For centuries, couples have celebrated each year of marriage with themed anniversary gifts meant to symbolize the growth and depth of their relationship. Whether you’re celebrating year 3 or year 25, choosing a gift tied to tradition can make your milestone even more meaningful.
This guide reorganizes the classic wedding anniversary gifts by year list while showing how you and your partner can create your own keepsakes together — via Workshops at Craftsman Ave (like leatherworking, woodworking, metal fabrication, stained glass, and more).
Here’s a quick look at the first 10 traditional anniversary gifts by year:
In today’s fast-paced world, handcrafted and DIY gifts carry a special significance. Anyone can buy a store-bought item for their spouse. But taking the time to create something shows thoughtfulness and personal effort, reflecting the uniqueness of your bond. Whether you’re just starting out or marking decades together, choosing to create something by hand adds a deeper layer of meaning to the occasion.
With that in mind, let’s explore how Craftsman Ave’s classes can help you make these anniversaries truly memorable with DIY projects that perfectly align with each year’s theme!
Anniversary Gift Ideas By Year
3rd Anniversary – Leather for a Timeless Touch
The third anniversary is traditionally celebrated with leather, symbolizing the strength and flexibility of your relationship. A high-quality leather gift, such as a personalized leather wallet or handcrafted leather journal, makes a perfect gift.
- Top Gift Ideas:
- Custom leather wallet or handbag
- Leather journal with an engraved message
- Leather keychain engraved with your initials or wedding date
Why It’s Perfect: Leather represents the durability of your relationship and the ability to weather life’s ups and downs. A handmade leather gift can also be a great project to create together in one of our Craftsman Ave leatherworking classes.
5th Anniversary: The Gift of Wood
The 5th anniversary is traditionally celebrated with wood, symbolizing the strength and growth of your relationship over the first five years. A personalized wooden item, like a wooden watch or a custom carved plaque, can be a unique gift to celebrate this milestone.
- Top Gift Ideas:
- A wooden photo frame with a memorable photo from your wedding
- A custom wooden cutting board engraved with your names
- Wooden art pieces or carved sculptures to commemorate your marriage
Why It’s Perfect: Wood reflects the strength and endurance of your relationship. It’s a gift that will last for many more anniversaries to come. At Craftsman Ave, you can create your own custom wooden gifts in one of our woodworking classes.
6th Anniversary – The Strength of Iron
Wedding anniversary gifts by year often come with traditional materials, each representing the strength and endurance of a couple’s love. The 6th anniversary is traditionally celebrated with iron, symbolizing this strength, resilience, and durability of your relationship after six years together. A handcrafted iron gift can be both meaningful and practical, representing the solid foundation you’ve built.
Top Gift Ideas:
- Hand-forged iron wall hook or decorative iron piece for the home
- A custom iron anniversary plaque engraved with your wedding date or names
- Iron candleholders or iron home decor for a unique and timeless gift
- Custom knives for the kitchen or utility purposes
Why It’s Perfect: Iron symbolizes strength and endurance, much like your relationship. What better way to celebrate this milestone than by creating your own iron anniversary gift? At Craftsman Ave, you can book a blacksmithing class where you and your partner can craft iron hooks, tools, or even personalized home decor together! These hands-on workshops allow you to design and make meaningful iron gifts that are as enduring as your love.
7th Anniversary – Copper / Wool (Warmth & Resilience)
The 7th anniversary is traditionally celebrated with copper or wool, symbolizing warmth, comfort, and enduring strength. Copper gifts, like copper mugs, copper home decor, or even copper jewelry, make wonderful and meaningful presents for this milestone.
- Top Gift Ideas:
- A personalized copper mug or copper home decor
- Wool scarf or blanket with custom embroidery
- Copper jewelry or copper keychains for a unique twist
- Create a custom copper piece like a copper lamp in a metal fabrication workshop.
Why It’s Perfect: Copper reflects warmth and resilience, while wool provides comfort and lasting coziness—perfect for celebrating a relationship that has stood the test of time.
15th Anniversary: Crystal or Glass
The 15th anniversary is traditionally celebrated with crystal or glass, symbolizing the clarity and beauty that has developed over 15 years of marriage. A thoughtful gift might include a custom crystal vase, an engraved glass sculpture, or a beautifully crafted stained glass piece that reflects your shared journey.
Top Gift Ideas:
- A custom-engraved crystal vase to celebrate the clarity and beauty of your relationship
- A glass sculpture representing a meaningful symbol from your journey together
- Stained glass art that you can design together in a class at Craftsman Ave
Why It’s Perfect: Crystal and glass reflect the beauty and transparency that marriage becomes over the years. These gifts are timeless and shine just like the bond you’ve built together. For a unique twist, you can create your own stained glass piece in one of our stained glass art classes at Craftsman Ave, where you’ll design and craft a beautiful keepsake to celebrate your 15 years of love.
More Wedding Anniversary Gifts By Year Ideas
Even if your anniversary year isn’t one listed above, you can still celebrate creatively:
- 1st Anniversary (Paper): Get crafty with mixed‑media or DIY paper projects in a singular craft session.
- 2nd Anniversary (Cotton): Take an introductory textiles class and sew something special together.
- 4th Anniversary (Fruit / Flowers): Combine seasonal blooms with a bouquet‑making workshop or even a steel rose welding class.
- 8th Anniversary (Bronze / Pottery): Try a pottery class together to make pottery that symbolizes life shaped side‑by‑side.
Why a DIY Workshop Makes the Best Anniversary Gift
Handcrafted gifts carry meaning beyond store‑bought items. When you take a class together:
- You build shared memories
- You learn new skills as a couple
- You create a personalized keepsake
- You craft something that reflects your relationship’s growth and effort
Whether it’s leather, wood, metal, or glass, making something together shows thoughtfulness and connection — and those are timeless.
Conclusion
Wedding anniversary gifts by year are a beautiful way to honor your time together. But making that gift together? That adds a whole new layer of meaning. From leather bags to wooden furniture, copper home décor to stained glass art — Craftsman Ave workshops turn anniversary traditions into shared creative experiences.
Ready to make something unforgettable together?
FAQs:
For milestones, gifts like wood (5th), tin (10th), or silver (25th) are traditional. Enhance these gifts by personalizing them or making them yourself in a Craftsman Ave class.
Absolutely! Craftsman Ave offers hands-on classes where you can make personalized gifts, like woodworking, metalworking, or stained glass — perfect for creating a unique anniversary present.
Yes! Our classes are beginner-friendly. Whether you’re new to crafting or have some experience, our instructors will guide you through every step, ensuring you create something amazing.
Yes! You can book a private session for special occasions like anniversaries. This option allows you and your partner to create a personalized project, like a custom leather wallet or a wooden keepsake. Contact us directly to arrange your private class.
We offer a variety of projects to match the traditional materials for each anniversary year. For example, you can create a wooden cutting board for your 5th anniversary or a copper lamp for your 7th. Our team will help guide you in making something meaningful for your special year.
We recommend booking at least 1-2 weeks in advance to ensure availability. Our classes fill up quickly, especially during peak times, so don’t wait too long to reserve your spot!