Maine has two kinds of people who love it. Year-rounders live there through mud season and the long winter. Summer people show up when the lakes warm up and the coast fills in, and some of them have been coming back to the same cottage for decades. Both are easy to shop for once you know which one you're buying for.
This guide splits the pieces in our Maine gifts collection between the two.
The design that covers both
Our Pine Tree State design pairs the state outline with a lobster, pines and a lighthouse, plus "The Pine Tree State" and EST. 1820, the year Maine became a state. It puts the coast and the woods in one image, and it's the most detailed of our Maine designs.
Maine is known as the Pine Tree State, and the white pine is both the state tree and, as its cone and tassel, the state flower. So the pines on the design aren't there by accident.
For the year-rounder
Someone who lives in Maine all year doesn't need to be reminded where they live. They need things for the house that hold up to a long winter indoors.
- Slate coasters for the kitchen table. The Maine slate coaster set comes as a single coaster or a set of 4, 6 or 8, in natural slate, 4 inches across and a quarter inch thick, round or square, with hand chiseled edges and foam pads on the back. It comes in our Maine state designs, like Home Sweet Home, ME Initials or Est. 1820. Every coaster in a set carries the same design.
- A board for the woodstove crowd. The Maine wine bottle cutting board is solid bamboo, 17 by 5.25 inches, cut in the shape of a wine bottle. It's for cheese, bread and whatever comes out when the neighbors stop by.
- A water bottle for the commute. The Pine Tree State water bottle is 32 oz insulated stainless steel, in black or white. Hand wash only.
For the summer people
Summer people want a piece of Maine that stays with them the other nine or ten months of the year.
- A sign for the wall back home. The Pine Tree State wall sign is 10 by 10 inch leatherette with a sawtooth hanger, in blue or brown.
- Cork coasters for the cottage. The Pine Tree State cork coaster set comes as a single coaster or a set of 4, 6 or 8, in 4 inch cork, 3/16 inch thick and light, which suits a camp or a boat. There's a slate version too.
- An ornament for December. The Merry Christmas From Maine leatherette ornament is a thin, shatterproof disc, easy to mail and easy to hang. It brings a little of August into the middle of winter.
If you're not sure
A coaster set works for either one. For a year-rounder, go with a state design like Home Sweet Home. For summer people, go with the Pine Tree State design, which says coast and woods in one look.
Timing
Everything is made to order. We engrave each piece after you buy it and ship within 1 to 5 business days. Coasters ship in a white gift box, and boards and wall art in a plain box, so wrap a board or sign meant as a gift. Add carrier time, and order early if it has to arrive by a certain date.
See everything on the Maine collection page.
