Keepsake for boys

Hiyah!

When Hannah was born DH bought her a silver charm bracelet for us to add charms to at special milestones throughout her life.

Now that we're having a boy we're stuck for ideas.
I have a vague memory of someone starting a toolbox and adding tools each year? I totally love that idea, but we're pretty limited with space so I don't think that would work for us (and I can't guarantee that he'll want/use them, if he's anything like his father ).

What have you give your sons/nephews as keepsakes?
All ideas welcome

My Nan bought Thomas a pewter train money box from Farmers. We put all our gold coins in when we get change from stuff. I know it's not really something you can add to, maybe a starting a collection of things would be good idea? Perhaps a collectable train set or something? not just the crappy Thomas the Tank Engine rubbish, but the nice ones from a proper shop?

for both of mine I have bought a xmas tree decoration for each year and marked the year underneath, so when they leave home they will have their own collection to use when they are grown and have their own xmas trees I know its not quite the same as having something to add to on birthdays, but boys are really hard to get stuff like that for!

Yip, its the ongoingness of it thats the issue for boys.

I had suggestions of stamps etc but to me they didn't seem that sentimental and personal.

I like the thought that when they use their "hammer" in later years they will remember and think of the times from used it with Dad etc.

I am gonna do the xmas decoration thing...I already started my own collection of decorations from around the world...when I go on holiday somewhere I get a special ornament so hopefully one day I won't have any junky warehouse ones lol!!!

This last year DS was due on boxing day so I got an ornament from snap fish, the heart shape one and put a pic of his scan on...now it sounds strangeish but it actually looked kinda cool coz of the colours...so that is his first decoration.

We had a special something made for Locks.
There is a guy down the road- a jeweller. He makes all sorts of cool brooches, rings, etc. The idea came to me when I was looking through DPs mums jewellry, and thought Id like Locks to have something of his grans- but what. (she passed away the previous year so never met Locks)

I talked to him about a special piece that included some of our special jewellry/items. Not something wearable. just something to 'have'.

I took him a selection of special things....a piece of greenstone that was an offcut, but had personal significance, some sea glass and a few things me and DP had found on a road trip (around time of conception ) some earings and a copper hairbrooch from DPs mum, a necklace.... things like that....
All stuff that we wanted Lachlan to have forever that was his, and had 'meaning'.
It didnt need to be 'worn' or a 'something'....we left the creativity to him.

In the end- he made a wonderful piece that he framed in a rimu frame (about 15cmx20cm), he amalgamated the various objects, and hammered in some letters (Lockys name) and found a 2009 coin, and hammered that into an interesting shape... melted down the earings and made them into splodges with stamped stars....
I could go on describing
BUT- the end result was a nice framed piece of 'jewelry art' not wearable, but very unique and personal.

Wow- that was a novel.

I like the idea of personalised art pieces. I should go into business!! I hereby patent the idea! lol

Edited by KitKat

Wow, that sounds awesome!
Would you be happy to share a pic?

Yeah sure- Ill take one when he gets up... we hang it by his cot, he looks at it a lot which is nice. He's always so gentle with it too. wierd.