That Time I Made My Friends a Blanket with a Love Is Blind Screenshot… and It Turned Out to Be the Perfect Gift

Let me preface this by saying:

This gift idea is absolutely ridiculous.

And also? It might be one of my favorite gifts I’ve ever given.

A few years ago, my teenage daughter Sadie and I went to visit our dear friends Lucy and Marcy in Pittsburgh. These are the kind of friends who’ve become family. The kind you drop everything to go visit. The kind who make you laugh so hard you’re basically doing ab workouts just sitting on the couch.

And that’s exactly what we did.

We spent hours curled up watching Love Is Blind (because obviously). And if you’ve seen even one episode, you already know where this is going.

We could not stop laughing — specifically at Shane and his... iconic facial expressions. IYKYK.

Fast forward to the holidays... and the weirdest gift idea ever.

Weeks later, while trying to think of something fun and personal to send Lucy and Marcy for the holidays, the perfect (and also terrible) idea struck Sadie:

A blanket. With Shane’s face on it.

Not just any face. The face — the one that had us rolling with laughter during that visit. We found the exact screenshot, uploaded it to Amazon’s custom blanket creator, and hit “order” with the kind of mischievous glee that only comes from knowing a gift will both surprise and confuse someone in equal measure.

The photo quality? Questionable. The results? Surprisingly amazing.

Let’s be honest — this was not a high-res portrait.

It was a tiny, slightly pixelated screenshot from a Netflix episode, grabbed on my phone in the moment. Honestly, it looked terrible zoomed in. But we decided to roll the dice and see what would happen on a blanket.

And here’s the wild part:

It actually looks really good.

Soft flannel is weirdly forgiving. The image kind of softens into the fabric and the funny face somehow gets even funnier. So if you’re worried that your photo isn’t sharp enough or pro-level, don’t be. For this kind of personalized photo blanket, a silly screenshot totally works.

Three years later, it's still on her bed.

I texted Lucy to ask if she still had the blanket.

She sent me back a picture of it on her bed.

On. Her. Bed.

Every night.

Shane’s face. Staring into the darkness like a haunted, flannel guardian angel.

She even sent me close-ups and wide shots for this post (because she’s the best and fully leans into the absurdity).

Yes, this gift was silly — but it was ours.

And honestly? That’s what made it perfect.

There are so many photo gifts out there that try to be serious or elegant. And those are great! But sometimes the best gifts come from inside jokes, belly laughs, and moments that don't belong on a mantel — but 100% belong on a 50"x40" throw blanket.

Make One of Your Own (I Dare You)

Here’s the exact blanket we ordered on Amazon:

Custom Flannel Fleece Photo Blanket

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Upload any photo — your kid’s weirdest face, a pet in mid-sneeze, a scene from reality TV that cracks you up.

We did it in 50”x40”, soft and warm, made of anti-pilling flannel (we can confirm it holds up for years)

You can also add custom text — if you want to really lean into the chaos.

And no, your photo doesn’t need to be “good.” We used a literal screenshot, and it turned out hilarious and shockingly cute.

TL;DR: Don’t be afraid to be weird.

The Iconic Set's Photo Gift Lab isn’t about Pinterest perfection. It’s about memory-making.

Sometimes, the most “you” gift is the one that makes everyone snort-laugh when they open it.

And if it lives on someone’s bed for three years after that?

Well. That’s what we call iconic.

P.S. Want to keep track of all your photo gift ideas (even the weird ones)?

Here’s how photo gift rockstars avoid the dreaded “Wait, didn’t I send that already?”

🎁 Grab my free Photo Gift Tracker — and skip the “who got what?” guesswork.

Keep photo gifts organized… without ever wondering who got what.

👉 Download it here.

Coming Soon: Family Iconic – Holiday Photo Card Edition 🎄

In just a few weeks, I’ll be launching Family Iconic: Holiday Photo Card Edition — my step-by-step guide for taking the best holiday card photo of your family, using just your phone.

No stress. No fake smiles. No matching pajamas required (unless you're into that).

Just real tips that help you capture a photo worth framing and mailing.

Stay tuned — this one’s going to be merry and magical. Sign up for the waiting list to hear when it launches.