So often the simplest of nature’s offerings hold the most promise. So while we’ve all looked at — and most likely pretty much ignored — thousands of acorns in our lifetimes, these palm-sized offerings are so much more than they seem. After all, the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn, wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson (and yes, that is already a Susa Talon card from Big Wheel Press!). And really, what other object in our everyday lives has so much unrecognized potential?
For Daniela Vitali, Founder & Chief Acorns Officer of The Acorns Project, this precious insight arrived as she slept. “During a difficult financial period in 2019, I had a dream of a shower of acorns falling over me,” she recalled. “I woke up feeling hopeful and light and researched the symbolism of the acorn: Hope, Prosperity, Growth, Strength and New Beginnings. I saw the dream as a sign that we would get through this hard moment in our lives. It became a profound experience for me and my family, and made me regard the acorn as a sign of hope and new beginnings. Soon after the dream, things started turning around for us. Whenever there is an opportunity or something wonderful is happening in our lives (no matter how big or small) for which we’re grateful, we now say ‘Acorns all the way!’”
Enter The Acorns Project. “From that moment of my dream, I thought how it would be amazing to share that feeling of hope and inspiration with others. So I envisioned a line of inspirational gifts featuring the symbolism and mystique of the acorn that could spread hope and inspiration to anyone needing it.”
The first product in the project is The Mystique Box, real acorns hand-painted by Daniela before being enclosed in a wooden box sealed with a vellum band and branded seal. Each time the box is opened, an engraved message up top offsets the dynamic, individual beauty of the little acorn inside. “Every acorn is unique in color, size and shape. Perfectly imperfect, as we all are,” Daniela noted.
Not unlike the act of receiving and reading a letter. Daniela wanted to create a full experience upon receipt — visually, emotionally and tactilely. “[I wanted receiving one] to bring inspiration and hope through a visual connection with nature’s symbolism and beauty,” she described.
I would be most remiss to not briefly swoon for the gorgeously letterpressed card. To get to the acorn, you have to slide your thumb beneath to behold the wonders within! I am so glad Daniela went with letterpress, as its organic, precious quality is definitely welcome here.
Every element beyond the acorns is also made in the USA. “I source all of the pieces from small artisans across the country, including the shipping boxes and the packing wood chips.”
Daniela was gracious enough to take my additional questions.
SS: What kind of feedback have you gotten so far?
DV: We launched in November (2024), and, in the spirit of the project and the season, we gifted our first round of Mystique Boxes to many people who we felt could use a little ‘acorn’ in their lives. The response has been overwhelming and has been exactly what we set out to achieve. Not just words of thanks but also of inspiration, hope and joy!
One note in particular perfectly summed it up in a few words: “It’s hard to imagine that hope, like a prayer, can arrive in an artisan package, but you’ve done it brilliantly.” There is nothing more fulfilling than to have what you’ve created affect people in the positive way you intended it to. The acorn can represent so many things to so many people and different milestones in life: possibility, hope, we’re thinking of you, or you can get through this. Whether it’s a celebration, a new job, fighting an illness or just someone who needs to be reminded how wonderful they are. It strikes everyone differently and that is why it is an inspirational, symbolic gift of hope for every person of every age.
SS: How do you think the Mystique Box speaks to those who already love snail mail and the slow living lifestyle?
DV: Since Covid, people have reevaluated what is important in their lives and how they want to live their lives. More people value the simpler things in life. As I have set out to make The Acorns Project not only a symbol to never give up in life and to be all that you can be, I want the experience of receiving something from The Acorns Project to be a beautiful and experiential gift. So you are interacting with what you are receiving and having a physical action and an emotional reaction. Whether it’s a smile because it’s celebrating a milestone in your life or a moment of connection because you are experiencing a difficult time and needed a little something to let you know you’re not alone. I want it to be more than just a gift, I want it to be a moment. Their moment.
SS: You mention that collaborations are coming! Can you provide any hint of these?
DV: We have plans for artist collaborations where The Acorns Project would work with artists to produce limited-edition product drops inspired by the acorn and what the acorn means to them. It’s a process, but we’re planning on starting with 1 or 2 collaborations for the 2025 Q4 season.
SS: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
DV: I am lucky to have the opportunity to create The Acorns Project. I feel it is a culmination of my past experiences coming together later in life. From having had a high-end stationery brand in my 30s to consulting with start-ups in PR in my 40s to now, at 52, creating The Acorns Project with my husband, it shows how in life, sometimes you realize later why you chose the paths you have walked.
Thank you Daniela for taking my questions about this earthly yet divine offering. Wholesale is not available yet, but hopefully that will happen soon! In the meantime, shop Mystique Boxes, along with paint kits and individual gift boxes, here.
