Wedding anniversaries always call for a champagne toast.

Why? Because your anniversary stands for everything that you promised on your wedding. Your anniversary symbolizes that you and your partner have successfully reached another stage in your married life. It also means that as a couple, you both have surpassed hurdles and that you are now both ready to face another bright and wonderful year as husband and wife!

Thus, anniversaries should be marked with celebration! You could throw a party or have a special dinner. Another perfect idea is to give your better half a gift that he or she could treasure.

Anniversary gifts are simple keepsakes of your celebration. But did you know that each wedding anniversary year has a corresponding traditional gift?

Well, if you are still at a loss, here is a top ten list of traditional anniversary gift that you can give to your partner:

1. Paper

Tradition has it, that the first anniversary gift should be made from paper. Paper symbolizes a light and easy year ahead.

There are many gifts made from paper that you can give your husband or wife. One good idea is to draw or sketch a portrait of your favorite picture. If you are not skilled in drawing, you can have someone sketch for you. Place the paper inside a frame and watch your partner’s eyes light up.

2. Cotton

If you are already celebrating your second wedding anniversary, then you should present your darling with a present made from cotton.

For this gift, you can purchase a shirt made from cotton. Write down your message of love on the shirt. Another idea is to find a cotton shirt that says: “Best Husband (or wife) in the world!” or “Can’t wait to spend another year with you!”

Although these second gift suggestions are simple, your partner will surely love the idea that you took the time to create something special to give.

3. Leather

A gift made of leather should be given on your third year anniversary. Short on leather gift ideas?

If your partner loves to ballroom dance, then why not give her leather dance shoes? If your man belongs to the corporate world, treat him to gorgeous new leather shoes or a new leather belt. But for a wife who loves shoes, give her those stilettos that she’s been eying in the mall!

4. Flowers

When words aren’t enough to express your utmost love for your partner, then a bouquet of flowers can do the job.

Flowers are the traditional fourth wedding anniversary gift. By themselves, flowers already make the perfect gift. Their soft and colorful petals are enough to profess love.

But to make this gift more special, you can surprise your wife by flooding the house with different bouquets of flowers. Place the most special bouquet in your bedroom along with a simple note that says “I love you more everyday”.

5. Wood

For your fifth wedding anniversary, give your sweetheart a gift made from wood.

Wood is such a beautiful material. It is not only elegant, but sturdy as well. Wood symbolizes your continuing strength as husband and wife. Wood also represents the beauty and endurance that make your life together more beautiful.

You could hand your wife an elegant jewelry box made from wood. As a bonus, why not include a pretty bracelet or earrings.

For your husband, you can wrap wonderful wooden tools that would go great in his handy tool set. If your husband smokes, you can give him a wooden pipe or a case for his precious tobacco collection.

6. Sugar

A sweet life and love is best represented by a gift made from sugar.

If you know your way around the kitchen, then a wonderful idea is to bake the favorite cake of your partner. After making the cake, you can pipe your message of love with icing.

Another sixth wedding gift idea is to create cookies. But instead of the usual round cookie shape, you can use letter cookie cutters to spell out your love note to your partner. To make this even more special, you can serve your cooked gift as a breakfast in bed treat.

7. Wool

Celebrating your seventh anniversary? Then give a traditional gift made from wool.

Go to knitting class and practice your knitting skills. Once you’ve mastered the art of knitting, you are now ready to create a scarf for your husband or wife.

Choose a color that you know your partner loves. You can gather inspiration from knitting books or the internet.

As a finishing touch, you can add your partners initial to make it look more personalized.

8. Bronze

If you are already in your eighth year as husband and wife, then you should present something made from bronze. Bronze is a tough material that symbolizes the strength of your marriage.

A creative idea for this gift is to make a bronze medal for you partner. On the medal, you can write clever phrases like “Looking forward to our golden anniversary”.

9. Pottery

For your ninth wedding anniversary, you can hand over a pottery gift. Pottery or gifts made from clay is symbolical. It means that like a pot, you two can mold your married life to make it more and more beautiful.

This is where your pottery class comes into play. Create a pottery item that you learned from your class. This can be a plate, a simple glass or a sophisticated flower vase. Once you’re done, make the gift more personalized by etching your message of love on it. Your darling will surely love your pottery gift.

10. Tin or aluminum

Your tenth wedding anniversary deserves the traditional gift of aluminum or tin.

One perfect gift that you can make is a tin memory frame. This type of gift is not only beautiful, but it will also remind you of the ten fruitful and wonderful years of your marriage.

To create this, have your most memorable pictures engraved onto a tin or aluminum sheet. There are many specialty shops that can do this for you.

Place it prominently in your bedroom and your partner will be delighted with your tenth anniversary gift.