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

Unique Gift Ideas For $25 Or Less

Unique gifts don't have to cost a lot. At Dogwood Hill Gifts we try to offer a wide range of handcrafted gifts at different price points so that you even if you're on a tight budget, or just need a little something for someone you know, you can still give them a very special gift without spending a lot of money.

We offer only handcrafted gifts, so no matter what you choose it will be made by hand and unique. And we offer only fair trade gifts, so even a lower-priced gift will never make you worry if it was made by an exploited worker in dangerous conditions. We care deeply that artisans world-wide are paid fairly for their work so that they can continue their handcrafting traditions.

We carry a gaggle of gifts under $25. Here are just a few:

Incense and Candle Set from Thailand - Perfect for teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, and other small gifts. The scents are lovely, not overpowering, and the color options are great.

Rosewood Cutwork Decorative Box - Particularly appealing to men, and one of those wonderful gifts that is beautiful but also useful. Really nice on a desk or dresser, and excellent for someone who seems to have everything.

Sleepy Kitty Tray and Soap Gift Set - Cat lover? This ceramic tray with a hand-drawn cat comes with a bar of handcrafted goat's milk soap. It's an unusual, and interesting gift set.

Jewelry! Different styles, all handcrafted. Always makes a great gift because there's no such thing as too much jewelry!

Please take a look at the rest of our collection of handcrafted gifts for $25 or less HERE. 

Our collection is always growing and changing. Any feedback? We'd love to hear from you!

Happy shopping, and thanks!

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.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

It's not too late! 

Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Guide:

Let's start with this, our best-selling mom gift. It's our mother-of-pearl Butterfly Pin. It's beautiful, it's unusual, it goes with everything, and it's charming. If she likes jewelry, chances are she'll like this pin.

Next, our Celadon Ceramic Box is elegant and useful. Just like mom? Yes, but she's more than that, and so is this lovely box that will look amazing on her desk or table.

Give this mom to your mom. Our Owl Gourd Box depicts a protective and loving mom watching over her owlet, and gourd art from Peru is incredible.

A colorful serving set for a colorful mom. Our Rainbow Cream and Sugar Set will greet her every morning, bringing cheer and charm.

A pretty spring-time bracelet to celebrate the season. Our Green Amazonite Bracelet always makes a thoughtful gift with its gentle color and versatile style. 

Is mom a cat lover? Give her our hand-painted Si-Sawat Cat Box from Thailand. Such a beautiful decorative box, and a symbol of good luck!

These are just a few ideas, with so much more to see at Dogwood Hill Gifts. Unless otherwise noted, your order will be gift-boxed to make gift-giving easy. And we ship quickly! 

So celebrate mom, and all the special days of the season with handcrafted gifts. 

When you give handcrafted, you give love ♥

Decorative Pillows

Decorative pillows add a lot of punch to any room, and, as you know, swapping them out is a relatively inexpensive way to change the whole feel of a room quickly and easily.

We've added some fantastic throw pillows to our collection of handcrafted gifts because beautiful decorative pillows are always welcome!

Our pillow covers are fair trade, just like every unique gift in our collection. We think that ethically sourced products are important, and we're thrilled to help support that effort. 

We feature gorgeous embroidered pillows and hand block printed pillow covers, all created by artisans earning fair wages in good working conditions.

So go ahead and change it up - add color, add texture. 

       

You can find our collection of decorative pillows here, And new designs coming soon!

The pillow covers can be purchased alone or with a cushion insert.

Let us know what you think!

Thank you,

                            -Dogwood Hill Gifts

Unique Gifts For Men Infographic

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

Puzzle Boxes

Puzzle boxes are great. We like both the complex, and the not-so-complex. With varying mechanisms come varying styles, but they all add a little fun to an otherwise straightforward object.

7-Step Koyosegi Puzzle Box 

It seems the first puzzle boxes came from the Hakone region of Japan in the early- to mid- 19th century. They were called himitsu-bako, or personal secret box, and were decorated with yosegi-zaiku marquetry. 

6-Step Hexagon Puzzle Box

Hexagon Puzzle Box, Open

This amazing technique is still practiced today, but only by a small number of artisans. Yosegi-zaiku involves putting together different types of wood with naturally varying colors into geometric patterns. Then the stack of patterned wood is shaved with a special plane into thin veneer slices, and the veneer applied as decoration. 

4-Step Cube Puzzle Box

We proudly offer three examples of handcrafted yosegi-zaiku puzzle boxes in our collection. They all feature the koyosegi pattern on all sides, and are handcrafted by Hiroyuki Oka, who carries on the tradition of making these wonderful boxes.

From Bali, we have two puzzle boxes of a less complex nature, but full of charm 

and simple beauty. 

Hand-carved from suar and sono woods, the simplicity allows the 

beauty of the wood to shine.

Dragon Puzzle Box

After learning her craft from her father, Eka now handcrafts these beautiful boxes. They require the removal of a pin-like piece so the top of the box can slide off and reveal an inner compartment.

Heart Puzzle Box

Heart Puzzle Box, Taken Apart

From Guatemala we have a creative puzzle box made by artisan Francisco Mendoza. He's been handcrafting puzzle boxes since 1990, and enjoys coming up with new designs. Here he's turned a little piano into a fantastic puzzle box:

Piano Puzzle Box

Piano Puzzle Box, Taken Apart

We think puzzle boxes are great additions to our collection because we believe in supporting the artisans who continue to handcraft these interesting boxes, and we think they make outstanding gifts. Hide a little treat in any of these puzzle boxes, and enjoy watching the recipient have to work (just a little!) to get to it. It's two gifts in one!

Puzzle boxes are conversation pieces, and wonderfully decorative items to display. We will continue to look for unique puzzle boxes to add to our gift collection, so please stay tuned...

Thank you!

-Dogwood Hill Gifts