Illinois Cutting Boards

Illinois runs long and narrow from the lake down to the Ohio River, and the lettering designs stack inside that shape rather than crossing it. Every piece here starts as a blank. The blanks are stocked, the Illinois design goes on after you order, and what ships was made for that order rather than pulled off a shelf.

The Illinois board is bamboo, seventeen by five and a quarter inches, cut long and narrow in the shape of a wine bottle, so it works as a cheese board, a charcuterie plank or a bar tray. Decorated on one face, working surface on the other.

If you came looking for an Illinois cutting board, this is the piece.

Slate and Cork Coasters

The Illinois coaster sets are the anchor of the collection. Slate and cork both come as sets of four, in round or square, and both carry the same artwork, so the decision is about the surface rather than the design.

The slate runs four inches and a quarter inch thick. Its edges are chiseled rather than sawn, so every coaster in a set has its own profile, and four foam pads underneath stop the stone dragging across a table. Cork is 3/16 inch and far lighter, which makes it the better desk, camper or boat option.

The Illinois Designs

The artwork runs from a clean state outline to the name in brush lettering, a script signature, IL initials, a word cloud, a floral fill, and HOME with Illinois standing in for the O. Each set of four carries one design, so if you want a mix, order a second set in another design.

A note before you order: hearts and stars set into the state shape are decorative. They do not mark a specific place.

Ornaments for the Tree

Illinois ornaments come in slate, wood and leatherette. Slate is dark stone in a 3 or 4 inch round, wood is light with a twine hanger already tied, and leatherette is a thin, shatterproof disc in black, blue or brown, the one to hang low if there are kids or cats near the tree. Merry Christmas From Illinois versions come in all three materials, which cover the card and the present together.

Illinois City Skylines

Plenty of people are homesick for a city rather than a state. The Chicago skyline is engraved on slate ornaments, wood ornaments, a bamboo board and a leatherette wall sign of its own.

For someone who left a specific place, the skyline lands harder than an outline of Illinois ever will.

Wall Art and Water Bottles

The Illinois artwork is not limited to coasters and ornaments. The wall art is a 10 by 10 inch leatherette sign with a sawtooth hanger, in blue or brown. Illinois designs include the Chicago skyline and a Prairie State design that pairs the state outline with the Chicago skyline and a bison.

That Prairie State design also goes on a 32 oz insulated stainless steel water bottle in black or white, for the trail, the train or the commute.

Illinois Gifts by Occasion

A coaster set covers a housewarming or a closing gift without guessing at anyone's taste. The bamboo board suits a wedding, an anniversary or a host who actually cooks. Ornaments handle Christmas, a first apartment, a graduation move. A set of four is a fair thank-you for the neighbor who watched your dog.

For someone who moved away, their city is usually the safer bet. For someone still in the state, the outline designs read as pride rather than nostalgia.

How These Are Made

Two methods run in the workshop. Laser engraving cuts the design into the material itself, so on slate it comes up pale against dark stone and on bamboo it darkens the grain, with no layer on top to chip or wash away. UV printing lays down full color, for artwork that needs color to do its job.

Because nothing is decorated in advance, turnaround runs one to three business days. Coasters and ornaments ship in a protective sleeve, and cutting boards and wall art in a plain box, so plan on wrapping anything meant as a gift.

More Ways to Shop

All fifty states sit on one page: Shop by State. If you would rather browse by product, there are state coasters in slate and cork, state ornaments in slate, wood and leatherette, and engraved cutting boards.

Close by: Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri.

Browse the Collection

Filter by product if you know what you are after, or scroll the whole Illinois collection if you do not. The coaster sets are the most forgiving place to start.

Illinois Gifts