The best wall art gifts match something the person already loves, such as a city, a car, cooking or plants, in a calm design that suits most rooms. An A4 or A3 print in a black, white or wood frame is the safest choice: it fits on a shelf or a small wall and needs no planning.
Why is wall art a good gift for someone who has everything?
People who are hard to buy for usually have plenty of things already. What they rarely have is a picture of the thing they care about. A print takes up no cupboard space, doesn't need batteries and gets looked at every day. It also says you paid attention, which is most of what a good present does.
The risk with wall art gifts is taste. You can't know exactly what someone will want on their wall, so I keep to three rules when I choose a print for someone else:
- Choose the subject from their life and keep the style quiet. A line drawing of a lemon branch is easier to live with than a loud cartoon of one.
- Go small to medium. A4 (21 x 29.7 cm) or A3 (29.7 x 42 cm) can sit on a shelf, lean on a desk or hang in a hallway. Anything bigger asks them to find a wall.
- Frame it in something neutral. Black, white or a light wood frame goes with almost every room. Many Spade22 prints come framed in black, white, wood or dark wood, so it arrives ready to hang.
Wall art gifts by person
The minimalist
Minimalists notice clutter, so give them something with lots of empty space. A single-line drawing or a black and white typographic print fits in without fuss. The wildflower line art print is one of my favourite safe bets: a few fine black lines on a pale background. Pick a thin black or white frame and skip anything with a heavy ornate edge.
The traveller
A print of a place they've been or a place they come from is about as personal as a shop-bought gift gets. Retro travel posters have strong colour and clear lettering, so they look good even small. The Bath Royal Crescent travel poster and the retro Snowdonia print are good examples. If you know the trip, match the place. If you don't, go for somewhere they talk about often. I've written more about this in travel posters as souvenirs.
The car lover
Blueprint prints are the grown-up way to give car art. They show the car in technical side, top and front views in white lines on deep blue, so they look at home in a study or living room. Choose a model they own, one they had years ago, or one they always point out. The 1970 Fairlady Z blueprint is a nice one for anyone who loves Japanese classics. A light wood frame softens the blue for a living room; black looks sharper in a study.
New parents
New parents get a lot of tiny clothes. A nursery print is something they'll keep. Soft colours and gentle subjects work best, and it helps if the design isn't so babyish that it has to come down in three years. The celestial whale print in indigo and cream, or the sketched teddy bear reading a book, both suit a nursery now and a child's bedroom later. For more ideas, see nursery art that still works when they turn ten.
The cook
Kitchen walls are often bare because people worry about steam and splashes. A framed print behind glass, hung away from the hob, is fine. Food typography is fun here: the blue and white Bon Appétit kitchen print works in almost any kitchen. For a softer look, the watercolour lemon branch print is warm and easy. A3 suits most kitchen walls; A4 fits on an open shelf next to the cookbooks.
The plant lover
Someone with a windowsill full of plants will usually like botanical art, and it fills the darker corners where real plants struggle. Painterly florals in sage and cream, like the impressionist magnolia print, sit well next to real greenery. Bolder plant shapes, like the sage green abstract botanical, suit a more modern home.
Which size and frame should a gift print be?
| Who it's for | Safe size | Frame | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone in a flat or renting | A4 or 30 x 40 cm | Light wood or white | Can lean on a shelf, no drilling needed |
| A new homeowner | A3 or 30 x 40 cm | Black or wood | Fits a hallway or a spare wall |
| New parents | A4 or A3 | White or light wood | Light enough to hang safely in a nursery |
| Someone you know very well | A2 or 50 x 70 cm | Their style | Only if you know the wall it's going on |
| Office or desk | 13 x 18 cm or A4 | Black | Sits on a desk or in a bookcase |
If you're not sure which frame colour to pick, go with whatever their other frames are. Have a look the next time you visit. If they have none, light wood is the most forgiving. Unframed prints are fine too, and they're easier to post, but you're handing the person a small job.
How do I make a print feel personal?
Most of the personal part comes from the subject. A city print of their home town or a car blueprint of the first car they owned says far more than a generic quote. Then add a short handwritten card. Say why you chose it: the trip, the car, the joke.
You can also gift a pair. Two A4 prints that go together, such as a botanical and a line drawing in the same tones, are easier to hang well than one larger piece, and they look considered.
Are prints a good Christmas present?
Yes, and they're easy to wrap, which helps in December. A flat, framed print is a neat rectangle. If you're ordering for Christmas, order early enough to check it before you wrap it. A print also makes a good present for the January birthday you nearly forgot.
Shop the look
A few gift-friendly prints, one for each type of person above.
There's more to choose from in the travel posters collection, the botanical prints collection and the nursery prints collection. Prints start at £9.99.
Quick answers
Is wall art a good gift?
Yes, if you choose the subject around the person and keep the style simple. A small framed print in a neutral frame is easy to place and doesn't need any planning from them.
What size print is best as a gift?
A4 or A3. Both can lean on a shelf or hang on a small wall, so the person isn't forced to find space for something large.
Should I give a framed or unframed print?
Framed is the better gift because it's ready to hang. Unframed works if you know they already have a frame waiting, or if you're posting it.
What wall art suits a man who is hard to buy for?
Blueprint prints of a car or aircraft he likes, a travel poster of a meaningful place, or a black and white typographic print usually go down well. Keep the frame black or wood.
What can I write in a card with a print?
One line about why you chose it is enough. Mention the trip, the car or the memory the print links to.
