Gift inspiration
What do you give someone who truly loves Utrecht?
Gift ideas for someone who misses Utrecht, lives there, comes from the city or simply loves it. Includes personalisation, custom work and a look at how we make our Dom Towers ourselves.
By ChrisMaker behind Domstad Cadeaus
± 6 min read
Short answer
An Utrecht gift becomes meaningful when it not only shows the city, but also says something about the person receiving it.
It might bring back memories of living or studying in Utrecht, mark a move, reflect family ties to the city or simply celebrate a love for the Dom Tower. That is why we prefer to look at someone’s connection with Utrecht rather than only at the word “souvenir”.
First, the city itself
What actually makes Utrecht typically Utrecht?
From the Dom Tower and wharf cellars to 030 and the connection people have with the city: our central Utrecht guide brings those stories together.
Read: What is typically Utrecht? →Gift inspiration
5 original Utrecht gifts to choose from
For someone who misses Utrecht, lives there or is moving away: these five ideas make choosing easier. Every product comes from our own range.
Want to see the full range? Explore all Utrecht gifts →
A piece of the city for home
For someone who misses Utrecht
When someone no longer sees Utrecht every day, something recognisable from the city can mean a great deal. The Dom Tower, a skyline or another city detail instantly brings back a place and a memory.
View Utrecht gifts →
Local and recognisable
For the proud Utrechter
For someone who lives in Utrecht or comes from the city, a gift does not need to explain why Utrecht is special. The recognition already does the work. The Dom Tower remains the strongest symbol, but 030, a skyline or a subtle city detail can be enough too.
For a new chapter
For someone who is leaving or moving
A small Utrecht gift is easy to take along. For a new home, it can instead be something that earns a permanent place. A name, date or short message can make the connection to that moment even more personal.
Personalisation & custom work
Not everything we can make is listed as a standard option in the webshop.
I regularly get questions via WhatsApp, email or at a market about something that is not literally listed as an option on the website. Can a portrait be engraved on wood? Can someone’s own idea be combined with the Dom Tower? Is something possible that is not among the standard choices?
Not every idea is technically sensible and there have to be practical limits somewhere. But something that is not listed in the webshop is not automatically impossible. If an idea suits our machines, materials and way of working, we are happy to see what is possible.
View personalised gifts →From the workshop
A Dom Tower starts long before the printer does.
Our model was designed in Blender and has been improved continuously over time. We have several 3D printers, but we deliberately use the Bambu Lab H2C for the Dom Towers because it gives us the result we are looking for with this product. After that, the handwork begins.
Design & material
We work from our own 3D model and choose suitable filament from a brand we consider reliable.
Printing on the H2C
The 24 cm Dom Tower is printed as a single piece. Larger versions consist of several printed parts that are carefully joined afterwards.
Inspection & assembly
After printing, we carefully remove the parts from the build plate and inspect them. Larger models are bonded using an adhesive suitable for the specific plastic.
Finishing by hand
Smooth areas are sanded by hand. We then apply several light coats of textured paint and gold-, silver- or bronze-coloured wax to bring out the relief and details. ASA versions intended for outdoor use also receive a UV-resistant clear coat.
Engraving & final inspection
We engrave the gold-coloured brass plate ourselves. It can carry the standard text or a personal message when the product allows it. Only after the final inspection do we add our logo underneath the base and pack the tower.
Print time by size
Good to know: print time is not the same as production time. After printing, inspection, assembly and finishing still follow.
Even good equipment sometimes gets it wrong
Sometimes our Dom needs restoring too.
A failed print does not automatically mean that an entire tower has to be thrown away. If a piece can be repaired properly, I work on restoring it. Damage is repaired and the affected areas are refinished.
We jokingly call this “restoring the Dom”. When we offer restored pieces at a market, we clearly describe them as such. If a visible imperfection remains, we say so and the piece is offered at a lower price.
When personalisation means more than a name
Sometimes you make something that means far more to someone than just a product.
One question that keeps coming back is whether we can engrave a portrait on wood. Sometimes it is a photo of someone who has passed away. At that point, I know that what I am technically engraving can mean much more to the recipient than an image on wood. It can become a memory with a permanent place.
Of course a business needs to earn money and custom work takes extra time. Even so, I have deliberately chosen to keep offering personalisation precisely because it is special to incorporate something of the person themselves, or of someone important to them, into a product.
Practical gift guide
Which Utrecht gift suits your situation?
From Utrecht, for someone with a connection to Utrecht
Who are you looking for something from Utrecht for?
Browse the collection, choose something you can personalise or send us your own idea.
About the maker
Chris from Domstad Cadeaus
Behind Domstad Cadeaus is a small workshop where Utrecht products are designed, made, personalised and checked.
Read more about Chris →