Fun, unique seventh anniversary gift?

July 13, 2017 10:01 AM

My wife and I have a tradition of getting each other anniversary gifts that creatively combine elements from the "traditional" and "modern" lists of presents. But this year, our seventh anniversary, is a stumper for me. The day approacheth rapidly, and I would love some suggestions!

So, for example, the "traditional" gift for a first anniversary is PAPER, and the "modern" gift is CLOCKS. So my wife got me this book on how to make a paper clock. Last year, for our sixth anniversary, I played fast and loose with the ideas of IRON (traditional) and WOOD (modern) to get her an attractive wooden card-catalog drawer with metal accents.

This year is our seventh anniversary, and I'm flummoxed about how to combine the modern and the traditional gifts in a fun, interesting way.

Traditional: WOOL or COPPER
Modern: DESK SETS / PEN & PENCIL SETS

DESK SETS? That's unbelievably esoteric, which means it's somewhat limiting. I mean, how creative can you be in buying someone something as specific as a desk set? Furthermore, she doesn't need one at all, even a jokey one.

There's plenty of wiggle room with WOOL and COPPER, but I'm not sure which directions to go with these ideas.

I'd be happy with gift ideas that combine DESK SET with either WOOL or COPPER; or even something that combines WOOL and COPPER. (Hey, they're our rules, so we can bend them.) But I'm having trouble coming up with anything that draws from any two of those categories.

I can't afford to spend too much - maybe $150, tops. I live in the North Bay, CA, and would be happy to buy local, but online ordering is 100% OK, too. I'm open to any kind of gift - funny, artsy, unique, vintage, whatever. Deadline is sooner than I care to admit!

Thank you in advance, gift-givers of MeFi!

posted by Dr. Wu to Shopping (22 answers total)

Maybe a fallback choice if nothing more interesting shows up but copper pens and fountain pens do exist. This one is $130.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 10:09 AM on July 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wool Pencil Socks (this is actually a link to buy the wool and pattern to knit the socks yourself, which is a pretty great gift if you have the time/patience)

These socks are premade, but not actually wool.
posted by 256 at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2017 [4 favorites]

Or, instead of a copper pen (which is a great idea btw) get her a "copper pin". Copper jewelry is a thing right now... I bet you could find a lovely copper pin or broche on Etsy...
posted by pearlybob at 10:12 AM on July 13, 2017

Kind of desk-y/office supplies-y etsy stuff:

Wool "desk set" (mouse pad, catch-all, coasters) - could order in a coppery color.

Felted wool tablet case?

Copper and felted wool bookmark?

Wool and copper magazine rack



Not desk-y, but pretty: wool and copper slippers?
posted by Kriesa at 10:18 AM on July 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

I was looking at wool pens on etsy (search wool pen on etsy), when i learned that a particular style of felting needle is a felting pen. Felting is of course done on wool. Maybe there's something there you could work with. I think getting her a felting needle if she doesn't felt would kind of suck, but maybe some sort of crafting kit, would be along the same lines of the paper clock book. There are a bunch of felted desk items on etsy (again, search wool desk). Maybe she could make her own of those.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:19 AM on July 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Copper makes me think of circuitry. If she happens to have an iPad Pro, an Apple Pencil has copper electronic components. Alternatively, some other sort of electronic desk set?
posted by zamboni at 10:25 AM on July 13, 2017 [9 favorites]

Or maybe a nice copper mug or pencil cup with a fancy ("wool") pen it in? I've got three mugs on my desk right now, each holding a large variety of office supplies, so they totally count in the spirit of the desk set rule, at least.

Alternatively, the copper pen in a nice wool pencil case?
posted by PearlRose at 10:25 AM on July 13, 2017

A really pretty vintage copper desk set. Not useful, but it decorative and not huge.

Vintage copper desk blotter.

This shop has a number of different patterened copper pen-holder/ business card holder sets.

Some odd copper pen sculpture thingies.
posted by Kriesa at 10:25 AM on July 13, 2017

Maybe something about something office-related made of fancy wool felt? For example, an iPad cover, pencil case, or satchel.
posted by beyond_pink at 10:44 AM on July 13, 2017

These are AMAZING: felted wool caddies. They do not need to be used on desks and she has a lot of sizes and variations.
posted by DarlingBri at 10:45 AM on July 13, 2017

Perhaps try thinking of copper as the color instead of the metal? If she does any kind of yarncraft, you could look into copper-colored wool for felting, copper-colored wool yarn for knitting/crocheting, etc (easily found on Etsy). Or anything made from such.

There's this brooch made from copper wire and wool.

What about desk toys? There's this copper spinner (and many others like it), this weird floaty desk toy thing that comes in copper, and this copper top. Put 'em together to make a little desk toy set?

Useless but pretty copper/gemstone paperweight.

Cute little mailbox that might be extra cute holding papers on a desk.
posted by brook horse at 10:46 AM on July 13, 2017

Another wool desk set.
A copper desk set -- and just about everyone can use a pencil cup and business card holder IMO.
This copper pennanular pin, along with a light wool scarf/shawl. That particular seller has a variety of colours/patterns in the silk/wool blend.
posted by angiep at 10:47 AM on July 13, 2017

On our 7th anniversary, my husband and I curled up and watched the classic movie "Desk Set" while drinking Moscow Mules out of copper mugs.
posted by galvanized unicorn at 11:03 AM on July 13, 2017 [12 favorites]

If you want to go whimsical, here's a sheep (wool) pen holder.

And here's a cool desk lamp that looks like a bighorn sheep.
posted by FencingGal at 11:05 AM on July 13, 2017

Best answer: I have it! I have it!

It occurred to me that pennies are copper(ish). So I googled penny desk and as I hit search I realized what I would find. You probably don't want to buy or make one of those without consulting her, but how about doing the same thing with a lap desk? I would get a nice wood one like these.

If you want to incorporate some wool, either add a felted pencil cup *or*, use different colours of pennies to incorporate an image of the sheep into your penny design. If you look at the penny desk image search you'll see various examples of pictures or patterns made from different penny shades.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 11:07 AM on July 13, 2017 [7 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you, everyone, for the excellent suggestions. I will start going through them right away.

Please, keep 'em coming!
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:27 AM on July 13, 2017

What about some interesting pencil art (either OF a pencil or rendered in pencil) in a copper frame?
posted by LKWorking at 12:00 PM on July 13, 2017

I like the idea of a tablet cover, phone cover, lap desk, stylus, etc, as the modern equivalent of a desk set, and those are the kind of thing you could easily find crafty versions of involving wool or copper. But I can see how it wouldn't be appropriate/useful if she (like me) doesn't really use that stuff.

So my best idea: Give her something made of wool or copper, but also give her a DVD of Desk Set(1957) with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn.
posted by aimedwander at 12:01 PM on July 13, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here's another idea: sheep bookends!
posted by stillmoving at 12:02 PM on July 13, 2017

Response by poster: I have it! I have it!

Indeed you do, If only I had a penguin ..., indeed you do. Your suggestion is terrific. I've gone ahead and contracted with an Etsy vendor for a custom, penny-and-plexiglas-topped laptop desk. As it happens, my wife needs a laptop desk, anyway - and the pennies are a stroke of genius. Thanks for this great idea.

Thank you everyone. This really helped!
posted by Dr. Wu at 1:30 PM on July 13, 2017 [10 favorites]

That's great. I hope you'll post pictures.

But I think the traditional way to make penny desks/tables is to pour acrylic over the pennies so they end up encased, not to put a sheet of plexiglass over. I think the acrylic would look nicer..plexiglass tends to scratch and I would worry that given that there would be air left under the plexiglass between the pennies it could get moist and fog up or who knows what.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:07 PM on July 13, 2017

Response by poster: Yup, the artist will be using epoxy. I gave her the option, and she said that she thought epoxy would look the coolest, so we went with that. Thanks for taking the time to call that to my attention!
posted by Dr. Wu at 11:43 AM on July 14, 2017