8 Thoughtful Gift Ideas For Older Relatives & Friends

Storyworth offers you the chance to capture stories through voice recordings or email. It then preserves them with unlimited colour photos in a beautiful keepsake book. Each week, it sends your loved one one question that will inspire them to share stories and photos (you can write your own or choose from a 500-strong library). Recipients then tell their stories by email or by writing in their Storyworth account or by sending voice recording over the phone. After a year, their book will be ready to order. 

From £73.50

Visit Welcome.Storyworth.com

Love, Keep, Create specialises in transforming cherished clothing or textiles into one-of-a-kind keepsakes – from memory bears to quilts, cushions and blankets. Each item is lovingly handmade, offering a beautiful way to preserve the fabric of a life well lived. Whether it’s a favourite jumper, baby clothes from the early years or even a wedding dress, these pieces can be carefully reimagined into something new, meaningful and deeply personal. It’s a thoughtful way to honour special memories while creating something that can be treasured – and passed down – for years to come.

From £45

Visit LoveKeepCreate.co.uk

For relatives who love learning or want to explore a new passion, Create Academy offers beautifully produced online courses led by leading figures in design, interiors, gardening, food and craft. From cookery with Skye McAlpine to floristry with Willow Crossley, each course combines practical skills with inspiring storytelling, allowing recipients to learn at their own pace from the comfort of home. With lifetime access to every class purchased, it’s a gift that provides both enjoyment now and a resource they can return to time and again.

From £127

Visit CreateAcademy.com

For family members with a keen interest in history, Ancestry offers the chance to explore and build a family tree using one of the largest collections of records and archives available online. A subscription unlocks access to census data, birth and marriage certificates, and even DNA kits to help uncover family heritage and connect with relatives across the globe. A wonderful gift for anyone looking for a bit of a project.

From £10.99/month

Visit Ancestry.com

An original way to connect loved ones with their heritage or travels, The Future Mapping Company creates beautifully designed wall maps that can be customised with pins and markers to chart personal stories. You can choose to plot family history, highlight special places or document journeys taken together, making each map both decorative and deeply meaningful. Recipients can continue adding their own pins over time, or you can present it already finished as a thoughtful reminder of shared experiences. Printed using vibrant inks and unique cartographic styles, these maps are as much a piece of art as they are a keepsake.

From £40

Visit FutureMaps.com

Voop Productions creates professional, documentary-style films to capture a loved one’s memories on camera. Their experienced team conducts interviews in a relaxed, conversational style, weaving in family photos and videos to produce a polished film. The result is a moving time capsule that preserves personal stories for future generations. Take cues from Voop’s founder, who made a film with his father about his passion for boats.

From £350

Visit VoopProductions.com

For a truly unique keepsake, Your Song Maker turns special memories into original music. Working with professional songwriters, you can share stories, milestones or personal details – from a couple’s love story to a family history or even a grandparent’s favourite sayings. These are then crafted into bespoke lyrics and set to music in a style of your choosing. Once recorded and professionally mixed, the result is a one-of-a-kind song that can be played, shared and cherished for generations – an unforgettable way to capture someone’s story in sound.

From £149

Visit YourSongMaker.com

A wonderful option for food-loving families or groups of friends, Family Cookbook Project helps you gather treasured recipes and present them in a beautifully bound book to give as a keepsake. Relatives can contribute their own dishes and stories, complete with photos and personal notes, so the finished book becomes much more than a recipe collection – it’s a record of family traditions and the meals that bring everyone together. From heirloom bakes to modern favourites, it’s a thoughtful way to celebrate food, memory and connection, while creating a culinary legacy to pass down to children and grandchildren.

From £30

Visit FamilyCookbookProject.com