Gifts Handcrafted From Wood: Warmth, Grain, And Beauty

We have a special appreciation for wood here at Dogwood Hill Gifts. There's nothing like the natural appeal of wood grain, and the warmth that wood evokes. The diversity in grain patterns and color mean that gifts handcrafted out of wood will be unique, and that the living nature of wood will be felt in each piece.

Look at the incredible grain of cherry and walnut wood: 

The burl of birds eye maple, and thuya wood:

We offer quite a few gifts made of wood, and particularly appreciate artisans who work with wood in an environmentally sustainable way - understanding that preserving trees is vital in order to continue to work with them. A fair trade cooperative of artisans in Thailand uses scrap wood to hand-carve their palm wood bowls and chopsticks:  

These coasters are carved from mango wood, which is a sustainable and eco-friendly wood:

And we have endless appreciation for the beautiful things that artisans have been able to create using wood - it's absolutely amazing!

Techniques like complicated wood inlay and yosegi-zaiku, the Japanese craft of wood parquetry, are great examples of  traditional wood craft handed down from generation to generation. You can see the complexity, the use of many different woods in the designs, and the skill required.

Looking for a gift for a lover of all things wood? Please stop by - click here - and take a look at our collection of unique gifts. You'll find lots of wood...and more.

With thanks,

-Dogwood Hill Gifts

When You Give Handcrafted Gifts, You Give Love

We believe that handcrafted gifts make the best gifts. Why? Because handcrafted gifts are made by people - with love, with feeling, with humanity, and with connection.

That may sound a little corny, but we think it helps all of us to stay in touch with those things. Both makers and recipients benefit.
Mass-produced products have their place, but when you want to show someone that you care, that you've thought about what makes them special, that you took some time to find them something interesting, there is nothing like an artisan-made gift.

Since it's made by hand, each one will be unique. And that's important in our world of  mass-production. Sure, you want your electronics to be made with precision in a factory so they will work, but a decorative box, or a wooden cheese board, or a woven scarf, or a carved figurine...you want those objects to enhance your life with beauty and detail. You want to see that each brush stroke or tool mark was made by a human being, who took care to create that particular piece you are now holding in your hands.

You want to know that this piece is so special that there isn't another exactly like it anywhere in the world because that brush stroke or tool mark won't be in exactly the same place. The color will be a little different. The shape slightly changed.


And when someone receives one of these unique pieces as a gift it feels special. It makes them feel unique and even appreciated in some way. It reflects well on you because the truth is that - at that moment - we judge the person by the gift they gave. And you're interesting, creative and thoughtful when the gift you give is interesting, creative and thoughtful.

At Dogwood Hill Gifts we offer a collection of handcrafted gifts that makes it easy to find a unique gift for everyone.

Why Handcrafted Matters

Please don't get me wrong, I love technology. Our computers, tablets, smartphones, even our factories, plastics, and robots...they've helped us advance and connect in incredible ways. But the more technology we absorb the more we need to embrace handcrafted work.

It's the balance we need to stay connected to ourselves, and our humanity. And staying connected to our humanity makes us better people. When we see each other as humans, our differences get smaller.

Our hands have been our tools since the beginning of our time on Earth, and staying in touch with that knowledge and that legacy is what connects us on a very fundamental level.

When we work with our hands we feel a visceral grounding. If you've ever knitted, carved wood, embroidered, hammered metal, or thrown a pot you probably know exactly what I mean. It's a meditative, centering experience. It can make you feel both calm and focused, and it connects your head and hand, just as it always has for artisans all over the world, from the tiniest village to the biggest city. That is a truly world-wide connection. And it's clearly something we're craving. More and more people are getting involved with handcrafting goods, whether for themselves or to share. It's feeling good, and it's feeling right.

Manufacturing and mass production have their place. I'm grateful that our machines work, and that healthcare advances, and discoveries are made. But let's continue to balance ourselves. Let's continue to go home and pick up that handcrafted project we've been working on. Let's continue to appreciate what other artisans have created with their own hands. And let's continue to celebrate each other's talents through handmade work. I think it's important.

What do you think?

Please feel free to use the internet to respond, or just crochet your thoughts :)

-Erica Bouchard Rabins
Dogwood Hill Gifts