Uncles occupy a special place in a child's life, somewhere between a parent and a best friend, with considerably fewer rules. Uncle cufflinks are a way for the children to say thank you for all of that, and they have the advantage of being something he will wear to grown-up occasions where he would otherwise be expected to behave himself.
Let the nieces and nephews design them
The most memorable uncle cufflinks we see are designed by the children themselves. Give them some paper and pens and ask them to draw Uncle Pete. You will probably get something with wild hair, huge feet and a football, and it will be perfect. Other kid-made ideas:
- Their names written in their own wobbly handwriting
- A drawing of the thing he is famous for in your family, such as his barbecue, his motorbike or his dreadful singing
- A picture of the family with him in the middle, crayon sun in the corner
- "World's Best Uncle" in their own letters, spelling mistakes kept in
Adults tend to tidy these things up. Resist the temptation, as the imperfections are what he will love.
Occasions for the fun uncle
His birthday and Christmas are obvious, and personalised uncle cufflinks also fit nicely when he is getting married and the nieces and nephews are pageboys or flower girls. They are a sweet gift to hand over at the wedding breakfast, especially if he is going to be wearing a double-cuff shirt that day anyway. Other good moments include becoming an uncle for the first time, or saying thank you after a summer of babysitting. For a brand-new uncle, a close-up of the baby's face or a tiny footprint with the date of birth makes a lovely surprise when he first visits. Great-uncles deserve a mention too: an older uncle who has watched two generations grow up might appreciate a photo of him with the youngest of the family, which is a sweet way of joining the dots between them. For an uncle who lives far away, cufflinks carrying the children's faces are a small reminder of the family he does not see as often as he would like, and they are something the kids can help to choose and wrap themselves.
Photo ideas: the whole gang, the piggyback, the matching kit
If you would rather use a photograph, look for one full of energy. A few ideas:
- Him with a child on his shoulders at the beach
- All the cousins piled on him on the sofa
- A snap from a football match with everyone in the same shirt
- The newborn niece asleep on his chest
Simpler photos with two or three faces read best. For a larger group, crop so heads fill the frame, or choose a shot where the children are close together.
Photographing a child's drawing properly
Scanning is best, but a phone photo can work well if you:
- Lay the drawing flat on a table near a window, out of direct sunlight.
- Hold the phone directly above so the paper is not skewed.
- Crop right up to the edge of the drawing so there is no table showing.
- Ask the child to go over faint pencil in a darker felt tip beforehand.
Bold colours on white paper print particularly well. We print from your full-resolution original, so upload the photo straight from your phone rather than a screenshot.
Several uncles? Several designs in one basket
Many families have more than one uncle to buy for. You can add different designs to one basket, one for each uncle, and at five pairs or more they are £15 each plus £5 shipping per order, so five pairs come to £80. For a single uncle, one pair is £40 with shipping included. Upload, drag and zoom on the live preview, check both cufflinks, and order through our secure checkout. Every pair is gift boxed in Cornwall, ready for the kids to hand over.