Paper presents

April 1, 2023 10:28 AM

My first wedding anniversary is fast approaching and I really want to give my husband a number of small gifts along the theme of paper. What unexpected and delight-provoking gifts might you recommend?

We both enjoy art, reading/writing and puns.

posted by In Your Shell Like to Shopping (21 answers total)

Best answer: For my first anniversary, I made my wife a bouquet of paper flowers (you can DIY, but I found a kit at a stationary store that made it easy even for me, someone who is very bad at this sort of thing, to put it together). We just celebrated our seventh anniversary; the bouquet is on her desk and still looks great.
posted by kingoftonga86 at 10:33 AM on April 1, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: get or make a bunch of origami animals and hide them around your home in places he will tend to encounter or find one at a time, over a bit of time. I have had something like that done for (to?) me, and once you find the second one you realize its not just one, so you start looking a little more actively. its fun!
posted by supermedusa at 10:41 AM on April 1, 2023 [2 favorites]

I always thought an origami set would be a marvelous way to celebrate a first anniversary! The papers that come in it are so beautiful and there are easy-to-hard creations that anyone can find pleasure in making!
posted by Lynsey at 10:43 AM on April 1, 2023

L. Delaney has a lot of lovely miniatures, many of which include paper or are mainly paper. There are also some DIY kits if making something appeals to you.
posted by EvaDestruction at 10:51 AM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

A flipbook or flipbook kit from Andymation.com.
posted by rakaidan at 11:32 AM on April 1, 2023 [2 favorites]

All kinds of fun notepads and post-its and such at KnockKnock.
posted by wisekaren at 12:09 PM on April 1, 2023

Best answer: Perhaps a pop-up penguin? Watch the video demonstration; it's a delightful thing.

Escher-printed kaleidocycles?

Optical illusion playing cards?

Pop-up stickers?

Print out this excellent little dragon illusion toy, and either make it yourself or give it to him in flatpack form?

And, well, books... Zoom is lovely; Moiremotion is fascinating; or how about a Mondrian pop-up book, or a Hokusai one? Robert Sabudo does fantastic pop-up books too.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 12:10 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Oblation Papers makes a bunch of little petite prints that it might be fun to incorporate. Their paper quality is good generally, giving a "painstakingly handmade" vibe rather than just "homespun."
posted by praemunire at 12:31 PM on April 1, 2023

A magazine or book of the month subscription?
posted by mutt.cyberspace at 12:40 PM on April 1, 2023

I received a bouquet of paper flowers from Unwilted earlier this year and they're absolutely gorgeous.
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:00 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Back when they were still printed, got my wife (modestly priced, given our finances) paper airplane tickets. Was our first vacation we’d had since the honeymoon between work and school.
posted by po822000 at 1:05 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Teradamokei
Paper organ pipe
Paper organ kit
Paper flower kit
Orchid-gami
Paper cut portrait
Paper wallet
Custom star map
Sound wave art
Papercraft
Wintercroft mask
Troublewit
Paper fortune teller with 8 things you love about them
Personalized newspaper, toilet paper, paper plates, wrapping paper, coloring pages
Post-it note pixel art
Rice paper (then make rolls or bánh tráng nướng with it)
Happy pulpy anniversary!
posted by eyeball at 1:27 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

printed out tickets to events
posted by brujita at 4:12 PM on April 1, 2023 [1 favorite]

Custom letterpress notecards with painted edges and matching envelopes.
posted by blacktshirtandjeans at 7:02 PM on April 1, 2023

Came in to recommend the dragon illusion but got distracted by those awesome flip books, I'm totally in love with The Ghost of John. Thank you, rakaidan, for the link to Andymation!
These dog playing cards from Artphany are awesome too. I love them.
posted by BoscosMom at 11:40 PM on April 1, 2023

Calligraphy kit?
posted by Sky12 at 8:21 AM on April 2, 2023

Best answer: Get or make some really lovely paper and write a letter about what your spouse means to you and some special memories you have. It's always nice to have something like that to hold onto. (And if you like writing, nice paper could be a nice present too.)
posted by blueberry monster at 7:45 PM on April 2, 2023

Best answer: My brother-in-law gave my sister a framed printout of the initial email he sent asking her out after they met in assertiveness training class.
posted by bendy at 9:09 PM on April 2, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I bought a very nice daily planner (note, my husband uses one regularly for work) and on random days I wrote a nice note or quote to surprise him. Our anniversary is in August so I was able to find a planner for the following year but if they use notebooks at all this could still work.
posted by like_neon at 5:29 AM on April 3, 2023

Paper entomology/taxidermy kits
posted by eyeball at 6:03 AM on April 4, 2023 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you all! I ended up a little short of time, but I made twenty little origami hearts and hid them around the house - he's still finding them a month later!
posted by In Your Shell Like at 9:01 AM on May 22, 2023 [2 favorites]