Great Lakes Ornament - Lake House Decor - Michigan Ornament - New Home Ornament - Cherry Wood Ornament - Newlywed Ornament

This cherry wood ornament makes a perfect gift for someone that loves the Great Lakes! I absolutely love the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Michigan. My favorite place in the world is Sleeping Bear Dunes on the western shore of Michigan so I made the ornament in the sample pictures for myself as a nice Christmas reminder of it. The ornament measures about 3 inches across and it comes in a presentation box with the Great Lakes printed on the lid. In addition to being a visually striking detail, it is also a convenient place to safely store the ornament between holiday seasons.

The ornament can be customized with text as well as a symbol somewhere on the map. For example, to celebrate a wedding this year, it could have the names of the happy couple and the year, and a heart cutout or engraved on the map where the wedding took place. Similarly the purchase of a new home in the Great Lakes region could be celebrated by some personalized text and a star where the new house is located.

The cherry wood that the ornament is made from is sourced from street trees in the western Michigan area that have been removed due to construction or storm damage -- not their timber value. After I pick out the wood at the sawmill, I personally process it through a long series of planing and sawing steps, and I finally laser cut it and apply a food-safe hand-rubbed oil finish.

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Utilizing yard trees for wood is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable ways to source lumber as it does not contribute to deforestation or environmental destruction. It also gives a positive outcome for trees that are lost due to disease, pests, or construction, and gives additional positive value to the urban forest. Making a conscious decision to purchase products made from urban wood is a way of showing support for the urban forest and local craftsman.