The Valentine’s Day season is upon us once again, and the stores are filled to the brim with pink and red Valentine’s gifts everywhere. As much as I’d love to buy my boyfriend yet another stuffed bear that will inevitably end up on the side of his bed, I’d like to think that this time of year is the perfect excuse to get a little more creative with your Valentine.
I, for one, have gotten a bit tired of seeing the same old three recycled crafts on my TikTok feed, so this year I’ve tried to dig a little deeper into finding some fun crafts to make for your partner that feel a little more personal and a lot less predictable.
- Heart-Shaped Valentine’s Envelope
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While the convenience stores line their shelves with the same basic “I Love You” cards every year, I think this Valentine’s Day requires a card that’s a little more personal, and a lot more fun to decorate! With most of these projects, Pinterest has become a close personal friend, and one that primarily caught my eye was the heart-shaped envelope.
This style of card allows for more room to add your creative touch, and everyone loves a bit of personal flair. The great part about this design in particular is its safe foldability, which, as we all know, comes in handy when being transported, especially for those with long-distance partners.
This project can be done with things that you probably already have lying around your room, like paper, glue, and maybe even some photos of your partner.
- Bleached Shirts and Clothing
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Another more unique idea I came across in my search for the “perfect gift” for my own partner is bleaching clothing items, which lets your partner show you off in a more subtle, wearable way. As a girlfriend myself, I love styling my partner in new fits, so why not make them too?
Not only can you make bleached clothing for your partner, but you can make some for yourself as well, giving you the perfect matching outfit you’ve been looking for. Just make sure to have your ratio of water to bleach right, so you don’t end up burning a hole through the final product.
- Crochet Stuffies and Blankets
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This one might take a bit more time, but it’s definitely worth it for the final product. Especially during these unusually cold winters Tallahassee seems to be experiencing, a soft, crocheted blanket is the perfect gift. I’d give yourself a bit more time to do this project, as those of us who’ve been in the crochet game for a while know that these projects do take quite a lot of time.
If blankets aren’t your thing, there are always stuffed crochet animals you can make for your partner. Instead of buying one of those mass-produced teddy bears lining store shelves, making your partner a cute stuffy to cuddle with and remind them of you is way more personalized and intimate.
- Matchbox Poster
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If your partner likes a little decor for their room, but they feel like they’re lacking ideas, this project makes the perfect Valentine’s gift. If you’re not good with letters, or poems, or anything written, this project allows for the expression of love through photos and memories. The best part is that you can decide what size to make it, whether to hang it on their wall, or keep it on their nightstand to look at each night.
There are plenty of templates on either Canva or Pinterest that can help you make up the layout of the Matchbox poster, or if you’re a more hands-on kind of girl, you can always use some keepsakes you have lying around to add a bit more of a unique feel. If you’ve got any old movie date tickets or photobooth pictures around, this project is the perfect time to use them.
- Personalized Mixtape
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For my music lovers, this one might grab your interest. I know that most people nowadays listen to music online, mostly on Spotify or Apple Music, but who said that making personalized playlists had to be boring? Burning a CD with a playlist for you on it is something so ’90s that I can’t help but fawn at the idea.
There’s something so intimate about your partner going out of their way to make a playlist for you that you can listen to at anytime, anywhere, and that can never be lost when online streaming platforms go down.
Valentine’s Day shouldn’t feel like a chore to buy more aimless gifts at your local Target; it should feel fun! Show your partner that you take notice of their interests and try to make their day a little more special with a gift made straight from the heart. Have fun with these crafts, and make them personal to you and your partner, because that’s what Valentine’s Day is truly all about!
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