12 Sustainable & Unique Anniversary Gifts

Is your anniversary coming up and you can't think of what to get? Here are 12 unique anniversary gift ideas which are meaningful and environmentally sustainable.

When anniversaries and birthdays roll around, it can be hard to think of a truly special gift. This becomes more difficult over time. Trying to think of something your partner doesn’t already have while topping the last gift you gave can be a real challenge. This is why gifting experiences and presents made from the heart are timeless. Whether your partner isn’t that into presents, or they have the gifting love language, these unique anniversary gifts are sure to hit the spot.

1. Tickets to the Game

Get you and your partner tickets to a sports game. Football, baseball, and soccer matches are all great places to enjoy some fresh air, munch on snacks, and enjoy the competition. Regardless of whether you and your partner are huge fans or just two locals checking out the scene, you are sure to have a great time.

2. Picnic

Set up a beautiful, romantic picnic for you and your partner. Find a table or a nice patch of grass in a nearby park, and pack a basket full of cheeses, dips, crackers, fruits, and wine. Decorate the area with a nice picnic blanket and some candles. This gift idea is great for the day of your anniversary. Enjoy each other’s company, chatting away until sunset. 

3. Cooking Classes

Cooking classes are a fun and romantic way to spend time together. Plus, you’ll learn some new skills to take home with you. That way, both you and your partner can cook delicious meals for each other at home. As a unique anniversary gift, check out classes in your area and sign up for your favorite one.

4. Spa Day

Give the gift of relaxation by booking a spa day for you and your partner. This is a nice, romantic way to spend time together. You can go for massages and facials together while enjoying soothing music and aromatherapy. End the day with mani-pedis and go home feeling refreshed, calm, and clean.

5. DIY Ceramics

Sign yourself up for a class or a few at your local ceramics studio. There, you can a ceramic vase, mug, or bowl with your own two hands. Mold it exactly how you’d like, and finish it off with some decorative glazing. DIY pottery gifts make great unique anniversary presents. Fill your ceramic item with flowers or chocolates. Your partner will love that you put your heart into making the pottery for them, and they’ll think of you whenever they use it.

6. Dance Lessons

Nothing is more romantic than dance! Unlike dance lessons in preparation for a wedding, learning to dance just for the fun of it is stress-free. Try learning to salsa, do the tango, or perfect your ballroom dancing skills. Have fun and get a workout in with your partner while mastering the art of dance. This is a great way to bring the two of you closer together, both physically and emotionally. 

7. Handmade Jewelry

Take this anniversary gift classic and give it a twist. Sign yourself up for a jewelry-making class, or head to your local bead shop. Pick out beads and jewels you know your partner will love, and string them together in a meaningful and beautiful way. There isn’t a more unique anniversary gift than bespoke jewelry that was made from the heart. 

8. Museum or Gallery Membership

Are you and your partner art and culture fanatics? Save money and time spent in line with this great anniversary gift idea. Sign up for an annual pass to your favorite museum or art gallery. Spend time there together on the day of your anniversary, and enjoy the exhibitions more frequently and spontaneously over the next year of your new membership.

9. Artwork

On the flip side, you may consider creating some artwork of your own for your partner. Grab a canvas and some paints, and express your love for your partner visually. You don’t have to be the next Picasso to do this. Paint something resembling a goofy inside joke, or try making an abstract painting using all the colors you see in your partner’s eyes. They will appreciate this unique anniversary gift more than you know. 

10. Travel

Book a little trip for you and your partner. Find a cute Airbnb in a nearby beach town or in the big city you’ve always wanted to go to. Book transportation there and back, and make a fun itinerary full of activities. That way, your partner doesn’t have to put any work into the trip. If you can’t think of a specific place, check out some of these beautiful train trips across the US.

11. State or National Park Annual Pass

Sign up for an annual pass to your favorite state or national park, or discover a new one in your area – there’s always more to explore in every park. Tackle the multitude of hiking and biking trails and go swimming, canoeing, and camping together. With an annual pass, you can go to your favorite park regularly and enjoy tons of time in nature together. As regulars, you can pop in during the off-season as well, when the park will be much quieter. Check to see if any of the best national parks to visit in winter are near where you live. 

12. Scrapbook

Scrapbooks make for beautiful and unique anniversary gifts because they are homemade and deeply sentimental. This gift may take some planning in advance because you will need little scraps to use such as old ticket stubs, journal entries, wrappers, and anything else that could be meaningful or funny to add to your scrapbook. Most importantly, you will need loads of photos.

If you don’t have little scraps for a scrapbook, simply make a photo book instead. Glue down all your favorite photos of you and your partner, along with short messages about what you love about them and what these pictures make you think of. Decorate the book with little drawings, stickers, and more. Have fun with it!

Read more:

• Zero Waste Products: 9 Waste-free Gift Ideas
• 20 Easy Homemade Birthday Gift Ideas
• Furoshiki: The Traditional Japanese Method for Wrapping Gifts Using a Scarf or Cloth

** Links to retailers marked with ** or underlined orange are partially partner links: If you buy here, you actively support Utopia.org, because we will receive a small part of the sales proceeds. More info.

Tags: Guide Relationships Sustainability