2nd Wedding Anniversary: Cotton Anniversary Gifts

Cotton is the traditional UK gift for the second wedding anniversary. The modern list says china, the flower is the lily of the valley and the gemstone is garnet.

Cotton is threads woven together - two lives that are now genuinely tangled rather than simply next to each other. It is also comfortable, washable and everyday, which is a fair description of year two.

Below: gift ideas that use the symbol without being ruled by it, what to spend, and lines you can copy into the card.

Anniversary cards, printed in the UK

Blank inside, one size, drawn and printed by us in the UK. Ordered on a working day it usually goes out first class the same day.

I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Peach Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 There's Someone For All Of Us (Funny Wedding Card) There's Someone For All Of Us (Funny Wedding Card) £3.87 I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card I Still Fancy You Eggplant Emoji Anniversary Card £3.87 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card 365 Days Still Not Bored Anniversary Card £3.87 Personalised Polaroid-style wedding card featuring an illustrated wedding cake and the text Just Married with custom names. Just Married Cake Polaroid Wedding Day Card (Personalised Names) £3.87 Personalised Wedding Card Featuring Pigeons Personalised Wedding Card Featuring Pigeons £3.87

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Cotton anniversary gift ideas

  • Good bedding, which sounds unromantic and is the most used gift on this page.
  • A cotton tote with a print they'd actually carry.
  • Matching tea towels, if your humour runs that way.
  • A cotton shirt in the colour they always reach for.
  • A print for the wall to go with the soft stuff, so there's something to look at as well. Shop this card
  • A card that admits year two is the comfortable one.

By budget

  • Under £10 - a card and a good pen for the message.
  • Under £25 - a print, or a cotton tote and a card.
  • Under £50 - bedding or a shirt, with the card doing the talking.

Second anniversary card messages

  • Two years in and you still make the tea exactly right. Happy anniversary.
  • Cotton this year, which means I'm allowed to buy us nice bedding.
  • Two years of you. Comfortable in the best possible way.
  • Happy second anniversary. Still my favourite person to do nothing with.
  • Year two: the honeymoon ended, the friendship didn't.

The year at a glance

  • Traditional UK symbol: cotton.
  • Modern equivalent: china.
  • Flower: lily of the valley.
  • Gemstone: garnet.

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Prints for the wall

A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK. They post flat and frame easily.

All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) All You Need Is Love / Love Is All You Need Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) Look At The Stars Song Lyrics Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) Music Sounds Better With You Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 99 Problems but Excel Ain't One (A5 - A3) 99 Problems but Excel Ain't One (A5 - A3) £8.00 12 Days of Christmas Lyrics Print 12 Days of Christmas Lyrics Print £6.00 Play That Funky Music Print (A5 - A3) Play That Funky Music Print (A5 - A3) £8.00 99 Problems, Prompting Ain't One A6 Postcard 99 Problems, Prompting Ain't One A6 Postcard £3.00 Play That Funky Music Print A6 Postcard Play That Funky Music Print A6 Postcard £3.00

How to write it so it lands

  • Use the symbol as a starting point, then choose for the person.
  • Name a specific memory in the card - that's the bit that gets kept.
  • A card plus one good thing beats three forgettable presents.

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We make cards, pin badges, prints and party bits in house. These are from other shops we rate, and buying through the link costs you nothing extra.

Wedding favours

Wedding favours

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Frequently asked questions

What is the second wedding anniversary gift?

Cotton is the traditional UK gift for the second anniversary. The modern list suggests china instead, and plenty of couples pick whichever suits the person better.

What flower and gemstone go with the second anniversary?

The flower is the lily of the valley and the gemstone is garnet. Both are a useful way round the symbol if cotton doesn't suit them.

Do you have to follow the traditional list at all?

No. The lists are a prompt, not a rule - they exist to stop you buying the same thing every year. A gift that fits the person beats a gift that fits the symbol.

How many years is the cotton anniversary?

The cotton anniversary is 2 years of marriage - the second wedding anniversary on the traditional UK list.

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