Valentine's gifts

[Iowa-art-teacher]

So, this is my first post to the site. I found it online a few weeks ago and have become addicted to reading through the forums and blogs, especially during the last few days when I have been snowed in and home from school!

Anyway, I am sure that this subject has come up in the past, but does anyone have any fun homemade ideas for Valentine's gifts for those special people? I would like to make something for my significant other, but he is not really a "crafty" type person, so it can't be too cutesy.

Any suggestions you have or just sharing fun things that you have made in the past would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Getcrafty.com!]

[merrydeath]

guys always like tastey food, right? ^_^ i mean, i'm partial to vday since it's my bday and all, but when i was little, my mom used to make me these lil heart cupcakes and once even a big heart cake. yeah, she has a lot of odd heart shaped cake pans, cookie cutters, etc. haha...but i mean, this guy i used to kinda see, i made him the heart cupcakes on time and he really digged 'em. and two bdays ago my friend john made me a special valentine bday dinner of fettucine alfredo with portabello mushrooms. yum yum. it was way sweet. uhm, i think guys are totally flattered in a blew their mind kinda way when they get flowers. like, not 'serious' rosey type flowers...but i love chrysanthemums...the GIANT ones! and guys seem to dig those too! because their big i guess so their not 'wimpy' or something? haha...stuff like that is what i'd shoot for. or practical things too. like, make your guy a scarf and attatch a mushy note like, you warm my heart or something. ahahahaha...i mean, it's hard for me to plan stuff, cause since it's my bday people are always trying to it for me (as they should... ;) haha, but you didn't say how long you guys were together? are you like, married together? or just dating? cause that might help with the suggestions and stuff. for christmas someone said something about cracking open walnuts and putting tiny stuff in there...i think that was a cool idea. but i think with guys, food is usually the way to go. ^_^

[peacefulzen]

I plan on making some valentine's day fortune cookies and baking my ass off! LOL

Past Vday gifts have been mini scrapbooks, fleece blankets (the no-sew ones), decoupaged framed art, paintings, small magnets, and mini zines for my loved one...

I'd love to hear more suggestions :)

[Katydid]

I actually agree - food is always a hit.

My SO loves my chocolate chip cookies, so that's what I make for him. I didn't have time to make them last year, and I don't think I've ever dissapointed him so much.

You could make some kind of keepsake box (and if you're an art teacher, you could paint it, or make it pretty somehow). Something that you can put cookies in that will live beyond the food and have meaning.

I think I'm going to take my own advice! I like that idea....

[sparklingallison]

Love Jenga.

Get a regular Jenga set and some permanent markers. Write different thing on each jenga piece -- "kiss on neck", "snuggle", "tell one secret"... you can take this where ever you want to go. :) I did this for a boyfriend in the past, he liked it but we never played with it. Needless to say he's now an ex. The couple that plays together stays together!

I also like the mini scrapbook idea -- I did this for my current boyfriend for Christmas and he loved it. I included pictures from the year and some pages with important dates listed and another with a list of things we do together. He loved it.

I have no clue what to get him this year though, so keep the ideas coming!

[Iowa-art-teacher]

Thanks for the ideas! The food route sounds like a great way to go. We both love to cook, but aren't very good, so maybe it would be fun to plan a meal and set up all the ingredients and then to it together.

To answer Merrydeath's question, we've been dating about 7 years - since freshman year of college.

I like the jenga idea, too - we play board games together alot.

So, keep the great ideas coming!

[sparklingallison]

I just thought of another idea -- is there a board game you could make into a travel version? For example, I play this game called "Snatch" with my boyfriend. It's a word game. We've thought of making a travel version that is magnetic to take with us on vacations... something to consider.

[merrydeath]

awwww...seven years! that's so sweet that even after all these years you still stress over what to do for him for vday!!! i totally dig that! i hope we'll ALL have the same dilemma... ^_^ hope you guys have a happy valentine's day!

[slee]

The jenga idea is great. But if you don't have jenga tiles, you can buy ones called "style stones". go this website and click on Extras!

http://www.colorbox.com/site.html

for tons of box making ideas, you can go to www.hgtv.com and click on crafts. then go to paper / cardboard crafts.

[beadangel]

You can try beading roses (free instruction at http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/Art...r_project.html)
Or if he's religious, a cross keychain at (http://www.beadjewelrymaking.com/oth...arl_cross.html)

Enjoy and happy valentines