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My husband and I got engaged and married in two months. No, we were not pregnant!

With so much to plan and so little time we skipped registering for gifts. We were so amazed at the originality, thought and hard work behind each gift! If you have time to register for gifts, here are a few wedding gift ideas. 

This list is not all inclusive but is simply a reflection of how much we’ve appreciated a few of our shower and wedding gifts during three [now 5] years of marriage.

Wedding Gift Ideas for a New Homemaker

1.Hand woven throw rugs – We know the ladies who made the rugs we were gifted so that made them extra special. These poor rugs get trampled on, spilled on and scrunched up under muddy boots every day. I know these things will hold up way longer than anything you can buy cheaply made in the store. Plus, they are full of bright random colors!

2. Kitchen Aid stand mixer

– My mother gave us a stand mixer because she knew how much I    would use it and she was right! I use it to make cookies, cakes, pizza dough, lotion and more. I don’t have all the fancy attachments but with the three mixing attachments it is still quite useful.

If you know your bride is a kitchen gal, order an extra bowl to go with the mixer. So many times I’ve wished for another bowl…but then, I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to wash the other one. 

 Read More: How to Make Homemade Pizza

3. Electric tea kettle – So after burning up two stove top tea kettles during our dating year (distracted by phone calls *cough*), I off-handedly threw out the challenge for someone to show me a tea kettle I couldn’t destroy. Well, my aunt accepted the challenge and presented me with a beautiful stainless steel Electric tea kettle at my shower. It boils water in less than a minute! Much faster than the stove top.

[Update: It’s still going strong 5 1/2 years later!]

 

Read More: Supercharge Your Coffee and Tea

4. Recipe Books – I love recipe books! I got a few selections from personal collections and a few brand new ones. Flipping through cook books and finding new meals to make is relaxing for me. Some ladies also included little notes and tips throughout the book. Two of my favorites is Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions and the Betty Crocker cook book. 

               

5. Personalized wall hangings – I know you don’t have a ton of extra time to hand embroider a wall hanging for the couple but there are a lot of websites out there that do the work for you. We were gifted two personalized wall hangings which are part of our home decor now.

6. Chemex coffee maker – What would life be without coffee?! I’d never heard of these but with a read through the instruction manual (me, not my husband of course!) we had delicious non-bitter coffee in a few minutes. The great thing is these are all glass so no worry about leaching plastic parts.

Read More: How to Make Coffee in a Chemex 

7. Cleaning supplies – I know. Nothing romantic or original here, but oh so practical! At my shower I got a laundry basket full of cleaning and laundry supplies. After 2 1/2 years of marriage I had to buy my first bottle of toilet bowl cleaner.

Read More: My Natural and Affordable Laundry Routine

How to Make Your Own Laundry Soap

How to Hang Clothes on a Clothesline

8. Matching dish set – My aunt and uncle gave me a beautiful stoneware dish set with service for 15…from a thrift store! Thrift stores have so many great gift ideas and some things in mint condition. I use these dishes for company all the time because they aren’t as dressy as china but they still match.

9. Hand made comforters – We received several comforters and a crocheted afghan. I always use these blankets for company or to curl up on the couch with a good book. You can never have too many blankets around.

10. Waffle iron – I don’t use my waffle iron all the time but it is an item that we personally wouldn’t have bought. Especially not a double sided one like we received!

 

Sometimes when company is over we have Belgian waffles piled high with homemade whipped cream, maple syrup and berries!

Every couple is unique but if you need some wedding gift ideas for a new couple, don’t feel confined to the gift registry. If you don’t hand craft something find a friend who does and buy a gift from them. Overall, hand made and practical gifts were my favorites.

Do you remember what your favorite wedding gift was?  

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