A personalized gift is the one thing nobody else will have. In other words, you choose the piece, the color, and the design, and in the end there's only one in the world, made for whoever's getting it.
That's why this guide is for anyone who wants to give personalized Christmas gifts: what makes a good gift, what size to choose when you can't ask, how much a single piece costs, and even how late you can order and still make it in time. After all, these are the questions we get every December, in the order they usually come up.
What to give
Let's start with the easiest one. First of all, hoodies and sweatshirts for those who love wearing them, and caps, bags and toiletry bags for those who don't want to risk the size.
However, the cards show the lowest price for each piece, which is only reached from 30 units onward. So, for a single gift, the real prices are in the pricing section below.
How late you can order
The math is simple, and it's worth doing instead of guessing.
A custom piece arrives in 7 to 14 days after ordering, with production and shipping included. In fact, it's the same estimate that shows up on each product page and in the cart. That said, orders placed after 13h count from the next day, and for large orders the timeframe extends: plus 3 days starting at 40 pieces and plus 5 starting at 50.
Counting back from a delivery on day 23, for an order placed before 13h:
- By December 9 you're safe even in the worst-case scenario, with the order taking the full 14 days.
- Between 10 and 16 December might still arrive, but only if everything goes within the short timeframe. But if it's a gift for someone, that's not where you want to be.
- Lastly, after 16 we can't promise Christmas.
Also, if you're ordering for a whole family or a company, plan ahead: with 40 pieces or more, the safe date moves to December 6, and with 50 or more to December 4. The estimate doesn't account for the 1 and 8 December holidays, so if you can, don't wait until the last date. On the other hand, if you're reading this in November, you've got some breathing room.
Size is the one decision you can't undo
Before you choose, there's one thing worth knowing: a personalized piece can't be exchanged. In other words, it's not our policy: it's the article 17.º of Decree-Law no. 24/2014, which removes the right of withdrawal for items made to the customer's own specifications. So, size is the only decision in this process that can't be undone, and that's why we give it so much attention.
There's no trick. However, there are three ways to reduce the risk.
Copy a piece the person already wears
Don't ask for the size, measure what they actually wear. For example, a sweatshirt that fits them well, laid flat on a bed, measured armpit to armpit and shoulder to hem. Then compare it with the size chart, which opens in Size guide on each product page. After all, it's more reliable than anyone's memory of their own size.
Choose a forgiving cut
For example, an oversized hoodie looks good on a wide range of bodies, because the extra room is part of the design. On the other hand, a fitted polo forgives nothing. Also, if you're torn between two sizes in a loose cut, the smaller of the two is usually the right call, contrary to what instinct says. Lastly, if you want to understand the differences before deciding, we have a guide on boxy, oversize, and relaxed and another on which weight to choose.
Or dodge the problem
Not every gift needs a size. In fact, a personalized cap, bag, or pouch fits everyone and is still a piece made for that person. That's why, in December, it's the choice that causes the fewest sleepless nights, and the bamboo tote bag is the cheapest entry point in the whole catalog: 13 € with the design included.
If things go wrong
If the flaw is ours (wrong thread color, design that doesn't match what was approved, a manufacturing issue), you have 30 days to let us know and we'll fix it. That said, what we can't accept back is a correctly made piece that turned out too big.
Printing or embroidery, when it's just one piece
Here's the one calculation that really changes the price of a gift, and almost no one explains it before the cart is full.
Embroidery requires a digitizing file, which is the digitizing of the design into stitches so the machine can sew it. It costs 15 €, but it pays off once, not per piece.
For example, on an order of 20 sweatshirts, that 15 € gets spread out to 75 cents per piece and goes unnoticed. But on a one-off gift, that's 15 € on top of 28 €. Double the cost, basically.
Hence the rule of thumb:
- One or two pieces: printing. Plus, the result is excellent on designs with lots of colors, gradients, or photography, and there's no setup cost.
- From four or five on: embroidery starts to pay off, especially where it shines, on simple logos, monograms, and lettering.
- Caps, bags, and pouches: only come in embroidery, due to how the piece is built. So a 18 € cap ends up at 33 € with the matrix included, and a 14 € pouch ends up at 26 €. That's why we'd rather say it here than leave the surprise for checkout. The exception is the bamboo tote bag, which accepts printing and so stays at 13 €.
Where you place the design changes the price
Not all placements cost the same, and the more discreet ones are free:
| Zone | Cost |
|---|---|
| Left chest | included |
| Center chest | included |
| Full front | +3 € |
| Full back | +4 € |
A monogram on the chest, a date, some initials, a small design: it doesn't add anything to the piece's price. So it's worth knowing before designing a full front that you weren't planning on.
What personalized Christmas gifts cost
No minimums means literally one piece. Here are the real starting prices, already with a chest personalization:
Sized pieces
- Kids' sweatshirt, starting at 22 €
- Crewneck sweatshirt, starting at 28 €
- Cropped hoodie, starting at 29 €
- Regular hoodie, starting at 30 €
- Oversized hoodie, starting at 40 €
One size fits all, for when you would rather not guess
- Bamboo tote bag, starting at 13 €
- Corduroy toiletry bag, starting at 26 €
- Cap, starting at 33 €
- Corduroy bag, starting at 34 €
The last three only come in embroidery, so the matrix is already included in the starting price. The tote bag, on the other hand, accepts printing, which explains the difference.
From 8 pieces onward there's a quantity discount, and from 80 € onward shipping is free across all of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira. So if you're making gifts for an entire family, those two things together make a real difference to the final total.
The file you send us
The short rule: the bigger and cleaner, the better. For example, a PNG with a transparent background or a vector file will always give a better result than an image pulled from Instagram. So if the design is yours and you're unsure about resolution or format, we have a dedicated guide for that: how to prepare your file for customizing clothing.
And if the gift is for someone who draws, illustrates, or has a brand, there's also a guide on printing illustrations.
Quick questions about personalized Christmas gifts
Can I order just one piece?
Yes. There are no minimum quantities, not for Christmas and not for the rest of the year.
Can I see how it looks before paying?
Yes. The customizer shows the piece with your design on it, in the color you chose, before you add it to the cart.
How long does it take?
Between 7 and 14 days from order to delivery, production and shipping included, plus a few extra days from 40 pieces onward. You'll then get the tracking number by email.
Can I exchange it if it doesn't fit?
No, and the reason is in the sizing section above. That's why it's worth measuring a piece the person already wears before choosing a size.
What if it arrives defective?
You have 30 days. Email us at geral@matterstu.com with the order number and photos, and we'll sort it out.
Do you ship outside of Portugal?
Yes, to Spain, France, and Luxembourg, as well as the Autonomous Regions. Shipping times are longer, so the order deadline is earlier.
If you already know what you want to give, pick the piece and start creating. If you're still unsure, write to geral@matterstu.com: it is what we do most in December.
