Homemade Valentine's gifts
Here are some ideas for homemade Valentine's gifts for many of the people you want to remember this Feb. 14.
By Robin ShreevesWed, Jan 18 2012 at 5:20 PM EST
JUST FOR HIM: Homemade beer labels are a special way to spruce up a special craft beer gift for Valentine's Day. (Photo: Make The Best Of Everything)
You could spend hours at the mall trying to find the perfect Valentine’s Day gift and ask the cashier for a gift receipt, just in case. Or, you could spend some time creating a Valentine with a personal touch that the person you want to feel special on Valentine’s Day would never want to return.
Here are some ideas for homemade Valentine’s gifts for many of the people you want to remember this Feb. 14.
Homemade food gifts
Homemade Valentine’s food gifts are great for anyone – her, him, teachers, friends, kids, or parents. Here are a few DIY Valentine’s treats that use wholesome ingredients.
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Homemade Nutella – Nutella is a delicious treat, but it’s made with palm oil and artificial flavor. This DIY version of Nutella lets you control the ingredients. If you have 30 minutes and a food processor, you can make this decadent chocolate hazelnut spread. Have your child make this for a teacher for Valentine’s Day, and there’s a good chance you’ll end up with a student of the month in February.
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Cranberry Almond Granola – If you want a little Valentine’s red in your edible gift, but you’re not willing to use harmful food dyes, cranberries are the answer. This healthy granola mixture has whole grains, nuts, seeds and dried cranberries sweetened with real maple syrup and brown sugar.
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Sea Salt Caramels – Salted caramel anything is incredibly popular right now, and even a handful of these salty little treats packaged up pretty will make a great gift. Use all organic ingredients and give your Valentine a decadent treat.
Just For him
Guys will appreciate the homemade food gifts above, but if you want to give more than just a sweet treat, try one of these gifts created with your own homemade touches.
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Seed-Starter Valentine – For the guy who gardens, these homemade, decorated envelopes for seeds let him know that you support his gardening. They also remind him that spring is just around the corner. Chose seeds for plants like “Sweet William” or “Sweet Peas” to give the packets a special, romantic touch.
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Homemade Beer Labels – There’s not enough time before Valentine’s Day for you to learn how to brew your own beer, and then brew and bottle it. You can, though, make these romantic, yet masculine, custom labels for some local or craft beers that you buy as Valentine’s Day gifts for your man.
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52 Reasons Why I Love You Book – If you have a couple of decks of cards floating around with a few cards missing from each, here’s a way to put them to good use. Chose 52 of them, and then get creative coming up with 52 reasons why you love your man. Use a glue stick to glue printed words and photos to illustrate your reasons. Get as cute, funny, or romantic as you want. This one takes a little time, but he’s worth it, right?
Just for her
For the woman who would rather have something homemade from the heart than an expensive trinket bought at the mall, try one of these sure-to-please DIY Valentines that show you know she deserves to be pampered.
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Lemon-Brown Sugar Scrub – Three grocery store bought items combine to create a fresh scented body scrub that will exfoliate and moisturize elbows, knees and heels and more.
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Homemade Bubble Bath – Who doesn’t love a long, luxurious bubble bath? This DIY bubble bath uses natural and wholesome ingredients so your Valentine won’t worry about what she’s soaking in. Choose essential oils in her favorite scents to customize it just for her.
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Morning, Noon and Night Bath Salts – The key to making these easy bath salts look like a gift you took great effort in creating will be in the packaging. Three different vials of salts with essential oils added are pretty when labeled with homemade labels.
Do you take the time to make homemade Valentine’s gifts? What’s your specialty?
