What’s the meaning of giving wooden gifts?

Here in New England, spring has finally arrived. That means we’re heading into an important gift season as well. Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and wedding season are all upon us!

Looking for the perfect gift for one of those occasions, or beyond? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

We understand just how important and meaningful these events are. In this post, we’ll explore the significance of gifting something made of wood. We’ll also look at the symbolism behind the types of wood that we create with in our Western MA workshops.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

First of all, when you’re giving a wooden gift from our collection, you can purchase with confidence knowing that all the wood we work with is sourced with the utmost care. When creating our boards, bowls, and tossers, we exclusively use locally and sustainably sourced wood.

When we say local and sustainable, we mean it. We craft all of our products from wood that would otherwise be burned, chipped or tossed. We often coordinate with local tree services to make this happen.

Our process stays local from start to finish because we create all of our pieces right here in New England where our logs are sourced. We have two workshops, one in Gill, MA next to our showroom and one just down the road in Turners Falls.

We’re proud that our small business not only upcycles local wood but also contributes to the local economy.

Why Give Wooden Gifts?

Wood is a traditional gift for five year wedding anniversaries because it symbolizes strength, stability, wisdom and endurance–essential qualities for a lasting marriage.

Wooden gifts, including wooden kitchenware pieces like ours, are a perfect gift for weddings, anniversaries, and special days like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day because they’ll last for decades with the proper care.

Because of this, wooden gifts like our bowls can easily become family heirlooms to be gifted again and again through the generations.

Not only will our wooden kitchenware last, but our boards and bowls lead double lives as both beautiful display pieces and functional tools for preparing and serving food.

We can’t say this for all wooden bowls and boards, but ours are definitely one-of-a-kind. Because we work with materials like burl wood and ambrosia or spalted maple, each piece is unique.

What Do Different Types of Wood Symbolize?

Wooden items are traditionally given on fifth wedding anniversaries because they represent important qualities in a marriage. However, there are many other meanings behind wooden gifts.

You’ll find a lot of different takes on wood symbolism out there, from different religious traditions to various takes on dream analysis. Here are some common meanings behind the types of wood we typically work with, to help you choose the perfect gift:

Maple wood symbolizes strength and endurance as well as generosity, balance, promise, and practicality.

The ambrosia beetle, which creates the patterns you’ll find in our ambrosia maple collection, is a symbol of transformation.

Oak trees, which can live for hundreds of years, represent longevity, strength, stability, endurance, justice, and honesty.

Cherry wood symbolizes good fortune, new beginnings, and revival.

And finally, walnut wood represents intelligence, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment.

We hope this exploration of the meaning of wooden gifts inspires you during this special season. No matter the occasion, we can help you give the perfect gift, whether you’re celebrating newlyweds just starting on their marriage journey or a beloved parent or family member.

It’s easy to shop our full collection online. You can also visit us in person at our Western MA showroom or our Boston Public Market location.