Monday, December 28, 2009

On Web, workshops to create one-of-a-kind gifts - NYTimes.com

Searching for meaning beyond a price tag, more holiday shoppers are giving custom-made gifts this year.

But adding the personal touch doesn’t mean that gift-givers have to break out the knitting needles, haul out the scrapbook supplies or fire up the oven and start baking. A host of Web sites with names like Zazzle, Blurb and TasteBook are helping people quickly create one-of-a-kind products like clothing, books and jewelry. In some cases, making a custom gift can be as easy as uploading a photo or clicking a mouse. In others, the e-commerce tools shorten what would normally have taken hours of work...