1st Year Anniversary Presents

It is your first anniversary coming up and you want to give a very special gift. A unique first year wedding anniversary present which will say that this has been the best year of your life; how can you show this? The theme of your first anniversary is 'paper'; The gift should be personal and it must be relevant to you two. You need to tell your other half you love them and that this was the best year ever.

So why not have a papier mache sculpture tableau or heart mosaic shadow box created as an unique first year anniversary present and watch the smile on its opening.

Papier Mache Sculptured tableau of Proposal at The London Eye and A Paper Collaged Heart Mosaic Shadow Box

The design of your first wedding anniversary gift is easy. Send me your favourite photos of the two of you at your wedding, on honeymoon or just at home. Decide which picture of you, you like best, where you want the scene set and leave it to me. This anniversary gift can be in the form of a papier mache hanging picture, a mirror or a clock ; each to your own specification. If a mosaic heart is more suitable email me your colour scheme, whether you would like messages, charms or photos to surround the heart and the colour scheme for the mosaic heart.

Within a papier mache tableau, the choice of venue may detail a moment which sums up the year, a wonderful vista which brings to mind your honeymoon or a magical memory in your life. This tableau of an event in your marriage can be afloat, at your wedding reception, skiing, scuba diving, sailing or indeed anywhere. Sports are often popular and a speciality and the sea and boats create a perfect anniversary gift. Pick out a landmark, a building or just a colourful backdrop and I can add it in the background.

Look through these links from the top of this page to look through a selection of papier mache sculpture that will inspire you with a broad variety of first anniversary gift ideas. There is now a world gallery where you can click on a continent and see sculptures commissioned similar to your own holiday or honeymoon.

Getting in touch with me is easy. Email or phone me with a hint of an idea and I will make it a reality. Original paper anniversary gift ideas without any shopping, leaving the house or sweat and toil. Read these reactions to receiving a tableau. Feedback


Honeymoon in Oman A romantic hilltop restaurant provides the chosen venue for this papier mache tableau. The husband wanted a night setting complete with night torches and moonlight glowing.	Passion in Barcelona The 'Tooting Terrors' come to Barcelona. In this papier mache sculpture, the football players were fashioned from old subbuteo figures. The football mad duo had a football filled honeymoon and wanted to bring a great memory back to life.


Cycling in Hawaii The most memorable moment of this honeymoon was cycling to a volcano in a torrential downpour. Here the couple, complete with oilskins brave the elements.	Dream Time This papier mache fantasy depicts a favourite song where electric eels wriggle out of a duvet and a chicken has his head cut off. The song title was "Why would I stop loving you a hundred years from now." by the Magnetic Fields.


African Sunset A commission of a couple on their honeymoon with the dramatic setting sun in Africa. It was part of the commission requirement that the big five (hunters) were to feature so these were incorporated against the horizon making a border which merged into the sunset.	Sri Lankan Wedding This elephant ride was the highlight of an amazing wedding. The elephant was called Monica. Just imagine the joy to see this momentous occasion made into a papier mache sculpture.


Waterfall in Guyana This truly exhilarating adventure is captured forever in a lifelong heirloom. Set in the rainforest, this waterfall was the venue for a spectacular trip of a lifetime. The birds are based on rain forest species and the water twists and turns.	Trevi Fountain A commission of a couple on their honeymoon with the picturesque setting of the Trevi Fountain. This was a great challenge to create the statues and facade.


Dancing under a Moroccan Night Dancing the night away under a Moroccan sky complete with many local Berbers who were cooking a feast and playing instruments to entertain the visitors as they joined in the local dance.	Swimming with Dolphins "'I wanted something truly unique for our first (paper) anniversary and asked Anita to combine two images from our honeymoon in Tahiti. She was excellent and offered me a number of designs and kept me informed every step of the way and even finished it a week early! Both my wife and I were absolutely delighted and it now commands pride of place on our living room wall - Thanks Anita!!!" - Marc.


Burj-Al-Arab Honeymoon Created for her husband, a fireman, the flames represent a special meaning. It is often possible to create a border which enhances the main subject matter and adds to the memory.	Ballooning in Africa This sunset border complete with air balloon surrounds a safari moment in Africa with the cheetah in the foreground. The couple wanted to have both moments featured. When creating my design I was able to fulfil their wishes.


Three Valley Proposal This couple got engaged near Meribel. Details such as ski brand, ski clothing and mountain ranges were studied to provide accuracy when painting these detail for the couple. The hat was a favourite and adds fun and colour.	Maldives 2007 A typical Maldives holiday along with beach hut, tropical fish and palm trees. This depicted a favourite bar the couple frequented often. This commission is only one of many Maldives sculptures. All original and each taken from personal photos.


Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar Here the client just could not decide which venue to choose from a two destination honeymoon. So it was decided to do two smaller tableaux with less detail. These papier mache sculptures will hang together and provide a unique memory of a wonderful journey. These actually did not cost much more than one tableau as there were no full figures involved which take the majority of the work.

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Perhaps you have a special wedding image from an original venue to capture in a papier mache sculpture for your paper anniversary gift. To see some wedding anniversary presents or couples at their wedding recaptured for their paper anniversary, see link to sculptures of actual Weddings.

If you want to find out more about commissioning an anniversary gift follow this link. Commissioning. Honeymoon anniversary tableaux might include a special object or animal which was integrally part of the holiday.

Mexico, Maldives, Vancouver, Sydney, Tahiti? On the Romantic Gift page is the World globe where you can see where the sculptures have been set. From Australia to Vancouver, here you will see some special places captured as a cherished memory.

Even if you are late with your present (and more people are, than are not!) a special personalised card can be sent as shown.

To add to the intrigue & to create suspense for the anticipation of the present, I can design a personalised teaser at no extra cost. Here is the one I did for the Nile tableau "Love in Luxor".

Not everyone has planned way ahead so do not let the fact your anniversary is only a few days or weeks away put you off. The responses from my teasers have been phenomenal. Couples have visited me to hear about the build up, look at the designs and sent lovely messages about how special the whole process was to them.

If you prefer you could always buy the design process as a gift and get your other half involved in deciding what to do and how to execute it. After all this will become an heirloom!

While the traditional anniversary gift is paper, the modern equivalent is a clock.
You can mix the traditional with the modern by commissioning a papier mache framed clock. Again a tableau can surround the clock with a scene or a sport which is particularly relevant. see Clocks

really enjoy doing designs. I have had a lot of fun e mailing back and forth with the design process...should the cat be in the picture?...was the dog actually at the wedding?.......make me slimmer.....make her hair blonder.........please make the sea shimmer... After a few to and fros, a design is agreed.

Often certain ideas lend themselves to the subject matter better than others and as it is your anniversary , it has to be your approved idea - how you want it! And the final pieces seem to be commissioned with so much thought and love they are winners every time! And the best thing is; all my customers are so happy, so in love and so keen to please ~ how can I possibly not want to give my very best each time. I know it going to be a great surprise and I made that happen ~ that is such a great feeling.

Your anniversary is such a wonderful event and a lot of thought goes into choosing that surprise present to show how much the last year has meant so take your time. You may wish to visit the rest of the site to inspire you with other ideas.

Please follow the link to commissions to answer frequently asked questions and any queries you may have on commissioning an item, choosing an ideas, creating a design, requirements, payments, delivery and any other questions you might have.

Finally, peruse the Diorama page and Mirror Page for both show an alternative style to produce your commission. In Dioramas, a novelty border can be designed incorporating memorabilia or details about your honeymoon, your wedding or your meeting. The box or mirror could hold a depiction of the two of you, a special place or your first home. You will also see two mirrors commissioned specially for anniversaries.

If you are looking for unusual first anniversary ideas for gifts, please email (anita@driftwood-dreams.co.uk) me to discuss a commission. There are so many ways I could incorporate paper in a piece to reflect the tradition required for a paper anniversary present.

Remember, I can also incorporate pearls, rubies, leather, diamonds as appropriate to suit any anniversary you wish. Please follow the links below for some examples of other traditional anniversary gifts.

To see more paper wedding anniversary gifts, including a Tahiti honeymoon set in a driftwood frame, please browse Traditional Anniversary Gifts and the links below to see some further examples of my work.

Perhaps you may be interested in an alternative romantic gift such as a watercolour or silhouette. If so, please click: Romantic Presents.

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Contact: anita@driftwood-dreams.co.uk