The first anniversary is traditionally celebrated with a gift of paper. The obvious choice is a nice notebook or personalized stationery, but who wants an obvious gift? These 14 first anniversary gift ideas make the tradition fun for the modern age. The theme of a paper gift offers plenty of playful and romantic ideas. Here are some of our favorite suggestions:
Photo Books: personal & easy
These pocket sized photo albums are made from Instagram shots. Photo credit: Social Print Studio
The days of tacky photo albums are long gone. It's now easier than ever to create a meaningful album from your honeymoon or your favorite photos together. With Social Print Studio you can use photos from Instagram to create mini-books, square prints, and even posters. For the more traditional hard cover photo book, Pinhole Press has lots of modern and tasteful templates to chose from. It's perfect for starting that wedding album you never got around to creating.
Tickets: grab a show or fly to another country
Take the opportunity to go to a special concert together.
Go do something together and have a new experience. You can gift a paper ticket to a concert, a sporting event, a play, a hot air balloon ride, or just about anything else. The possibilities are endless. You can even splurge and get a plane ticket and surprise your partner with a spontaneous trip. Just make sure to print out the ticket on paper. If it doesn't come with an official printable ticket, just make one yourself.
Tiny Letters: a unique surprise
A tiny letter packed with lots of love. Photo credit: Lauren Boyd
How often do we take the time to really tell our significant other how much they mean to us? Take the opportunity of the paper anniversary to reveal heartfelt feelings or write a poem in a tiny letter. Taking the extra step to create a diminutive sized letter will make a big impact. Guaranteed to be unexpected!
Art Prints: bring your new home to life
Support a local artist and find a great gift for your sweetie. Photo credit: 3 Fish Studios
If you are also celebrating your first year living together, a piece of art is a great way to add to your new home. Since this is an anniversary gift, try to choose subject matter that has personal meaning to your relationship. There are countless websites devoted to selling posters and wall art, but we like to support local artists when we can. Here in the Bay Area 3 Fish Studios offers beautiful and affordable linocuts and poster prints. If you can't find someone local, Minted supports independent artists while offering different size and framing options.
Tandem Activity Book: spend time together
Set your phones aside and settle in for hours of fun, just the two of you. Photo credit: Lauren Boyd
Leafcutter's Tandem Activity Book is a great tech-free date night idea. The 78 prompts are sure to make a fun night at home. The completed book can then be kept as a journal of memories, to be reflected upon for years to come. Make a gift set by adding nice pens or customized pencils and a bottle of wine.
Paper flowers: don't add water
Forever flowers make a thoughtful and surprising gift. Photo Credit: A Paper Event
Flowers are often a default gift option for anniversaries. The first anniversary tradition is the perfect chance to give her some nice flowers that won't wilt, and can serve as an everyday reminder of your love. Search Etsy and you will find lots of talented sellers who handmake paper blooms. You can even find flowers made from the pages of a favorite book.
Custom portrait: personalized art
A custom family portrait is sure to be cherished forever. Photo credit: Ana Mikulic
For the artistically inclined, a hand-drawn custom family portrait would be a guaranteed hit. If stick figures are more in your wheel-house, artists such as Ana Mikulic can help. Again we recommend Etsy, where you can find a wide range of portraiture mediums to fit your style.
Letters to My Love / Letters to Open When
Either letter collection will delight on your first anniversary. Photo credit: Lauren Boyd
What’s more precious than a collection of hand-written letters from the one you love? This one takes a little forethought but will totally pay off in the end. We have two editions in our series that are appropriate for your first anniversary, Letters to My Love and Letters to Open When. Take a look at the prompts and decide which one is right for you.
Paper jewelry: Handmade & unexpected
This unique jewelry is handmade from paper discs. Photo credit: Paper Statement
Jewelry made of paper is a unique and unexpected twist on the paper anniversary gift. Artist Dorisse creates each of her jewelry pieces out of hundreds of paper discs. If you wrote your own vows or have a special song, you can have those words encapsulated into a sterling silver necklace and earrings.
Rare Book: comics, cookbooks, etc.
Whatever your spouse's passion, take the time to find a special version of a book they would enjoy. Track down a first edition or antique version of their favorite novel. Get their cherished comic book or cook book signed by the author. A great place to start your search is by walking into your local bookstore and getting recommendations. Indiebound can point you to a few great bookstores in your area.
Artist's Pad: more than a notebook
Instead of just a notebook, gift an art set to inspire creativity. Photo credit: Moleskine
A Watercolor paper or other art paper pad and accompanying art supplies is a nice spin on the paper notebook idea. There are many good art sets available for the more adventurous artist or those that want to start a new hobby. If your partner doesn't draw or paint you can also include a how-to book. Or there is no shame in adult coloring books.
Card games: play together
Fancy playing cards and card based games.
If you are into board games, finding a card based game is a great gift, especially if you make it into a whole evening of fun. Here are a few of my favorite picks because they are easy to learn and lots of fun for two players: Phase 10, Mille Bornes, and Fluxx. If your spouse is in to traditional card games with a standard deck of cards, Theory 11 has lots of beautiful playing card sets including the green Monarch playing cards.
Vintage map: celebrate place
Find an antique map of the city where you met. Photo credit: www.RareMaps.com -- Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
An antique map of your town, the place where you met, or where you took your honeymoon would make a beautiful and meaningful gift. Raremaps offers a wide selection of maps and price points if you are short on time. Alternatively you can do some digging at your local flea market or antique bookstore. Artist A.J. Gottberg creates heart-shaped collages from maps of important locations in your relationship. While not vintage, Lovecation Map will create a stylized map of the place where you met along with your names. You can order the map framed or as a pdf to print at home.
Hollow book: surprise inside
Don't judge this book by its cover. Photo credit: Secret Storage Books
Your spouse will think they are getting just a book, but a hollow book filled with something like jewelry or fancy chocolates will be a welcome surprise. This is a nice way to play with the paper gift idea outside "the rules" of tradition.
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