If you’re looking for a beautiful and meaningful gift for the special person in your life, a Welsh love spoon could be the perfect idea… original, unique and steeped in lengthy history and tradition.

As Welsh folklore would have it, these stunningly ornate carved spoons were made from wood by men keen to show the lady in their life just how true their feelings were… and it’s a tradition that has been carried out for hundreds of years.

You can actually see the earliest example of these spoons if you make your way to the Welsh Folk Museum in Cardiff and it’s thought that it was carved in around 1667… so what an interesting gift this would be for your other half!

Each spoon has its own decorative carvings on it, so you can find one that really speaks to you and your relationship. Engravings include a stork and a baby, leaves (to symbolise growing love), a knot (to represent the entwining of lives), a horseshoe (for good luck) and hearts (for true love).

Over the years, spoons have been given for all sorts of different occasions, everything from engagements and weddings to anniversaries, birthdays, new births, Valentine’s Day… there’s a spoon for all occasions! And you can also have them engraved with the name of your recipient to really personalise the present.

Limewood or sycamore wood is traditionally used for hand carving Welsh love spoons, as they both have a crisp sharp finish when hand-carved and show the detail of the piece very well.