Some people think the hardest part of Valentine’s Day is finding a valentine. But we all know the most difficult part is avoiding buying into a Hallmark holiday and becoming Cupid’s cliché.
Since there is nothing more tired than spending a ridiculous amount of money in the name of love, we’ve partnered with Extra Gum to present this romantic, DIY gift guide.
We scoured Pinterest, and — well, mainly Pinterest — for the best ideas for handcrafted, handmade and heartfelt presents you can give to your loved ones this Valentine’s Day.
Leave Love Notes Inside a Mason Jar
You’ll need: Jar with lid; colorful paper cut into note-sized squares
The gift: Taking a note — or, literally, lots of notes — from a Dublin-based 27-year-old who goes by TheOnlyOne87 on Reddit, we suggest composing handwritten love notes for your significant other (SO) and/or loved ones and packaging them inside a mason jar.
The original gifter composed 365 notes (one for every day of the year) and color-coded them accordingly, giving yellow notes for “moments and memories,” green for “quotes & lyrics” and pink for “reasons I love you.”
Put a personal spin on things by determining your own number of notes — maybe one for every day you’ve been dating? — and what messages you want to send.
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Write a Public (Non-Embarrassing) Love Note
You’ll need: Chalk and/or chalk marker
The gift: Sending a love note is quite possibly one of the most romantic things you can do for your SO — so why not make it a public spectacle that can help them smile throughout the day?
Use chalk or chalk marker to write endearing, heartfelt and/or funny messages on your bathroom mirror, in your driveway, on the sidewalk or even on the car windshield — basically, anywhere your partner is sure to look on his or her way out of the door in the morning.
This is an especially sweet gesture if you don’t see your partner first thing in the morning … and way easier than holding a sign declaring your love, outdoors, in the middle of the winter.
Got another Valentine’s Day DIY gift idea? Leave it in the comments.
Make meaningful connections with others this Valentine’s Day through these small acts of kindness, presented by Extra Gum.
