. These are the details I ask every customer for, and getting them right at the start saves a round of changes.

• Pick one photo of you both taken in daylight, by a window or outdoors, with both faces visible.
• Send the original file, not a screenshot or a photo forwarded through a messaging app.
• Say which side each person stands on, for example "Sam on the left, Priya on the right".
• Spell names exactly as you want them printed, including accents and capital letters.
• Mention anything to leave out, such as sunglasses or a stranger's elbow.
• Ask for a proof if you want to see the drawing before the final file.
• Give the frame size you have in mind, so the layout fits the frame you already own, A4 or 8x10 for example.
• Leave one to two days for the drawing, then a day for printing.

In December the drawing is rarely the slow part. Printers and couriers get busy first. My longer note on how long a custom portrait takes goes through proofs and revisions in more detail.

When you have almost no photos together

Plenty of couples in their first year have dozens of good photos of each other and only a couple of blurry selfies with both faces in. I see it all the time.

Combining two separate photos into one portrait is a normal job, and a quick one. I take a clear photo of each of you, match the angle and scale, and draw you side by side as if you'd been photographed together. Choose two photos with similar light and a similar turn of the head, and tell me roughly how much taller one of you is. There's a fuller walk-through in how to combine two photos into one portrait.

If even that feels thin, go for the map print or the lyric print. Neither needs a photo at all.

Framing the print

Line art looks best in a plain frame, and a thin black or natural oak one with a white mount suits it well. The drawing is mostly white space, so the mount gives it a margin and stops the lines feeling cramped against the edge.

A5 or 5x7 inches is plenty for a desk or bedside table. Above a bed or a sofa, go to A3 or larger, or hang two smaller prints side by side. Use matte paper of around 200gsm or heavier. Gloss picks up every reflection from the ceiling light.

Frame colour is a matter of taste. I'd avoid gold unless the room already has some warm metal in it.

Giving a digital file on the day and printing after

Most portraits arrive as a high-resolution digital file, which makes a late order far less stressful than it sounds.

Say the file lands on the 23rd. You can still give it on Christmas morning: print a copy at home on good paper, or show it on a tablet, and wrap an empty frame with a note saying the proper print is on its way. Then have it printed in the new year, when print shops are quiet, at a size you've picked together.

Your partner also gets a say in where it hangs. That helps when a shared flat has only one free wall.

If you'd like the drawing ready well before the 25th, send your photo over in the next few weeks. You can order a custom couple portrait on Etsy and add your names, and who stands on which side, at checkout.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good first Christmas together gift?

Something that marks the year usually outlasts something practical. A one line couple portrait drawn from a photo of you both is the usual choice. A two place map print or a song lyric print works just as well for someone who would rather not see their own face on the wall. Choose for the person, not the trend.

Can you draw us from two separate photos?

Yes. Combining two photos is a normal request and adds very little time. Send one clear daylight photo of each person with a similar head angle, say who stands on which side, and give me a rough idea of your heights. I draw you side by side so the finished piece looks like a single picture.

How long does a custom couple portrait take before Christmas?

The drawing usually takes one to two days once the photo and details are in. Allow another day for printing at home or at a local print shop. If you're sending a framed print by post in December, add more time again, because couriers slow down well before the shops do.

What size should I print a one line couple portrait?

For a desk or bedside table, A5 or 5x7 inches is plenty. Above a bed or a sofa, A3 or larger holds the wall better. The file is high resolution, so it prints cleanly at the usual frame sizes. If you're planning something very large, mention it when you order so the layout suits it.