Wedding gift Ideas

[Ryan Welch]

I was hoping the vast knowledge this group posseses, could help me with coming up with ideas for a wedding gift for my sister. Was planning on giving her money but, now I hear through the grapevine (my mother) that she is hoping that I make her something. While I am normally petty good at coming up with ideas for birthdays and Christmas, I am just not sure what would be an appropriate gift for a wedding. I am assuming that more than a few of you have made a gift of this nature and am looking for any help you can provide I am drawing a blank.

[Darnell Hagen]

It's not a super fancy idea, but I've taken a nice cutting board to the laser engravers and had them cut in their names and wedding date.
A little nicer would be a small cabinet or box, with a handcarved monogram with their initials.

[David Thompson 27577]

I made clocks for both of my kids as they got married. Based on what I knew about them, those clocks included key-wound mechanical movements (big bucks).

But if your sister's tastes, or your budget nixes that, there are still MANY options for a high quality piece -- one that will truly last a lifetime.

[Matt Meiser]

When my one of my brothers got married my parents bought the lumber and I built a buffet that he designed (he's got a degree in industrial design.)

[Cary Falk]

I was thinking ceder chest where she can store her wedding dress.

[Stephen Edwards]

It's not a super fancy idea, but I've taken a nice cutting board to the laser engravers and had them cut in their names and wedding date.
A little nicer would be a small cabinet or box, with a handcarved monogram with their initials.

Another thought is to have their names and wedding date engraved into the underside of the lid of a nice box. The laser engravers could do this for you, too.

I have an old New Hermes Pantograph Engraving machine that has both a ratio arm (ratios from 2:1 through 8:1) and a 1:1 arm, along with several brass fonts. Though it isn't intended to be a machine for wood engraving, I've learned how to use it for that purpose. It comes in really handy when making wedding gifts or gifts for a new baby in the family!

Since most woodworkers don't have an engraving machine, the folks with the laser engravers come in real handy, too, when making such gifts!

[Steve Kohn]

I built my son and DIL a silverware chest. I wish I would have thought of having their wedding date engraved in the lid.

[Ryan Welch]

All pretty good ideas. I am not sure I have time to build a blanket chest or a clock (but I love both ideas), this kinda got popped on me last second. What about a picture frame with a brass plate with thier names and wedding date engraved. Do people still hang thier wedding pictures? The wife and I still have ours hanging but, I am not sure everyone still does this. I guess I still have time to make a bandsawn jewelry box but, does the groom really benefit? I have some highly figured quilted maple and claro walnut that would probably do the trick for a picture frame or box. Wish I had more time, I would have loved to make them a bed I have made a couple for some other members of the family with great success.

[Matt Meiser]

Ryan, another idea, give them an IOU for a piece of furniture and get them involved in the design process. Then they'll get exactly what they want or need. The IOU could be wrapped with a relatively simple gift.

[Myk Rian]

Band saw boxes are always nice.

[NICK BARBOZA]

I like Matt's idea. That way it is something more significant that may mean more to the newlyweds. I made this for my sisters wedding a few years ago. It was about a year late, but they were both involved in the process; which I believe is important since they have to live with it.

Good luck!
NWB

[Kent A Bathurst]

All pretty good ideas. I am not sure I have time to build a blanket chest or a clock (but I love both ideas), this kinda got popped on me last second. What about a picture frame with a brass plate with thier names and wedding date engraved.

Bingo!!

I had an unusual amoutn of time for nephew's wedding. Had a brass plate engraved with their names, place, and date. Big hit. Mine was recessed inside the lid of a blanket chest, but the picture frame would be perfect. Any old "trophy" retail store (as in, softball league trophys) can get this out in a coupla days. Mine was longer, becasue I needed a specific size, and I wanted it 1/8" thick so I could counterbore it to use flush screws (v. small brads). But still - they can do this for you very quickly, whatever you want it to look like.

PLUS - if you spring for a large size photo to go in the frame, they HAVE to hang it up!!

[Jerome Stanek]

I made my son a lithophane for his cake table

[Jamie Schmitz]

Maybe not all that personal but for practicality try this. "Firewood", last time a friend got married I got him a cord delivered and stacked and he really liked it. Of course she would have to have a FP.

[Paul Steiner]

How about salad tongs, a spoon, and a salad fork. Maybe a cutting board too. It would make a really nice set and all of these are quickly made on the bandsaw. Wood mag has a great plan for tongs I used and spoons and forks can be found online. I made a set of tongs in about 30 minutes.

[Willard Foster]

I have made quilt racks that have gone over well. I found the pattern in an issue of Woodsmith over ten years ago.

Clocks are another good idea. The keywound ones have a life of only 15 - 20 years, that's according to all clock repair people I've talked to.

After they start a family, child's rocking chairs are fun to make.

Bill

[Michael O'Sullivan]

I would think a picture frame would be a little "low end" for a wedding present for one's sister -- it is more of a Mother's Day gift.

Instead, I would suggest something that would relate to what they are asking for otherwise -- like a china cabinet if they are getting a china service, or a silverware chest if they are getting silver. Obviously, it all depends on (a) your budget, (b) your skill level, and (c) what they already have. Personally, I found my credit card to be my most useful tool when it came to my own sister's wedding gift.

[Tom Scott]

My niece and nephew both got married this past year and I made them boxes with their name and marriage date. Boxes were cherry, dovetailed with hand carved name and marriage date. I dont actually have a picture of those, but here are a couple others that I've made similar.

Tom

[ken gibbs]

Why don't you get her a nice PC router or some exotic router bits for her weddding present? If she is such a sweet sister, she could let you borrow your presents when she isn't using them.

[Rick Moyer]

I don't mean to be a downer, I wish them the best; but with divorce rates over 50% I'd be cautious about engraving something you put a lot of work into that might someday be put in the attic or thrown away. Maybe the name plate idea, or no names at all would be better. I'm just sayin'. Sorry for the gloomy post but something you should have in mind just in case.

[Ryan Welch]

Yeh I understand the divorce rate but, I don't realy make a piece for it to be held on or passed down for the next 100 years. I get most pleasure by seeing a reaction the iindividual has when they open or recieve the gift. About 10 years ago I made a table for my buddy and his family's new home. When their decor changed they sold the table. Irritated me at first but, what the heck they got 7 years of use. Since then I have the out of sight out of mind attitude, if I worried what someone did with every little piece of furniture I ever made I would lose my mind.

[Ryan Welch]

Firewood is probably an acceptable gift for a friend but, I think my sister would probably butcher me.

[Ryan Welch]

Doubt she would approve but, I am thinking about a LN 4 1/2 for my wife on her birthday!!

[Lee Schierer]

I've made two clocks as wedding gifts. Both were well received.
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/octagonal%20clock.jpg
This clock was made with Klock kit works, but the wood was all made in my shop. They do have some nice kits if you aren't into designing your own as you go.

You can also make a weather station:http://www.home.earthlink.net/~us71na/weather.jpg

[Karl Card]

I was kind of thinking of casket... until death due us part. LOL.. just kidding..

When I got married, in a very, very german town, we recieved quite a few things that were handmade wood and needless to say they stayed in our mind longer than most. We recieved a nice step stool with our last name made of letters that would come out, a very nice bowl that was hand turned and a welcome sign made of wood and also handmade.

[Chris Kennedy]

How about a pair of candlesticks? There isn't a need to engrave them, but they will always have meaning and can be used whenever the couple wants.

Cheers,

Chris

[Ernie Nyvall]

You could always hint at the idea that you would like to be an uncle with a crib.:D Of course that might be a very awkward moment.

[Mark Blum]

I made this small hall/plant stand for my brother's wedding (his second marriage). I didn't know what the decor of his new house was like, so I wanted something that was fairly decor-neutral. I also wanted something that could serve multiple purposes so that it would almost certainly find a home in their house.

Both he and his wife were very pleased with it. It certainly garnered a lot of attention at the reception and I had lots of folks ask me about it. It's a fairly basic project, but I find that most folks are very impressed with anything handcrafted.

http://home.mindspring.com/%7Ehobbesct/Pictures/Plant_Stand_1612.JPG

[ken gibbs]

SPEAKING OF WHICH

Years ago the daughter of our wealthist church family married the football coach from our local high school. It was the biggst church wedding that our small community had ever experienced. The event received much publicity and was the social event of the season. The father of the bride, our wealthiest chuch member and promionent head of our local bank, gave the church a very expensive silver chalas bowl with the names of the happy couple and the wedding date engraved in two inch high letters. You could read the wedding date from the back pews. Five months later the bride delivered proof that things had been a bit rushed with this neptual thing. That chalas bowl just disappeared. The felon was never identified, but the bride's family was highly suspect. I suggest that if you get a gift engraved, you need to wait a bit before delivering the gift.

[Matt Benton]

One of my favorite things we got was a small box, maybe 4" x 6" or so with one of our wedding invitations in the lid, under glass. Not alot of time, and very nice...

[Sean Nagle]

I made a Shaker clock (very similar to Christian Becksvoort's version) for my brother's wedding gift. I used a quartz movement rather than a mechanical movement.

A picture frame would also be a nice gift. They can make use of it to frame a wedding photo right away.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Another thought is to have their names and wedding date engraved into the underside of the lid of a nice box. The laser engravers could do this for you, too.

That's a good idea. I was thinking something similar, like a nice box they can store their wedding photos in. Engraving the top or bottom of the lid with some stuff would be a nice touch too.

[Greg Portland]

How old is the couple? If they are older, they likely have plenty of furniture. If they are younger, they are probably in a smaller home that doesn't have room. Clocks and barometers are nice but often a new couple has more pressing needs (end table, coat rack, etc.). I like the IOU idea or...


a nice box they can store their wedding photos inThis came to my mind as well. A "bible box" that could hold a wedding album + some smaller keepsakes (wedding invitations, etc.) would be well received. You will need to wait on this and get the wedding album dimensions. Alternatively a chest to hold the dress, album, etc. This will likely be stuck up in an attic somewhere so consider that in your design.