Guest Picks: Good Luck in the New Year
20 cheerful symbols of luck represent good fortune in 2012
I went to architecture school but am now a design and craft blogger over at Lauren Elise Crafted where I highlight crafts, DIYs and tutorials, photography, vintage finds, and all things lovely.
I went to architecture school but am now a design and craft blogger over... More »
With each new year come new hopes and dreams for a promising future. Each culture has different good luck symbols that stand for prosperity, good health, wealth and even love. All 20 of these items represent good fortune in some culture, and each one would make a great New Year's gift for your friends and family that want to start off 2012 right. Even if you do not believe in luck, each piece is cheerful and entertaining — quite the lucky finds! — Lauren from Lauren Elise Crafted
A nautical star symbolizes the North Star and is seen as a guiding light. This star is an outdoor lantern that can be hung on your porch to represent the importance of home and finding your way back to loved ones.
As a little girl, I remember hunting through fields of clover to try and find one of the four-leaf variety. This Irish charm always eluded me as a child, but now that I am an adult, this pressed clover print seems like quite the lucky find indeed.
There is something nostalgic about pressed flowers; it's like a reminder of a simpler time, but this artwork still feels very modern. It would look great in a clean, white space.
There is something nostalgic about pressed flowers; it's like a reminder of a simpler time, but this artwork still feels very modern. It would look great in a clean, white space.
Breaking wishbones isn't just for Thanksgiving anymore. With these plastic ones, you can make a wish anytime you want.
The New Year's tradition of eating 12 grapes on the 12 strokes of midnight is one that hails from Spain. The grapes are supposed to bring prosperity for the year ahead.
This antique grape lug was an essential for farmers during the harvest season, but now you can use it for storage, organization or planting plants. It will hold a lot of grapes as well, so you can keep some on hand whenever need a little extra luck.
This antique grape lug was an essential for farmers during the harvest season, but now you can use it for storage, organization or planting plants. It will hold a lot of grapes as well, so you can keep some on hand whenever need a little extra luck.
The ancient Egyptians considered ladders to be lucky, a way for them to climb into the heavens in the afterlife. This rustic ladder would make a great display piece, and the steps can double as shelves for books and collectibles. It may not be needed to climb heavenward, but it would have great presence in a living room or bedroom.
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by Smiling Planet
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| It might be rare to have ladybugs land on you, granting you their good fortune, but it is possible to have them land in your cereal bowl every morning. This whimsical child's bowl, which isn't necessarily reserved for children, has an illustration of the little bugs at the bottom. After your last few bites of Cheerios, they will reveal themselves and send you on your way feeling quite lucky. |
The acorn and the oak tree are seen as lucky symbols in Norse folklore. People of this culture will traditionally place an acorn on their windowsills to protect their homes from lightning. This acorn wind chime would be a nice substitute to hang on your porch or patio. It may not ward off lightning, but it will still sound lovely as it blows in the wind.
A lucky oak tree is hand-printed on cotton linen in this beautiful pillow design. I love the rustic materials and colors, and I could envision this pillow placed on outdoor furniture for some extra comfort or on a white sofa for a pop of color.
Keys were seen as important symbols in ancient Greek, Roman and Japanese cultures, as they were significant in matters of the heart, of health and of wealth. I would like to think these skeleton key pillows would grant you beautiful dreams, as well as spruce up your bed with some shabby-chic flair.
by Plasticland
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A key may be lucky, but what about a key that doubles as a corkscrew? I think that is extra good fortune! Gift this corkscrew to your favorite wine connoisseur, and hopefully he or she will have luck all year long with their vintages.
A gift of bamboo is good luck, and the recipient of this handmade bamboo cutting board would be quite fortunate indeed.
This is a perfect hostess gift because it can be personalized to the state of your choosing, and a small heart can be engraved on your favorite city. It is very original and a total conversation piece.
This is a perfect hostess gift because it can be personalized to the state of your choosing, and a small heart can be engraved on your favorite city. It is very original and a total conversation piece.
Elephants are good luck symbols, and they represent longevity and wisdom. Even this mini elephant will do the trick and be such a sweet addition at snack time. And because this little bowl is made out of recycled materials, it is lucky for the planet as well.
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by Merchant No. 4
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| In England it is tradition that both white and brown eggs bring luck and happiness. Gifting a real egg can get tricky, but this birch egg ornament comes flat and packaged like a postcard. Its pieces are easy to assemble, and once together, it can hang and bring prosperity all year long. |
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by Merchant No. 4
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| If you are going to eat some real eggs this New Year's, these egg cups are a beautiful way to display them. They're made from Acacia wood with environmentally friendly techniques. The wood grain texture is so rich, and the design is perfectly simple. |
Chinese and European cultures see the pig as good luck and often depict them on charms or tokens. This ceramic white pig is actually a speaker that connects with your MP3 player. It can pull double-duty as a cute sculpture too, while still being discreet about its speaker capabilities.
This gold acorn can be worn on a charm necklace or even put on a key ring so that the good fortune it brings can go wherever you do.
This elephant wall hook may be double the luck, but it does triple the work with three hooks. The material is cast iron, but I love the weathered white paint. It feels like a great flea market find but without all the time spent searching for it.
In the Chinese culture, red lanterns are a good luck symbol. This string of luminous, woven cotton orbs is not quite your traditional lantern, but the effect may be just as magical. I believe that nothing cheers up a space more than sparkly lights, and with the plethora of colors to choose from, these garlands are quite the lucky find.
This is another lucky yet highly functional elephant, this time in the form of a wood clock. The design is laser cut from bamboo, so this gift would bring extra prosperity into your home. This clock is fun and modern, perfect for children of design-conscious parents.
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| This sweet piggy is made from reclaimed wood and handmade in England. The jute twine tail and ribbon add the perfect touch of texture. Perch him on a shelf amid some antique treasures to spread luck and cheer to all who see him. Next: 2012, the Year of the Dragon |
Ideabook updated on Jan. 2, 2012.
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