With Valentine’s Day approaching, it is time to start thinking about what you are going to get your significant other as a gift. But can you afford to? It can be very stressful when a gift giving holiday is coming up but you don’t necessarily have the funds to buy an extravagant gift. What if I told you that you don’t have to? No, I am not lying to you. It is true that there are so many gift options that can be sentimental, and can also be extremely inexpensive! I will provide you with a list of cheap, thoughtful, DIY gift ideas that you can do for your significant other on February 14th.
1. The Map Card
This is an idea that many people tend to do for making DIY wedding cards, but I personally think it is a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift idea too! It is also really simple. Most couples have a specific place that is important to them. Whether it be the place where they met, their favourite restaurant, your home together, or even the first place you travelled to together. All you have to do is print off a google maps page of that specific place, and then cut it out into a heart. After that, you glue it to the front of a handmade card and write your sentimental message inside! This is a good idea for those who aren’t big in the gift giving, but still want to show their partner that they are important. It is simple, yet sweet.
2. Sharpie Love Mugs
This is an under $10.00 gift that would work well for anyone, and it’s really cute! You can easily buy a plain white mug from any dollar store or big box store. You can also purchase sharpies from these places too. Once you have your supplies, you can draw on the mug whatever you desire, but make sure you let it sit to dry overnight! When it has dried, you bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F, but leave it in the oven until it is completely cooled off. This is what sets the sharpie colours. Make sure to hand wash this item only! If you want to take this gift a step further, you can fill the mug with soil and put a small plant into it!
3. Love Book
This is one of my favourites, and you can choose to spend money on a website to do it for you, or make it yourself. Love books are great because you can make them in a variety of ways. For example, you can write the story about how you and your partner met, you can write 50 reasons why you love them, or you can simply put together a scrapbook of your favourite memories together. If you are looking for a website to create a story, I suggest Love Book Online. Although it can be a bit pricey, they do a really good job and the quality is great! I can speak for this as I have created a book through them before. Here is the link: http://www.lovebookonline.com/
However, if you don’t want to take the spending money route, then you can simply purchase construction paper and create your own love book. Add real pictures of you and your lover, or draw cartoons! The options are endless and this gift really shows how much effort you put into it!
4. Jar of Love Notes
This is another cheap option for those who are on a tight budget. You can purchase a cheap jar from any local dollar store, and any craft material you might need to decorate it. This gift is extremely simple. Decorate the jar however you wish, and fill it with different notes about why you love your significant other. It is cheesy in the best kind of way! This gift gives your partner the knowledge that you truly love and care for them, and they can keep looking back at the notes and reading them on a rough day.
5. Dinner and Movie at Home
Maybe you and your partner can’t fit in your budget to have an expensive Valentine’s Day out dinner, and that’s perfectly fine! There are other ways to show each other that you love each other without taking them to a fancy restaurant. One of my favourite ways to spend the night indoors is by having a private dinner and movie night at home. Make your partner their favourite dinner, and create the ultimate movie date package. To do this, grab a basket or shoe box and fill it with all of the movie essentials for a romantic movie date. Throw in the movie, popcorn, any other snacks, and if you really want to spice it up, add some champagne glasses and champagne. With this idea, it still shows your partner that you are thinking about them without both of you having to go out to the expensive, busy dining places that evening.
These are just some of the ways that you can show your partner that you love them on Valentine’s Day, without having to spend an abundance of cash just to do so. Some people don’t always realize that simplicity is the best way to show someone how much they mean to you, and by doing these gift ideas, your partner will see that you put a lot of time and effort into your gift for them because you made it yourself. Good luck, and have a great Valentine’s Day!
Featured image via sept commercial on Unsplash
