Colorado Kate's Tips, Tricks and Recs: Manofatto-Homemade Gifts Made with Love

Getting people gifts stresses me out.  What do get a person you care about?  What's the one thing they want?  Then I go to the store and suddenly my cart is full of things and I have to narrow it down to one.  What's a girl to do?

Introducing the answer to your conundrum, Manofatto!  Manofatto, which is slang in Italian for "handmade", are beautiful handmade wooden boxes constructed by Craig and then stuffed with amazing goodness by his wife Katelyn.  These carefully curated boxes are filled with a theme in mind, but Katelyn can also customize any box.  Almost all of her hand picked items are local items or made in America.

When I arrived to Katelyn's home to photograph some of her gorgeous boxes I was taken back by how warm and friendly she was.  It felt like going to hang out with my best friend.  Katelyn told me that although she has about 45 boxes on her website, none of them are premade.  She wants to make sure that they are perfect for each and every person.  Ah, yes, each of these boxes really is manofatto!

As I mentioned above, her husband is a skilled woodsman who makes the boxes.  But this company keeps it all in the family.  Her mom comes over and helps stain all the boxes and her sister is the talent behind all the gorgeous hand-calligraphy notes.  I love so much that this company keeps it in their tight-knit family.  When you get your box, you will feel like you have received a gift full of love and family, which is exactly what you are receiving.

I was able to photograph some gift boxes that were going out to bridesmaids, groomsmen, honeymooners and wedding. Also, don't forget mother's day is coming up, this would be an amazing gift for your mom!