If you want to make a lasting impression when giving someone a gift for the holidays, you may want to steer clear of mainstream retail stores.

According to a new survey, a majority of Americans would rather receive something with a personal touch than an expensive item this holiday season.

The results, which found that 62% of Americans prefer gifts that come from the heart and feel more personal, revealed that the holidays are more about sentimentality than lavish, expensive gifts.

In the survey of 2,000 Americans, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Vistaprint, it was also revealed that nearly every type of generic present takes a backseat to gifts perceived as "personalized."

Nearly double the number of respondents would rather receive a heartfelt gift over something more generic worth $100. Even gift cards, long-heralded as the "choose your own adventure" of gift-giving, were found to be second-fiddle to something with a more personal touch, as only 14% of survey respondents said they'd take one over a personalized gift.

Two-thirds (66%) of the respondents said they'd be much more likely to remember this type of gift over something more generic and store-bought. Another 58% of respondents said they'd be much more likely to tell others about the gift if it was more personal, too.

More than half (55%) also said they keep personalized gifts much longer than generic, store-bought ones-with the average respondent saying they keep them for a full year longer and nearly 40% saying they would keep it forever.

But it's not just receiving a personal gift that people enjoy-it's also giving. 68 percent of the respondents said they actually derive more satisfaction from giving someone a  personalized gift than something generic.

The top reasons cited were: it will be remembered, is a keepsake, is unique, and the bonding that would occur over memories.

Nearly half of the survey respondents said they're eager to give more personalized gifts because they are cheaper.

If you feel too financially strapped to confidently plunge into the holiday season, here are some of our favorite stories about heartfelt gifts-and the sweet impact they had on the recipients:

Be Sure And Pass On The Handy Holiday Survey Results To Your Gift-Giving Friends On Social Media…