As soon as the twinkling lights of Christmas are taken down from shop windows, they are replaced with a plethora of roses, chocolates and the ever-so-massive plush teddy bears. The world is now gearing up for the day of love— Valentine’s. While it is the most romantic day of the year and is absolutely saturated with feelings of butterflies and warm fuzzies, it can also be a little stressful. What can you get your significant other that doesn’t involve simply plucking one from the mass of the usual run-of-the-mill gifts on the shelves? Do It Yourself gifts are from the heart— or the hands— and are always more meaningful. Knowing your SO put time and effort into a gift is more special than any fancy watch or jewelry.
- Arm knitted chunky blanket
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Chunky knit blankets are blowing up on Instagram right now, but you’re going to have to pay an arm and a leg to buy one. Luckily, you can keep all your limbs if you make it yourself! What better way to say “I love you” than wrapping up your SO in a big, cozy blanket made with love by you? Thank God for YouTube because you can totally be on your way to creating your snuggly masterpiece with arm-knitting wizard, Simply Maggie. Her easy-to-follow tutorial will have you pumping out Insta-worthy chunky blankets in only 45 minutes. You will need about eight to 12 skeins of your favorite chunky yarn like Premier Yarn’s Couture Jazz. Couture Jazz can be found in several colors at Joann craft store. You can go all-out Valentine’s Day with a pink or red blanket, or pick out yarn in your SO’s favorite color.
- The 365 reasons I love you jar
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This gift is probably one of the cheapest, but most thoughtful gifts you can give for Valentine’s and the best part— it’s the gift that keeps giving all year long. Take a large jar or box and fill it with 365 notes naming all the little reasons you love your SO. You will bring a smile to their face every single day for a whole year! If 365 notes are too many, you can always pick a smaller number like 52 for every week of the year.
- “Open When” letters
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Another gift that gives for a long time after Valentine’s Day, ‘Open When’ notes are always a very thoughtful route. You can make as many letters as you want. Usually people include an “open now” letter to kick things off. The letters can be anything from “open when you’re feeling down” to “open when you’re mad at me” to “open when you want to order pizza.” Add letters that are specific to your relationship and cover the envelopes with cute drawings, photos and decorations.
- The five senses gift
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This classic gift will appeal to your partner from their eyes to their ears. Each gift will have something to do with the five senses; touch, sight, taste, smell and sound. A gift for touch could be anything from hand lotion, a bath bomb, shower gel or a massage. For sight, you could frame a cute photo or make a movie night kit. Taste is pretty self-explanatory: get your SO anything they like to eat! For the smell gift, a new cologne or perfume is always great choice. Making a special playlist is a fun sound gift. You could also go old school and put the songs on a mixtape or CD— if you have something to play them on. Record players are making a come-back and would make a great gift for sound as well if you have a larger budget. Wrap and label each gift according to what sense they appeal to and you’re all set!
- Your love story book
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Surprise your partner with your artistic (or not so artistic) skills by making a comic book of your love story, illustrated and written by you. You can start off with how you met and then add pages of drawings of your favorite memories. Don’t be worried if you’re not the best artist— it actually will make the book that much more adorable. If you’re the tech-savvy type and have the software, this would be a perfect opportunity to whip out your Photoshop or digital painting skills. There are also plenty of personalized love story book companies like LoveBook to create your book for you.
Most DIY gifts can be created on tight budgets and will be just as appreciated, if not more, as an expensive store-bought gift!