Traditional 1st Anniversary Gifts For Her: Paper

1. Art is a perennial favorite gift idea for a whole variety of occasions. It’s particularly well suited to the paper theme since it opens up the possibility of giving her a painting or a print by her favorite artist. A painting hanging on the right place on the wall is something that will bring happiness every time she walks by. While the rest of the home decor may change over the years, a classic piece of art will never go out of style.

2. For a more personal touch, this special dates painting is customized to commemorate the day you met, the day she said yes, and the day that you got married. As an added bonus, this one provides a constant reminder of your anniversary date so that you never forget again.

3. If she happens to be artistically inclined herself, you might get her a nice canvas to create her own masterpiece.

4. You might even throw in a set of brushes, paints or an easel to round out this gift.

5. If she prefers drawing to painting, perhaps a sketch pad instead.

6. If she is crafty, she might enjoy a scrapbooking set. The perfect way to document your first year together and the many adventures to come.

7. A voucher to the spa might be just the thing. Print this out and give her a day of bliss and relaxation.

8. A framed map of someplace special can bring a little magic into your home. This can be your honeymoon destination, the city where you met, or the place that you live now.

9. As long as books are still being printed, this is a great gift for avid readers.  Just be sure to take the time to select something that she likes and hasn’t read.  Recent best sellers are often a good place to start brainstorming.  For tech savvy readers, eBooks are a great option.  While not technically paper, they play on the paper theme.

10. If you want to show her a great night on the town, tickets to a musical, opera or theater could be the way to go. If you happen to enjoy these things as much as she does, it’s win-win. If not, you will get extra points for attending!

11. A journal to write down thoughts and ideas, or to put memories of good times down on paper.  There is something about writing down thoughts and experiences on actual paper that just isn’t replicated online.  While someone might be an avid poster on social media, a journal provides a place for private thoughts. Enjoyable to write in and to revisit years down the road.

12. For grocery lists, correspondence, love letters and anything else that might be written down.  Make each and every note a little bit special with a few sheets of stationary.

13. Perhaps add a premium pen as well for something a bit more indulgent playing on the paper theme.

14. Remember when life was simple, and a dinner and a movie with your girl was the the perfect date? Recapture that fun with tickets to a movie and be sure to make dinner reservations as well.

15. Calendars are another great paper gift. Functional and decorative.  Not to mention, a great way to mark the passage of another year together.  These can be custom selected based on her interests – animals, nature, cities, cars or anything else.  While a lot of people rely on their laptops and phones to track their schedules these days, printed calendars remain a pleasure to look at if not a functional necessity.

16. After a year, you have probably learned that flowers are always a good idea. So, for your 1st wedding anniversary, paper flowers are a nice touch.

17. Are you looking for another gift that is always a good idea? It’s jewelry. No, jewelry is not made of paper but don’t despair. Give her a hollow book and put some diamond earrings inside. The look on her face will be worth it.

18. If you really want to blow her away, get her airplane tickets to her dream destination. Revisit your honeymoon destination or go someplace new and exotic.

19. For a slightly more low key adventure, book a trip by train and give her the tickets as a 1st anniversary gift.

20. Where ever you go, it might be nice to have playing cards with you. These used to be a great activity before people started carrying mobile phone everywhere to bring them constant entertainment. Still, playing cards have staying power.

21. Beyond traditional playing cards, you might get her Uno or some other fun card game.

22. On that topic, board games can make great gifts. While I could make a convincing argument that board games are essentially made out of paper, if you really want to be safe you can go with a game like Monopoly that comes with paper money.

23. Some people like giving cards for every occasion and others rarely do. Given that the 1st anniversary theme is paper though, we highly recommend a card for this particular day.

24. This couples coupon book is rather inexpensive, though you will have to accept all of the vouchers that she gives you in the future.

25. A magazine subscription is a good gift for a few more years before everything goes digital.

26. One more personalized art gift idea. This one counts the time in a year (minutes, seconds, hours, etc.) and is customized with your names.