Birthday gift ideas: handmade wooden pixel pictures and DIY kits

The hard part of choosing a birthday gift is rarely the budget. It is finding something that actually suits the person. Here are three small handmade pictures, a few thoughts on who each one might suit, and a way to make the gift together if you would rather not simply hand it over.

Why a handmade gift tends to stay with people

Every square in an Ahşapix picture is a 1.5 cm pine block. The blocks are cut one at a time, painted by hand and set on a board, and each piece is 100% handmade in our workshop in Eskişehir, Turkey. The face of each block is cut at either 30° or 45°, so light falls on every face at a slightly different angle and the picture looks a little different through the day. The person who receives it will see one thing in the morning and another in the evening.

Which picture for whom

For the cat lover: Van Kedisi

The Van Kedisi (Van cat) is made of 256 blocks and measures 24 × 24 cm (27 × 27 cm with frame). It is square and small, so it fits comfortably on a bookshelf, above a desk or in a hallway. It is a safe choice for anyone who lives with a cat.

For someone who loves flowers and spring: Lale

The Lale (tulip) has 238 blocks and measures 21 × 25.5 cm (24 × 28.5 cm with frame). The tulip is a motif that often appears in Anatolian decorative traditions, so it can be read both as a simple flower picture and as a quiet nod to this part of the world.

For a partner or a close friend: Kalp

The Kalp (heart) is the smallest of the three at 196 blocks: 21 × 21 cm (24 × 24 cm with frame). It is a plain, uncomplicated gift, and because it is small it will not upset anyone's existing wall.

If you would rather picture the cat at home or a face someone loves, we also make custom pieces from a photograph.

Making the gift together

All three pictures are available as make-it-yourself kits. Kits are offered for pieces of up to 450 blocks, and these three are well under that. The box holds the blocks and a numbered map, so you can sit down together on a birthday evening or a free weekend and place each block by its number. On the DIY page the options are:

• Painted blocks, or raw blocks with paints and a brush (kendin boya)
• A framed board, or the board only
• A spare-block pack
• Gift wrap: no price tag, wrapped in paper

If you choose raw blocks and paint them yourselves, allow more time. For a gift that has to be ready quickly, painted blocks are the easier route.

Ordering and frame notes

• Every piece is made to order and delivery takes 10 days, so count back from the birthday with that in mind.
• When the picture is finished, we send you photos and a video before it ships.
• It is wrapped in foam and premium shipping is free.
• There are no returns or exchanges unless it arrives damaged; if it does, we make it again.
• Frames: natural oak is included, black or white is +500 TL, and unframed is -300 TL.

When it is time to hang the picture, use an anchor that can carry the weight, and choose a wall that gets no direct sun and no damp. If you are still undecided, the six questions in our gift picture guide may help you settle it.