Ah, spring! Easter and Mother’s Day are just around the corner. We’ll bet someone will be sending you an invitation during the upcoming wedding season. There are always birthdays, anniversaries, and retirement celebrations, too. Selecting a great gift doesn’t need to be difficult. Ted’s Woodshop offers an extensive line of handcrafted, one-of-a-kind functional items that would make a perfect gift for someone special. Take a look through the Store section of our website to see if something strikes your fancy. Or read on, through our 2017 Spring Gift Ideas, to find suggestions for thoughtful and useful gifts that will be treasured by your friends and loved ones.
You don’t have to spend a fortune. We have a selection of beautifully crafted items that will fit your budget. In addition to being available online, Ted’s Woodshop items can be purchased year-round at Ptarmigan Arts gallery in Homer, Alaska.
For a special Easter gift, or a housewarming present, how about a set of salt and pepper shakers? Ted has made dozens of shaker sets, and no two sets have been alike. You may prefer sets turned from traditional domestic hardwoods such as walnut or cherry. Perhaps you prefer something a little more colorful. Either way, Ted’s Woodshop shaker sets are constructed from the highest-quality components and will grace a dining room or kitchen table for years.

Left: Colorgrain Shakers
Middle: Quilted Maple Shakers
Right: Bolivian Rosewood and Maple Shakers
Mother’s Day shopping poses its own set of challenges. If your mom is like mine, she has everything she needs. She doesn’t need another candle, bottle of lotion or perfume, necklace, or vase of perishable flowers. But she might like a clever little lidded box, one that she could use for jewelry or trinkets (or as a secret hiding place). Here are two that are affordable and yet crafted with the same amount of care and precision as the high-end bowls that Ted spends month constructing, turning, and finishing.

Left: Sugar Maple and Cherry Box with Pink Ivory Knob
Right: Cottonwood and Cherry Box with Moose Antler Knob
Or how about a very special pen? I know, you’re thinking “She might lose or misplace it” but trust me, moms know how to keep track of treasured gifts. We offer a selection of fine writing instruments turned from Bethlehem Olivewood from the Holy Land. Available in either click or twist pen style, each pen is crafted with high-quality components. Each comes with a certificate of authenticity documenting the source of the wood. And if you still think your mother will misplace that pen, rest assured that each pen comes in a sturdy storage box.

Click Pen Turned from Bethlehem Olivewood
If your mom is just downright practical, and there’s no other way to describe her, how about a set of fabric gift bags? These are sized for a wine or non-alcoholic sparkling beverage bottle, re-usable (and thus re-giftable), and washable. You won’t get more eco-friendly than that. And your mom will thank you, next time she is pressed for time and needs to wrap up a little hostess gift for a friend.

Fabric Gift Bags with Lined Top and Ribbon Tie
Weddings — isn’t it fun to select something special for friends and loved ones who have invited you to join in the celebration of their special day? We’ve been told that ice cream scoops and pizza cutters from Ted’s Woodshop are favorite “go to” gifts for weddings. We won’t argue with that.

Matched Set with Handles Turned from SpectraPly, Walnut, and Birch
If your friends or loved ones are more prone to eating salads than pizza and ice cream, how about a set of four matching cherry bowls? These six-inch bowls are perfectly sized for individual salads or popcorn. And with a food-safe walnut oil finish, they are low-maintenance. It goes without saying that they would be great for ice cream, too.

Six Inch Cherry Bowls with Food-Safe Finish
While our 2017 Spring Gift Ideas posting shows only a small sample of Ted’s work, we do have a special category in our online store for Wedding Gift Ideas. There you’ll find a variety of gift suggestions with a wide range of prices. If you tell us that a purchase is a wedding gift, we’ll even gift wrap it for you if you want it shipped directly to the recipient.