Love Spoons were traditionally (and still are) given as a present to a couple on their wedding day as well as an invitation to begin courtship
They are now also given as christening presents, to celebrate anniversaries (especially the 5th Wedding Anniversary - wood) and birthdays, as Valentines Day gifts, as a symbol of friendship and good luck, and just to say “I love you”.
Many are also given to friends and relatives that have emigrated to remind them of home.
these are made to order and may take upto 4 weeks for large orders to be delivered single orders normally dispatched within 10 days.
The love spoon is thought to have originated from the "cawl" (soup or stew) spoon. Over generations, decorative carvings were added to the spoon and it lost its original practical use and became a treasured decorative item to be hung proudly on a wall
The love spoon was given to a young woman by her suitor. It was important for the girl's father to see that the young man was capable of providing for the family and woodworking. Sailors would often carve love spoons during their long journeys, which is why anchors would often be incorporated into the carvings. Certain symbols came to have specific meanings:
a horseshoe for luck, a cross for faith, bells for marriage, hearts for love, a wheel supporting a loved one. and a lock for security, among others. Caged balls indicated the number of children hoped for. Other difficult carvings, such as chains, were as much a demonstration of the carver's skill as a symbolic meaning.
Although the Welsh lovespoon is the most famous there are also traditions of lovespoons in Scandinavia and some parts of Eastern Europe, which have their own unique styles and techniques. Today love spoons are given as wedding and anniversary gifts, as well as birthday, baby gifts, Christmas and "just because". They are now mostly seen as a folk craft. for a full history of the lovespoon see our lovespoon history pages.
show someone you love them by giving them a wonderfull unique gift of a lovespoon.
