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With Valentine’s Day coming up, I, like many others, have been brainstorming what to gift my friends, family, and boyfriend. Valentine’s Day is meant to express love, admiration, and appreciation to those most important to you. Given the meaning of this holiday, my favorite gifts to give are homemade ones! DIY gifts require much more time and care than others, and are uniquely curated for the recipient. It’s not the gift itself, but the intent behind it that makes them my absolute favorite! Whether you plan on spending Valentine’s Day out with your significant other, or in with your roomies, here are four homemade gift ideas to make for the holiday!Â
mini record player
If the person you plan on making your gift for is a music junkie, the mini record player is a great option! I made this craft for my boyfriend’s birthday last year and can confirm it is relatively easy to make. To make the mini record player you will want: scissors, construction paper (I grabbed 5 pieces in case I messed up), glue, a circular object to trace, a ruler, and something to write with. This project has a lot of steps, but it can be easily followed by watching this video tutorial by the YouTube channel My Favorite Things. In the video, the narrator uses a scoring board. Alternatively, you can use a ruler and a spoon to make the scores, or “folds” (which is the route I took). Another thing I recommend changing is the inside of the record player. I opted to make a Spotify playlist — include the songs on the inside — and draw a Spotify code linking to the playlist I had made. The inspiration for these changes came from this pin.Â
“Reasons why i love you” jar
If you’re not the most crafty person but still want to make a homemade gift, the “Reasons Why I Love You” jar is a simple yet extremely meaningful option. Though it may seem basic since you’ve likely seen it on Pinterest or TikTok, it’s still a great gift. When you’re making it, you’re sitting there thinking about how much you love and appreciate the person receiving the gift the entire time! It is a huge compliment to receive this gift. To make this gift all you need is a mason jar, scissors, paper, and something to write with. If you’d like to spruce it up, you could use a ribbon to tie around the jar top. The directions are simple: cut up the paper, write a reason why you love the gift receiver on the paper, fold it, put it in the mason jar (repeating until full), and write “Reasons Why I Love You” on the jar top. If you’d like to go the extra mile, you could place the papers in mini heart envelopes, which you can make by following this tutorial by Craft_Origami_Diy Channel on YouTube. I opted for this mini heart envelope version before, and truthfully, it is quite tedious. However, it is so cute that it’s worth it!
clay date
If you’re looking for something more of an experience than a material gift, this is the perfect option for you. Whether you are both crafty, or not, and want an excuse to hang out, a clay date is a perfect combination of date and gift. All you need is a simple air-dry clay kit from Amazon. I bought this one and it has served me well. You can choose to freestyle your clay creations or attempt to recreate ones others have made. My favorite place to find clay date ideas is Pinterest, but TikTok and Google work too! After making your creations, follow the instructions your kit comes with on how to properly bake the clay. This will allow your creations to “dry out” and be used as trinkets! A pro-tip from a girl who has a clay turtle that lost an arm: make an “indent” into your clay when placing other pieces of clay onto it. For example, if you’re adding a turtle fin to a turtle body, make an indent on the body where the fin goes. This makes the fin more secure, and less likely to fall off.
their favorite book, annotated
This gift idea, though the least crafty and the only one I have yet to try, is one of the most thoughtful gift ideas I have ever heard of. All it requires is reading the recipient’s favorite book, and making annotations throughout the book. These annotations can be comments, jokes, connections to other media, illustrations, etc. It’s really up for interpretation. This is one of my favorites for a few reasons. One, you have to know them very well to know what their favorite book is (try to be very subtle if you do have to ask). Two, not only does it require you to read their favorite book, which gives you a much more in-depth understanding of who they are as a person, but it also forces you to actively pay attention while reading. To make annotations, you have to read thoroughly. Three, it is one of the most unique gifts you could give someone. The annotations are all unique. They can be anything. They can be very personal. They can include inside jokes or connections to personal experiences. I think the exchange provides a deeper understanding of the other for both the gift giver and the receiver. Some ideas for annotations include: tying things to personal experiences, including inside jokes, using lots of color, leaving doodles, underlining quotes you find enriching, and explaining why.
Valentine’s Day is meant to show affection to someone you love. While buying an expensive gift may be the easy way out, making something yourself can be an easy way to show someone how much you care — and these cheap and crafty gift ideas can make your Valentine’s Day gifts a bit more personal and show how much you love the recipient.