Only you can decide what types of personalized gifts are right for your friends, co-workers or family members. Personalized blankets are a fabulous and unique gift idea. With so many wonderful products from which to choose, you can't help but find one that's perfect for the recipient. Whether it's a monogrammed stadium fleece or a photo collage blanket, they are sure to thrill!

Personalized blankets and throws are an increasingly popular gift for friends and family members of all ages because they combine a thoughtful, personalized touch with practicality. You should take the time to decide what you really want and compare quality, price and features before making a purchase. Once you start looking, you'll be surprised by the variety of sizes, styles, materials and options available in personalized blankets and throws. The material a throw is made of generally determines what type of personalization can be used.

Fleece throws are always a good bet. These are the polar fleece throws that are popular for football blankets and winter pullovers. They're often edged with a blanket-stitch trim and usually come in a wide variety of colors. You'll like these for their durability and easy care – simply toss them into the washer and dryer. They can be personalized with embroidery, usually done on one corner that features names, dates or a short quote. You're typically limited to three or four short lines of text and only one thread color, so pick something that contrasts well with the color of the fleece. Fleece throws are a nice choice for active people who will use it for tailgating, sporting events or camping.

Knit blankets and throws are another great custom bedding option. You can purchase personalized knit blankets and throws in a wide range of sizes, from baby blankets to oversized throws that big enough for two people to snuggle under. They feature a great texture, similar to that of a cable-knit fisherman's sweater. And, they have a hand-made look that's sure to be admired. Some knit blankets are 100% cotton, while others are made of a cotton/polyester blend. The personalization options are similar to those for a fleece throw, although some manufacturers and specialty stores offer custom embroidery that includes up to five colored threads and a choice of attractive emblems surrounding the text. Emblems such as hearts, flowers, vines and other motifs are available. You can choose something specific to the occasion, such as wedding bells for a bridal gift or teddy bears for a baby shower. Emblems add an extra-special touch.

Tapestry afghans are sure to please. They are the next step up in personalization, featuring full-color reproductions of whatever photo you submit on 100% cotton throw. Your picture is recreated by weaving together thousands of individual, colored threads to reproduce the image. So, no matter how many times you wash the afghan, the image won't fade. There can be some loss of resolution when a photo is reproduced this way because the weaving process can't retain the crispness and color clarity of the original. But, the images are still lovely. Afghans are extremely soft and warm, and the muted colors with fringe all around are ideal for tossing over the back of a sofa or chair in the living room. Most photo afghans are machine washable.

Tapestries make wonderful, personalized birthday gifts. They're perfect for when you are looking for something with the traditional look of a woven throw, but would like to include the personal touch of a photo. Grandparents love tapestry throws with pictures of their grandchildren. And newlyweds will cherish an afghan with a picture of the two of them on their first date. Kids bedding is also perfect for personalization.

Photo Blankets are by far the most personalized blankets or throws that you can get. Like a tapestry afghan, you can have your own photo on a photo blanket. Unlike an afghan, you can also opt to have multiple photos reproduced for a collage effect on photo blankets. Some manufacturers offer you the option to add up to sixteen personal photographs on one photo blanket. This offers a truly personalized heirloom blanket. The picture reproduction on photo blankets is extremely high resolution; it is dyed directly into the microsuede fabric for a crisp, sharp look. Polar fleece is fused to the reverse side for extra warmth and softness. Photo Blankets are usually available in a variety of sizes and are machine washable, so they're easy to care for and don't fade as the images are dyed right into the fabric.

A photo blanket with a collage of pictures of all the grandchildren would be the perfect gift for a grandparent with lots of grandchildren. They are also popular for capturing memories of a vacation or other memorable events. The bright colors and crisp reproduction make photo blankets ideal gifts when you want to retain all the details of a stunning photo. Whether it's the colors of a tropical sunset, the joy of newborn, or the way the candlelight fell on the bride's face in a wedding picture, it will be captured forever.