I came to this site looking for ideas for my parents who are trying to come up with a good 50th anniversary gift for my grandparents as well. I appreciate the ideas that have been posted thus far. I do have a suggestion for the group - My mom made a cross-stitch blanket that is hanging above my grandparents' bed for one of their anniversaries. It's basically a family tree and includes a square for each person - My mom stiched i.e. "John" (son) and his birthdate and then "Jane" (wife) and her birthdate, and in between the two - their wedding anniversary date. And then below John and Jane are the three kids and their birthdates. In each person's square she stitched a little item that represents that person - like my square has a piano because I play piano... my cousin's has a baseball, etc. It was VERY well received and it's perfect because we know how when you get old you are very good at forgetting dates! I thought this was the best gift idea ever and it was very well received. And every time a new family member is added, my Mom just updates the blanket.... The problem is now, we have their 50th anniversary coming up and this past anniversary gift is going to be very hard to top.

We celebrated our 50th last May and I got my husband a Seiko mantle clock. It plays six different songs and they are all so pretty. They had several clocks to chose from and each clock had different songs. We have had so many compliments on the clock and the beautiful music. My husband was so pleased and that is saying a lot as he usually doesn't pay much attention to such things. I had a plate engraved and put on the front of it. Felt like it was a real hit. The cost was around $300. Bought it at a jewelry store, but you might google and find one on line. By the way, it doesn't have to be a mantle clock, but that is where we put it. Congratulations! Dora Lou

A candle holder with flowers on it?????? A bookmark with pressed flowers..... or a small photo album of your marriage and life with pressed flowers........ As an Italiian on weddings we always give out candied covered almonds which is sort of a fruit.... but another tradition is to give out bundles of date candies....... a date stuffed with an almond...... is this the kind of stuff you were looking for.....???? .......

maddielee I don't intend to keep this up forever, just the first 5 years and working with the traditional list makes it fun/challenging. sushi I considered art but decided against it - too personal and they have no place to hang art. yes mtn, they are literally in a tiny house, they have a now 3 year old daughter and a cat and a growing collection of outbuildings. Drying clothes on a line when they worked at Sequoia Nat' Park worked, but not in the PNW so they had to buy a dryer which then had to have its own shed..... mouse meet cookie. DS is project engineer at Olympic Nat'l Park, they live on rented land (private acreage), DIL is finishing up a teaching degree and will be doing her student teaching at the end of the year, I have to make sure any gift is worth giving. Made this wood recipe binder for DIL's last b'day because she saves family recipes. This is their house when DGD was a baby and before they added their big covered deck. But it's still tiny.